Cadair Idris

Distance 6.5 miles

Ascent 990m

 

The weather forecast had improved for Thursday so we decided to walk up Cadair Idris. We parked at the Dol Idris carpark, where the café is now only open weekends and started slowly up the steep stone steps. The steep stone steps continued up to a slate bridge that crosses the Nant Cadair and up into the clouds on to Mynydd Moel 863m. As we walked along the edge the clouds started clearing briefly giving us occasional views down across Llyn Cau and the hills beyond. A short rocky climb led up on to the top of Cadair Idris for cloudy photos, then it started to drizzle so we went into the shelter to have lunch. It started raining and the wind got up. Some other people came and went. There was some flask envy. The rain stopped and we headed out. After a bit of path confusion and some slippy rocks, we found the Minffordd Path and dropped down to Craig Cau and up around the sharp ridge above Llyn Cau. The skies cleared and we had great views. The steep stone steps took us down and around Craig Lwyd and Ystrad-gwyn alongside the stream and into the woodland with waterfalls, where we had a sit on a bench near the bottom and laughed at the small child moaning and puffing his way up from the visitor centre.

Ridge Walk to Diffwys

Distance 15 miles

Ascent 1,120m

 

From the cottage, we walked up the hillside through fields and along stonewalls, up past the sheep fort (not disturbing the occupants today) along to Bwlch Y Llan. After a short distance we left the clear path and headed up a very steep grassy, rocky path alongside a wall directly up on to the ridge to Bwlch Cwmmaria. An undulating walk in the clouds took us across the gap at Bwlch Y Rhiwgyr up to Diffwys at 750m the highest point of the day. The trig point sits precariously on a steep edge, shrouded in clouds. There was nowhere conveniently out of the wind to sit and have lunch so we headed down a bit. Here we met a chap (at 462m) who was walking the coastal path and had decided to take the hillier option today and had got lost. We walked down with him a while and gave him directions to Tal-y-Bont, then we left him to continue our walk the other way down along the grassy ridge of Braich to Uwch Mynydd. We stopped part way down for a not very sheltered but large lunch. A pleasant path led along the valley floor and into a wet cow track. Wet cow track eventually became dry cow track which became dry sheep track, then we passed through a farmyard with the smallest digger in the world and out on to a lane. We followed the lane around back into Barmouth and into the Last Inn for beers and dinner, hoping our feet didn't smell too much of cows.

Barmouth via Gellfawr and Levels

Distance 7 miles

Ascent 372m

 

The paths were slightly drier today up the hillside to the fort, and improved by better sock choices. We went to look out from the fort, to the dismay of the sheep, then followed the pretty grass path around the hillside overlooking the sea. We passed a man sitting by the side of the path eating his lunch and had lunch envy. We visited the flag on the outcrop at Craig Y Gigfran, through the old abandoned stone buildings, then walked down the grassy zigzag path down into Barmouth coming out by the old church. We bought lunch and ate it out on the concrete sea defences by the beach watching the tide go out.

Barmouth via the Panorama Walk and Barmouth Bridge

Distance 15 miles

Ascent 590m

We decided to walk into Barmouth along the hills from the cottage. A steep path goes up directly behind, through some fields and along a stonewall which joins a track above Ffridd Fechan. It was possible my sock decision hadn't been the best, the path became quite wet. We passed a hillfort defended by sheep and crossed a bog - proving wrong the cottage-lady who said they don't have bogs here. At Bwlch Y Llan we went through a gate and dropped down to a lane that led down to a wooded path at Cutiau that was quite flooded in places and on to the Panorama Walk. We had a sit on the bench and admired the panorama, complete with red kite and seagulls. In the second bad decision of the day, we didn't bring the flask but the bara brith was good. Leaving the bench we dropped down into the trees and the path led to a carpark on a lane, which leads down into Barmouth. A short ferry ride took us across the estuary onto the shingle on the south bank of the harbour. We walked along the road and top of the beach then around up to the footpath that crosses the Barmouth Bridge, which is now unmanned and has an honesty box. We had a cup of tea outside at the harbour and then had tea at the Royal.