Go Below offers guided underground adventure in the slate caverns above Betws-y-Coed — abseiling, zip lines, underground lakes, and passages cut by hand in the 19th century, now repurposed for adventure tourism. Small groups, full kit provided, experienced guides: this is underground Eryri at its most accessible and most exciting. This is Experience #87 of the Snowdonia 100.
Trip Details
| Location | Betws-y-Coed area — collected from meeting point |
| Duration | Half day or full day options |
| Activities | Abseiling, zip lines, traverses, underground lakes |
| Group size | Small — typically 4–6 participants per guide |
| Kit | All technical equipment provided; wear old clothes underneath |
| Book in advance | Essential — popular year-round |
The Underground Environment
The slate caverns used by Go Below are Victorian-era workings — chambers and tunnels cut into the mountain by quarrymen working with hand drills, black powder, and candles. The scale of the underground spaces is genuinely surprising: chambers the size of cathedrals, passages that connect to further chambers beyond. The underground lake — clear, cold, illuminated by headtorches — is one of the more extraordinary features.
Why It Works
Go Below's small group model — maximum 6 participants per guide — keeps the experience intimate. The guides know the mountain's underground in detail and bring the historical context of Victorian quarrying to the physical experience of being inside it. This is not a theme park; it is an authentic encounter with industrial heritage, made accessible through technical adventure.
Experience #87 of 100 — Challenges and Adventures category.
Independently written — Snowdon.com