Cadair Idris via the Minffordd path Hike Guide | Snowdonia National Park
Cadair Idris or 'Idris's Chair’ as it’s translated too, is one of the three mountains which make up the Welsh Three Peaks.
Shrouded in Welsh myth and legend this mountain lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park near the town of Dolgellau.
At 891m it may not be the highest mountain in Wales, but it’s a corker of a hike that certainly packs a punch.
A great way to escape the busier peaks of northern Snowdonia and on a clear day the summit offers phenomenal 360 panoramic views across southern Snowdonia.
Key Information
Hike Distance: 6.1 miles / 10km
Hike Duration: 4-6 hours
Elevation Gain: 977m
Hike Difficulty: Hard
Technical aspects: None
Start Point: Dol Idris Car Park
What Three Words location: //household.feels.dairy
Where to park for Cadair Idris
Parking is available at Dôl Idris Car Park, which is £6 for the day. You can park for free on the road just outside the car park but you run the risk of getting a ticket. What Three Words location: //household.feels.dairy
The Route
The hike begins by cross the river, passing the café, and bearing right through a wooden gate and into the forest.
The path will then begin to zig zag very steeply up through the forest alongside the river. Although this is the steepest section of the route, the path is well maintained and easy to follow.
After 1km the path will emerge from the forest and you will come across a stone bridge over the river.
Do not cross the bridge and instead follow the path up and around for a further 1,3km until you reach the shores of Llyn Cau.
The beautiful Llyn Cau is situated in natural bowl-shaped depression and is enveloped on three sides by 400m high imposing cliffs.
This crater-like shape which surrounds the lake has given rise to the mistaken claim that Cader Idris is an extinct volcano.
However the lake is actually formed by massive a cirque glacier which used to sit in the chair shaped hollow. Hence the English translation of the mountain to ‘Idris’ Chair’.
You can swim in this lake, but it is extremely cold.
This hike guide is a loop meaning you wont pass llyn Cau on the way back down, however if you did want to take a dip after you have reached the summit you can just descend the same way you ascended
From the shoreline, double back on yourself and begin to climb the ridgeline which will be to the south of the lake (if you are walking away from the lake it will be on your right)
This path climbs 340m over one mile up and a round to the summit of Craig Cwm Amarch. From here you will have epic views directly down over llyn Cau.
The final climb up to Cadair Idris, Craig Cwm Amarch can be seen looming above Llyn Cau
From Craig Cwm Amarch descend down to the saddle before making the final ascent up to the summit of Cadair idris.
the final section of this route is quite steep, very rocky, and sections consists of loose scree. This can make the final climb a bit of a slog and quite hard going.
Looking south from the summit Cadair Idris
The summit of Cadair Idris isn’t the most dramatic and is more of a wide rocky plateau than a sharp peak.
Although the views back down over Llyn Cau are quite restricted you will still have fantastic 360 views over the national park.
The wide plateau also means there is plenty of room to find a nice quiet spot to sit and take in the views.
The summit is also home to a stone refuge which can come in handy if the weather conditions have taken a turn for the worse.
Looking west from the summit Cadair Idris
From the summit you have three options to get back down to the car park
Retrace your steps back to Craig Cwm Amarch then down and a round to Llyn Cau
Drop down to the saddle between Craig Cwm Amarch and Cadair Idris and descend down to llyn Cau via the steep gully
Continue eastwards from the summit towards Mynyyd Moel before to loop around and down to the wooded gorge you first climbed.
Although the quickest route down, the second option is very steep and tricky and shouldn’t be attempted by those who aren’t comfortable scrambling.
Climbing the gully back down to llyn Cau
So there we have it, my hike guide to Cadair Idris via the Minffordd path.
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You can find more Welsh hiking inspiration in the following blogs
For more Welsh travel inspiration check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite Welsh regions below.