Cadair Idris · Southern Snowdonia
Cadair Idris — "the Chair of Idris" — rises dramatically above Dolgellau and the Mawddach estuary. Legend holds that anyone who sleeps on its summit wakes either a poet or a madman. The horseshoe ridge around the deep glacial cwm of Llyn Cau is one of the most complete and visually striking in Wales, combining accessible paths with a genuinely mountainous atmosphere.
Difficulty
Moderate – Hard
Terrain
Glacial cwm, rocky ridge, steep scree paths
Best for
Mythology & legend · A complete horseshoe in a day · Dramatic lake views
The highest point of Cadair Idris, with a small summit shelter and sweeping coastal views.
Moderate
A dramatic, narrow-topped summit on the western arm of the horseshoe, named "the saddle".
Hard, narrow ridge
The eastern horn of the horseshoe, with steep drops into Cwm Cau.
Moderate – Hard
A lower spur extending the ridge east from Mynydd Moel.
Moderate
A rocky top on the southern rim above Llyn Cau, with vertiginous views down to the lake.
Moderate – Hard
The westernmost summit of the wider Cadair Idris range, overlooking the Mawddach estuary.
Easy – Moderate
A connecting summit between Tyrrau Mawr and the main Cadair ridge.
Moderate
Minffordd Path up via Craig Cwm Amarch, over Penygadair and Mynydd Moel, back down past Llyn Cau.
The most direct and popular route to the summit from Ty Nant.
A longer traverse continuing west from the main horseshoe to Tyrrau Mawr.
Built from real elevation data — drag, orbit and walk the actual terrain.