Ah Cadair Idris! What a lump to be heading for - though driving out of Cambridge into the Bank Holiday weekend traffic it would have been useful to have had legs as long as the Giant Idris (and they must have been long, considering the size of his chair) to have been able to run there cross-country. But luckily it soon calmed down and, via a fish and chip stop we all arrived at Kings' Youth Hostel on a beautiful moonlit night.
The day dawned bright and beautiful, so we all crammed into the kitchen and discussed routes - despite the fact an hour or so had been spent doing this the night before. Jane S and Tim were first off for a Grade 3 scramble to the top of Cyfrwy then along the ridge eastwards and to Dolgellau for a tea-shop stop. Paul P. and Toby went off loaded with ropes and rock boots to do (I hardly dare mention it) a climbing route. But due to weather conditions (yes it started to snow!) and other factors (perhaps a curse of climbing on a HWC trip?!) they had a bit of an epic (more details in the unofficial trip book) and ended up walking the Cadair ridge as well.
The plan for another group (Jane, Ian, Silke, Stephen, Mary and Andreas) was to walk the whole ridge, but due to a minibus epic and faff (yes, involving rock again) we ended up walking up a scree slope near the Fox's Path, eating lunch in the sunshine near the top of Penygadair (the trig point looked like a juicy human covered in mosquitoes, such was the number of bank holiday walkers on it) then wandering west via Cyfrwy & Craig-y-Llyn to Braich Ddu, through snow and rain. We pootled back past a little lake and a few little lumps. It was obviously the best way to go as no others were seen west of the Pony path.
Cadair was continuing to get much attention from CUHWC as 2 groups were doing the same route. The sensible way round (Paul A, Jane (Brown), Mari, Graham, Dave, Sergei and Yeugeny) involved climbing the Pony path, walking east and dropping down at the end of the ridge to wobble back to the hostel. But while they were on the ridge they spotted something whizzing past. It was assumed to be a fell runner - but on turning they saw it was a sheep!! And a fast sheep - indeed a sheep running for its life! Then another figure rushed past and this time it was a fell runner - clad in nought but a small pair of shorts - chasing the sheep. The poor beast stopped for a second, glanced behind only to see him still in pursuit and dashed off in horror! Make of that what you will.
Katherine, Niall, John and Sarah Ho. went the other (not so sensible) way round - reaching the ridge as the good weather and views disappeared. But prizes for originality go to James, Sarah Ha., Keith and Luke who went to the Rhinogs for a 17 mile (exaggeration! -ed.) wander from summit to valley to summit to valley...in grim and good weather via Rhinog Fawr and Fach, Y Llethr and Diffwys. An evening by the estuary (and pub) ended the day - sunset, incoming tide and the arrival of stars ending the day as beautifully as it began.
Wow! By 9.30 we were nearly all organised! Sarah Ha., James, Keith, Ian and Toby went for an exciting grade 3 scramble on Cyfrwy (most satisfying, apparently), then walked east along the ridge - with even better views than yesterday. Paul A, Jane Brown, Graham, Dave and Luke climbed Cadair from the south by the Minffordd path and also went east, to meet the others at the Cross Foxes Inn - which they were disappointed to find closed.
Jane S and Tim planned on the Rhinogs so took a busful. They set off to wander around Rhinog Fawr and put in a bit of sunbathing - the other 10 (Jane, John, Katherine, Stephen, Sarah Ho, Mary, Silke, Mari, Paul P and Andreas) pootled up to Y Llethr, round and down to sit above a little lake for lunch, then up Rhinog Fach. The views were stunning all round - to Snowdon, Cadair and west to the coast and Lynn Peninsula. And not many folks around!! We descended to a comfy patch of heather, appreciated the sun and went back following a mysterious underground stream. We congregated back at Cross Foxes and went back East... such is life.
A few quotes (they weren't too frequent this trip)
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