Escape to Cadair and Cuckoos.
20th May 2026:
It was time to break out and find a little space for myself. I had no idea how walking fit I was but having invested in a new pair of Scarpa walking boots, it was time to set off and find out. It was a cloudy Wednesdaymorning as I checked Trusty Rusty's oil and tyre pressure and set off north up that familiar west coast road in search of adventure beyond Aberystwyth. The drive was uneventful, the road relatively quiet (it seems that petrol prices are inhibiting casual motoring) and the only real change I noticed compared to the last time I was up this way, were even more Welsh flags flying and a plethora of Plaid Cymru placards. The mood of the country seems to have changed a little after the recent Senedd Elections, when Plaid Cymru emerged to form a government for the first time. Labour were decimated in the Welsh Parliament elections, being reduced to rump a meagre nine seats. But enough of politics!
I stopped for an ice cream at RSPB Ynys Hir, (https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/ynys-hir) casually noting a Pied Flycatcher as it nipped out from a branch to scoop up an insect as I scooped up my salted caramel cone! And several cuckoos were calling in the distance. Everyone loves the sound of a cuckoo, heralding as they do a few hopefully warmer months; but not many people appreciate their parasitic egg laying habits! And then onwards, with Trusty Rusty straining a little on the steeper inclines, as I motored on, through Machynlleth, eventually turning left at Minfford along the beautiful valley of Tal-y-Llyn Lake. I settled for a civilised camp site at Cedris Farm, before wandering down the easy path by the river, that led towards the pub. This soon became more difficult with trees and barbed wired blocking my obvious route, maybe there is no right of way here? But the pub, The Railway Inn in Abergyngolwyn (www.therailwayinnabergynolwyn.co.uk - surely one of the longest web addresses in Wales?) was welcoming, the food hearty but some of stories relayed by the locals were a little hair raising, involving as they did Police Dogs and crowd control. The road home was the better option and I slept well on my comfy little mattress.
Breakfast was a leisurely affair another was kit to check, and double check, as the tendency, in my dotage, to forget essential equipment like my tent, is becoming a little tedious. The drive from here around to my starting point at Ty'n y Ceunant was a little arduous and involved missing a critical turning but the wooded valleys and rivers in this part of the world are so beautiful, the sun was slowly breaking through the clouds and for most of the drive, so were the foothills of Cadair Idris. Cadair Idris, the chair of Idris the giant and quite possible the most massive and meanest mountain in Wales. And also one of the loveliest and a long time favourite of mine.
Some say it is portal to another world, Welsh legends tell of Idris, a giant and king of Merioneth, who sat on the summit and surveyed his kingdom. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_Gawr)
He could bestow madness or poetic wisdom on those who slept on the mountain; if the new boots held out, I intended to find out which was in line for me! Wisps of cloud still occluded the summit as I illegally parked and shouldered my pack.
Llyn y Gadair and the Foxes Path
Three options presented :
1. Camp here for the night and climb over in the morning
2. Camp here for the night and return to the valley below
3. Go for it now! It was only 2.30pm and I could surely make the summit by 4 and camp up there overnight?
I knew what I was doing - I had been up this route some 45 years ago! Could I still do it? It is not a route to give up on, as the descent is much more dangerous than the ascent, indeed do NOT attempt to come down the Foxes Path! The notes say:
"The Fox's Path (Llwybr y Cadno) on Cadair Idris is a steep, challenging route featuring a loose scree gully. It is usually combined with the Pony Path to create a circular hike, taking about 4.5 to 5 hours. Because of the loose terrain, it is widely considered better suited for ascending rather than descending.
- Difficulty: Strenuous. It includes a steep, grade 1 scramble up loose rock and scree."
So I decided to go with option 3. What could possibly go wrong? I was carrying about 10Kg of food and camping gear so I was never going to starve or die from exposure - assuming I remained conscious after any fall!
It was steep - of that there can be no doubt! And over the years erosion has taken its toll and a number of routes presented over the rock and scree. Sticky McSticky was of course in my hand: I would not advise anyone climbing this route without some form of stick. I steadily plodded my way up, stopping several times to gasp for breath and mop my brow, for the sun was breaking through over the top of the cliffs that guarded Pen y Gadair, the summit. Once I reached the col at the top of the path, just over an hour later, it was a relatively simple stroll over to the top, 893 metres high with the sun descending and a stunning 360 degree view. I have been up here about half a dozen times in my life, and the weather has never been better than this.
Misty west view from the summit
It was a gentle stroll down the other side for an hour or so until the track broadened and a green slope on the other side of a stream beckoned as a possible camp site. So I crossed over to discover that this was actually boggy, tussocky grass and the going suddenly got much tougher. I was committed now to staying this side of the stream and a mile or so further down the slope, with another stream to cross, brought me to a lovely camp site with a convenient rock as a table. Cuckoos were calling in the valley below so I christened this 'Camp Cuckoo' and proceeded to erect the tent and cook myself a dehydrated meal of chicken curry. I slept very well, quite pleased with what I had achieved.
Camp Cuckoo
The walk out next morning was uneventful as it followed the valley of the Avon Cadair. Until the little village of Llanfihangel-y Pennant slipped into view and as I stopped for a drink,I realised that my camping mat and waterproof were no longer strapped to my rucksack! So I had to trudge back uphill, carefully tracing my steps until I found them hanging on a blackthorn bush, some two miles further back up the trail! This did mean that I got to view the beautiful valley twice but it was a little frustrating.
The story of Mary Jones and her Bible is one I was brought up with and it triggered a few memories of chapel days as I walked past a memorial at her original home. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jones_and_her_Bible )
Mary Jones Memorial
The path beyond here wound through another beautiful valley before emerging into forestry near Tel y Llyn. Climbing down onto the road to complete the route saw be snagged on a barbed wire fence! Surviving the Foxes Path to tear my shorts and extricate my self from a roadside fence with not a hint of dignity just did not seem fair!
Returning south in Trusty, the tension mounted. I realised that his MOT (think WOF in New Zealand) is soon due. The brakes were grinding a bit; was that a wheel bearing I could hear? Would they be happy about the front bumper I had wired back on? Would this prove to be Trusty's last trip north?
Or anywhere ? Tension mounted......to be continued!
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