Trip Report – Cadair Idris – 9th August

Route – Doleinion Camp Site – Car Park at Minffordd- Minffordd Path to Llyn Cau – Criag Cau- Cadair Idris (Penygadair)- Mynydd Moel – Nant Cadair- Car Park at Minffordd – Doleinion Camp Site.

In Wales at the moment on a family holiday, with the added luxury of touring around in our motor home. Stopped at a CC Certificated Site right below Cadair ( Doleinion) near Minffordd. This gave a chance to do an afternoon walk around Cadair.

The weather had been raining most of the night and into the early afternoon. Always the optimist !

I set off from the campsite and walked the short section of road to the Car Park at Minffordd.  At the rear of the car park I picked up the Minffordd Path which after a small section of made up path climbed steeply alongside Nant Cadair tumbling down the hillside.

Nant Cadair

After a little while I emerged from woodland which was clinging to the hillside, into open country.  The vertical cliffs of Cadair were in front of me, the tops shrouded in cloud.  The path started to flatten out and a little further on I glimpsed Llyn Cau.  The lake looked dark, deep and un-inviting. Perhaps on a warm sunny day it might be a place to cool down.

Llyn Cau

I followed the faint path around the lake and about half way round I took the near vertical path up to the ridge between Craig Cwm Amarch and Cadair Idris (Craig Cau). It wasn’t long before I left the lake far below and myself breathless as I scrambled up the path.  I stopped to put my walking pole away as it was now in the way.  About half way up I stopped again, I could clearly hear my heart pounding – perhaps I should have taken the easier route up to the ridge via Craig Cwm Amarch.

After scrambling up a scree path, I found myself on top of the ridge, with a strong breeze blowing over the ridge.

Ridge towards Cadair Idris summit

Unfortunately there was no view to reward my efforts and I turned right towards Cadair.  The path was pretty level for awhile and then more steeply as I picked my way across the large boulders on the way to the trig point on Cadair.

Trig point - Cadair Idris

No views here – but there is bound to be some when I get to Mynydd Moel !!  I stopped for a snack and water inside the bothy at the top.

Bothy ( Refuse Shelter) - Cadair

I then made my way along the ridge towards to Mynydd Moel, descending at first and then a gradually climb to my next goal.  Fleeting glimpses through the clouds showed me the valley way below containing Llyn Gafr, but never long enough to take a decent photograph.  Arrived at Mynydd Moel, and in the small shelter I text Mary to tell her where I was.  I walked South Eastwards over a large plateau until the path descended steeply along a fence and eventually a wall.

Looking back at Llyn Cau on the way down

I came out of the clouds and there far below at the campsite I spied the white top of our motor home.

Motor Home far below !

I continued down the path until I got to the Slate Bridge crossing the Nant Cadair, from where I retraced my steps back down to the car park.

Slate Bridge over Nant Cadair

From the car park I found a sort cut to avoid walking most of the the road back to the Camp site and in the process managed to shepherd about 20 Lleyn sheep along a narrow footpath, before they ran bleating to the left.  Back on the road it was a short stride back to the camp site arriving back at 8.30 pm to a cup of tea and a hot meal.  The weather wasn’t great but because of it I had the whole area to myself and didn’t see a soul until I was back at camp.

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