Country Walking: Cadair Idris, Gwynedd
At one point thought to be the highest mountain in Britain, Cadair Idris is a sprawling mass of upland, lording it over southern Eryri. Heading south, it’s Great Britain’s last vestige of craggy, rugged mountain country. Beyond here the landscape softens, evolving into Mid Wales’ overgrazed hills before rising in a final flourish on the emerald escarpments and sweeping moorland of Bannau Brycheiniog. No wonder legend has it that the mountain was a throne fit for the giant Idris Gawr, hence Cadair Idris: the chair of Idris. When tackled via the Minffordd Path, Cadair Idris very much feels like Yr Wyddfa’s distant sibling, a Snowdon of the south (where the national park is concerned, at least). The rocky pyramid of Craig Cwm Amarch bears a striking resemblance to Yr Wyddfa’s Clogwyn y Garnedd, both towering above their own glistening mountain llyn. The mountain’s dramatic eastern cwm, cradling the majestic Llyn Cau, calls to mind another iconic mountain in Lakeland’s Helvellyn and its Red Tarn. However, the arms above Llyn Cau are less edgy than on the likes of Yr Wyddfa and Helvellyn, requiring neither a head for heights nor scrambling ability. The route begins from Dôl Idris, where there’s a café for pre- and post-walk refreshment. The initial ascent through woodland is punishingly steep but once you break out of the trees and into the mountain, gradients ease and the views unfurl. After glorious Llyn Cau, the high-level traverse begins, crowned by Penygadair, the massif’s 893-metre summit. It’s said that if you sleep up here, you’ll wake as a poet or a madman, which assumes the two are mutually exclusive. By Alex Foxfield Route Start/parking: Dôl Idris car park, grid ref SH731115, nearest postcode LL36 9AJ Is it for me? Strenuous mountain walk, ridges exposed to elements, no scrambling required Stiles: 12 Planning Nearest town: Dolgellau Refreshments: Tŷ Te Cadair Tea Room, Talyllyn (01654 761505), Cross Foxes, Brithdir (01341 421001) Public toilets: Dôl Idris car park Public transport: Lloyds Coaches service 30 from Tywyn to Dolgellau (lloydscoaches.com) Maps: OS Explorer OL23; Landranger 124; Harvey Superwalker Cadair Idris From Country Walking magazine, to subscribe visit www.GreatMagazines.co.uk/CountryWalking Copyright Bauer Media Limited 2024. All rights reserved. We have taken all reasonable steps to ensure these walks are safe and correctly described. However, things do change and all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk. The GPX trace on this route is for use as a guide only, its accuracy may change depending on the scale of map you are using. Use in combination with judgement and a paper map. The publishers accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any injuries or accidents that occur whilst following this walk.

Exit car park by toilet block and turn R along path. Follow path, ignoring L turn just beyond lake. Take next L and walk past café and visitor centre. At T-junction, turn R. Ascend steep, stepped path through woodland. Above trees, bear L at junction and follow main trail, broadly W. Ignore path branch to L and continue to E shore of Llyn Cau.

Retrace steps for 320m and take path to R, ascending ridge to the S of Llyn Cau. Towards top of Craig Cwm Amarch, keep R, following path along cliff edge. After Craig Cwm Amarch summit, continue along cliff path, ignoring paths to L. Descend to bwlch, ignore descending path to the R, and follow ascending path to Penygadair summit, marked by trig point.

Leave summit to the NE, bearing R at first path junction. Continue on path along crest of the broad grassy ridge, ignoring paths off to the R, to reach Mynydd Moel, marked by cairn and summit shelter.

From summit, follow path to SE, ignoring two paths to R. At junction marked by stile, turn L and follow path by fence. At next junction, turn L again, and descend steadily via zig-zagging trail. Bear R at next junction, passing over stile. Follow trail to stream crossing, where you meet outward path. Continue descent on outward path, through woods, past the café, back to the car park.

Country Walking: Cadair Idris, Gwynedd