It’s OK to quit

This walk, although only a short one, was always a bit speculative. The mountain stands at the end of the Cader Idris range, just above the car park at the top of the Talyllyn Pass (OS Grid Ref SH 753 136). But a google search for routes from that direction returned a blank, and the only one I could find online or in books was as an out-and-back route from its neighbour Mynydd Moel, as part of the return leg of doing Cader Idris from Minffordd. Nothing wrong with that except that, nursing a minor injury, I was looking for a quick half-day walk to tick off this top and leave a bit of time for a stop off in Dolgellau and Bala on the way back home.

On the OS Map, a path is shown including (crucially) a way through the cliffs below the summit. Not a public right of way as such, but as all of the mountain is Open Access Land anyway, that didn’t matter. And as it turned out, on the ground it’s a clear well-worn path with ladder stiles over fences, amazing views down to Llyn Mwyngil (known to some as Talyllyn Lake) and a quick and easy route to the cliffs. Which is where it gets interesting, as the way through isn’t obvious at first, and as you progress it becomes a scramble rather than a walk.

And after the wettest May in Wales on record, water was cascading down in a stream in places making it a bit of a ghyll-scramble. When the water soaked through to my boxers, and concerned that my ankle injury was playing up a bit again, I turned back. I can’t actually remember doing that ever before (though I’m sure I must have a handful of times) and at the time I felt stupid and frustrated. Especially as in hindsight it might have been a mistake – as I got lower down I could see that I was nearer the top of the scramble than I’d thought. But then the next day, that feeling that you get the day after a good hike, of being energised and renewed, was there regardless.

And on the lower slopes, just above the car park, I’d watched a Ring Ouzel – a rare sight as there’s only around 6,000 breeding pairs in the UK apparently. It’s that sort of stuff that makes a walk, not just reaching the summit, right? That last section will still be there to do another day.

Who knew too that Cader Idris Outdoor Gear in Eldon Square in Dolgellau would have the compass case I’ve been looking for forever? A good little shop and well-stocked, especially for accessories; worth a visit if you’re in the area