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Date: 17/05/2015
From: Minffordd
Parking: Minffordd
Start Point: Minffordd
Region: Snowdonia
Route length: 11.9 miles (19.1 km)
Time taken: 05:38
Average speed: 2.1 mph
Ascent: 1,323m
Descent: 1,323m
Nuttalls on this walk: Craig Cwm Amarch (791m), Cyfrwy (The Saddle) (811m), Penygadair (893m), Mynydd Moel (863m), Gau Graig (683m)
Other Summits: Craig Lwyd (690m), Mynydd Gwerngraig (686m)
Other points of interest: Llyn Cau, Craig Cau, Shelter, Llyn y Gadair
Snowdon aside, Cadair Idris is one of Wales' most popular peaks and for good reason. Just looking at it on the maps makes you want to climb it (if that sort of thing floats your boat). It's an exciting-looking mountain surrounded by fine rock scenery; cwms, corries, headwalls, moraine and striated rocks are in abundance. It's steep and it's high and has everything you could want for a thoroughly enjoyable day out.
Cadair Idris is the reason the Snowdonia National Park extends so far south It's actually located in Gwynedd, some 50 miles south of the famous Ogwen valley, home to Welsh giants of the Glyderau. It can be busy as it's the finest attraction for miles around. Luckily today, a slightly less than favourable forecast kept the crowds at bay and an early start from Minffordd meant I had much of the day alone aside from the few moments I was loitering around near the summit.
Cadair Idris (the name of the entire range rather than a single peak) is thought to get its name from the mythological legend of the giant Idris who used the mountain as a chair to gaze at the stars. It won't come as a surprise to learn that Cadair is Welsh for chair and hence the literal translation is, the chair of Idris or Cadair Idris (locals may refer to it as Cader).
The route starts from the car park at Minffordd, a well-appointed little spot with a fee of £5 to pay for the day. Beyond the car park are the woods of Ystrad-gwyn where the path starts its relentless climb to the summit of Penygadair. Steps lead up through the woods past the tranquil falls of Nant Cadair, the stream that drains Llyn Cau high up the mountainside where they quickly climb up over 300m into the Cadair Idris National Nature Reserve.
Obvious enough |
The foot of the 800m climb to Penygadair |
Nant Cadair tumbling through the woods |
Steps lead up through the woods of Ystrad-gwyn |
Falls on Nant Cadair |
The view south to Rugog |
The crags of Cadair Idris appear |
Crags overlooking Nant Cadair |
The lower slopes of Mynydd Moel |
Craig Cwm Amarch |
Llyn Cau |
Panorama of Craig Lwyd, Craig Cwm Amarch and Penygadair |
Climbing up to Craig Lwyd |
Looking back over Craig Lwyd |
The profile of Craig Cwm Amarch |
Penygadair |
Llyn Cau and Mynydd Moel |
Craig Cwm Amarch, Penygadair and Mynydd Moel |
Peering over the summit of Craig Cwm Amarch |
Craig Lwyd |
Llyn Cau a long way down |
Life on the edge |
Craig Cau |
Craig Cau and Penygadair |
Craig Cwm Amarch and Llyn Cau with Craig Lwyd in the background |
Panorama from Craig Cau |
Craig Cwm Amarch |
Penygadair from the Pony Path |
Llyn y Gadair |
Cyfrwy |
Summit shelter on Cyfrwy |
View across Bryn Brith to the Afon Mawddach from Cyfrwy |
The final climb to Penygadair |
Cyfrwy |
The summit comes into view |
Penygadair's trig pillar |
The stone shelter |
Inside the damp building |
Light creeps in through the door |
The summit and the shelter |
Standing sentry at the eastern end of the ridge is Mynydd Moel, another prominent top with towering cliffs and crags to the north. Standing atop the summit gives a great view back along the northern crags towards the summit. A narrow arĂȘte also allows a short excursion away from the summit for a close-up view of the crags.
Cyfrwy and Llyn y Gadair |
Peering down the crags |
Mynydd Moel over the northern crags of Cadair Idris |
The unnamed 852m peak on Cadair Idris |
Mynydd Moel |
Approaching the summit of Mynydd Moel |
Mynydd Moel's arete |
Mynydd Moel from the narrow arete |
Tiny Llyn Arran and Gau Graig |
Cadair Idris |
The summit of Mynydd Moel |
Cadair Idris topped by Penygadair |
The path hops over a fence via a stile |
Looking back to Mynydd Moel |
The ridge towards Gau Graig |
Gau Graig summit |
The crags of Gau Graig |
The view towards Garthgynfawr |
Tal-y-llyn Lake in the distance |
A wall runs across the top of Craig Cwmrhhwyddfor |
Looking down to Minffordd below |
Cwm Crag Amarch appears |
In the hanging valley above Minffordd |
I opted to take the right-hand path (north on the map) as the path is much more obvious and easy to find. It skirts the lakeside and looks across to the ridge of Craig Lwyd with the pyramid of Craig Cwm Amarch standing proud at the end. A large rock outcrop at the end forces you to climb up and around it, something I hadn't anticipated when I'd set off but it was negotiated with little difficulty. The lakeside path reaches the bottom of the direct route up to Craig Cau and looked as arduous and unappealing as it did when I was stood at the top. It was shortly after this that I decided to take a quick break to savour the silence and the surroundings.
Llyn Cau, Craig Lwyd and Craig Cwm Amarch |
Craig Cwm Amarch |
The face of Craig Cwm Amarch |
Looking up the crags |
Llyn Cau |
The amazing pinnacle on Craig Cwm Amarch |
Dwarf Island |
Penygadair |
The Minffordd Path |
Returning through the woods of Ystrad-gwyn |
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