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+ 194

Cadair Idris, Craig Lwyd and Mynydd Moel

Hiking Trail

Hard
5.94 mi
3,031 ft
An atmospheric loop over the top of Central Wales' best known summit

Perched in the otherwise rolling hills of Central Wales, Cadair Idris is a rocky, craggy anomaly. The mountain is high, wild and remote, making it a connoisseur's peak rather than one on the radar of glory hunters!

The route we've drawn here is the Minffordd Path, the shortest but steepest trail up the mountain. The initial section of the path features a lot of stone steps so your thighs will get a good workout as you climb up towards Llyn Cau and then onto the summit of Craig Lwyd - the first peak of the day. Assuming you've come here in good weather the hike only improves from here as you follow the dramatic ridge which links Craig Lwyd with the 893m summit of Cadair Idris.

The views just get better and better as you ascend towards the summit, and from the top they're jaw-dropping. Surrounded by Craig Lwyd's craggy north face, distant hills and with the Irish Sea dominating the panorama to the west, the little stone summit block has a pretty nice vista!

Having soaked it all in, descend Cadair Idris' broad north-east ridge as it gradually drops down towards the distant valleys below and swings down to the sub-summit of Moelfryn. The journey down to Moelfryn is spectacular, with the steeper ground beyond it (which in turn leads to Mynydd Gwerngrig) making the ridge feel as if it's almost floating above the valleys.

From Moelfryn, rejoin the ascent route and descend back to the carpark, from where several lovely little villages are in reach. Written by Charlie Boscoe
Created By
Strava Routes

Route and Elevation

Segments

NameDistanceElev. Diff.Avg. Grade
Cafe to Cafe5.54 mi2,618 ft0.1%
Cadair Idris - Cafe Stream to Summit2.80 mi2,425 ft16.4%
Cadair Idris - Gate to Gate Step Fest Up0.24 mi344 ft27.1%
big Efs2.26 mi1,831 ft15.3%
Minffordd Path Climb0.32 mi292 ft16.8%
Craig Lwyd Climb0.41 mi322 ft14.8%
Doleinion Climb0.25 mi305 ft22.9%
B4405 Climb0.60 mi571 ft17.9%
Across The Top0.91 mi-194 ft-0.2%
A487 Climb0.41 mi180 ft8.2%
Final Push1.06 mi-1,027 ft-18.2%