All walks › Eryri: Cadair Idris and the Mawddach
Eryri: Cadair Idris and the MawddachCadair Idris by the Pony Path
The most straightforward way up a mountain that feels far bigger than its height, with a summit shelter and a view that runs from Pembrokeshire to Eryri.
- Distance
- 5.9 mi / 9.5 km
- Time
- 5 hr
- Ascent
- 850 m
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Shape
- There and back
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
The Pony Path climbs steadily from Ty Nant to the col at Rhiw Gwredydd, then turns east along the ridge to the summit at Penygadair. Return by the same route; the alternatives are considerably harder.
Worth knowing
- The summit shelter is a genuine refuge and often the only shelter for miles. Do not count on it being empty.
- Tradition says anyone who sleeps a night on the summit wakes either a poet or a madman.
- The northern face drops straight into Llyn y Gadair. Keep well back from the edge in wind or cloud.
What you’ll see
Llyn y Gadair in its cwm, the Mawddach estuary, and Cardigan Bay laid out to the west.
Background
Cadair Idris means the chair of Idris, a giant of Welsh legend. The mountain was a fixture of the picturesque tour and has been climbed by visitors since the eighteenth century.