So, two weeks ago we headed up to North Wales on a family cottage break shortly after my dad's 69th birthday. To celebrate, Mark, my dad and I headed up Cadair Idris on the Saturday. The weather was exceptional, which was fantastic and we had clear views in
all directions, which I really wasn't expecting. What I also wasn't expecting was that I would spend the entire route in my light fleece with my sleeves rolled up......cue massive sunburn in a ridiculous pattern because of my pasty pale celtic skin (cheers Irish genes)!
We were staying in Machynlleth in a beautiful cottage we've stayed in before with
Blaentrothy Holiday Cottages. I highly recommend it if you decide to escape en masse to the hills - or as a couple outside of school holidays as they offer a 40% discount.
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| Fronfraith in Abercegir, 10 minutes from Machynlleth |
We parked at Dol Idris and decided to walk the Minfford path, which was only a 15-20 minute drive from our cottage up past Corris. Car parking was £5 all day or £2.50 for 4 hours which is pretty reasonable. The machine didn't accept new £1 coins though so there was a bit of a panic as we tried to scrabble together enough money for two cars.
I'd bought a new 24L rucksack which was packed with a lot of lunch and snacks and water and I instantly regretted it as soon as we started the climb. Mark offered to carry it for me but I thought that would be a cop out and was determined to prove that I could do a strenuous hike with a weighted backpack (being a role model for women everywhere)!
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| Climbing up the endless stone steps... |
The path starts with a steep climb up a load of stone steps but the scenery is pretty and a stream runs alongside the path. I felt like giving up almost straight away, especially with the weight of lunch and all the water in the backpack, but I ploughed on and tried to quiet the voice that was saying this climb was impossible, mainly because I knew what was coming was likely to be much steeper and worse!
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| Fell runners! First time I'd ever seen any...what a crazy breed of people. |
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| We took the left fork and headed up to Llyn Cau. |
We eventually arrived on a path that levelled out somewhat and continued the climb up towards Llyn Cau which became more gradual. The scenery here was incredible and we stopped for a rest to bask in the sun and enjoy the view.
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| Reaching Llyn Cau after climbing for 40 minutes...this is a popular place to wild camp! |
We carried on climbing up towards Cwm Cau and stopped for some lunch at the top along with a load of other walkers.
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| Dexter felt he had earned some lunch as well after the climb! |
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| Summit of Cadair Idris in the distance. |
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| More sunshine and a view up high of Llyn Cau. |
We began the descent and then another climb up to the summit of Cadair Idris. I've got to admit, this climb did feel hard but it didn't seem as difficult as the previous few climbs so we kept going and slogged on until we reached the trig point. It was a lot of climbing and the first real hike I've done with a heavier rucksack on - it felt like a real achievement and another mountain crossed off the list. Also, once the rucksack was empty of water and food, it felt a lot easier!
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| Trying hard to get a photo without being surrounded by tourists...impossible. |
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| Enjoying the views from the top. |
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We made it! And it wasn't even that cold..or windy!
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We decided to make it a circular walk and headed straight on and followed the path down via Mynydd Moel (although we skipped reaching the summit here as this wasn't our goal on this occasion). Foolishly, I thought going down with a lighter pack would be easier but unfortunately, the loose scree slope and steep descent had other things in mind. It was definitely ankle-breaking terrain. I watched a few Liverpudlians in trainers slide down in front of me and was grateful for my Salomon boots - although people who head into the mountains unprepared are pretty stupid, even in good weather conditions.
My dad twisted his ankle so I gave him my trekking pole 'cos I figured my knees had a bit more durability left in them yet and he was way further ahead of me in terms of arthritis, what with 69 years of hiking, ice climbing, rock climbing and caving under his belt.
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| It was a glorious day and breathtaking views in every direction - looking back on the way we'd come. |
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| Looking back up the steep path we descended (no scree in sight - hurrah!) |
We rejoined the original path back down the steps to the car park and stopped in the tea rooms for a drink and a much needed sit down! My knees were super sore already...I struggled to walk for about 2 days after this hike! It was definitely one of my favourite hikes so far. The Brecon Beacons are beautiful but they pale in comparison to the mountains of Snowdonia...they're so rugged and the height just dwarfs you and makes you feel so insignificant.
I left Snowdonia filled with awe for the mountains and a zest to come back here wild camping in the summer...it was only a week before we returned for some more hiking in North Wales with our first camping trip of 2017.
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