The Easiest Route up Cadair Idris
By The Bald Scrambler
Cadair Idris
Published By: Daniel Weadley. Updated: 9th October 2024. Filed at: Hiking Routes. Disclosure: I may earn a commission from purchases made via links. Disclaimer: Hiking can be dangerous, this route description does not provide step-by-step instructions – read disclaimer. Comments are open.
Cadair Idris is an 893m tall mountain in Wales and is popular with hikers, scramblers and climbers.
The easiest route, which is also one of the busiest, is the Pony Path. This starts north of Cadair Idris at the Ty Nant car park ( LL40 1TN correct to within a hundred metres).
My Favourite Scrambling Footwear:
Pony Path Route Overview
Route length: 9.4km there and back.
Time: Around 5 hours.
Mountain summit height: 893m.
Height gain: 710m.
Classification: Hard mountain walk.
Start: Ty Nant car park.
Dangers: Navigation in mist/low cloud. Short section of scrambling.
Also known as: Penygadair (the name of the summit).
Parking For The Pony Path
There is limited parking at Ty Nant car park, the cost is (as of 2024) £3 for 4 hours and £6 for all day to midnight.
The postcode for the car park isn’t 100% accurate as it covers a wide area but it got me close enough: LL40 1TN.
See the location on What3Words map: https://what3words.com/equipment.deluded.polished
The car park is small but I have seen an overflow field open during the summer.
There’s a small toilet block at the end of the car park.
Fees as of 2024
Start of the Route
From the car park, I followed the signs along a tarmac lane for a hundred metres and then entered a wooded area with a path next to a picturesque stream:
Stream and path at the start of the route
I found the path easy to follow and not too steep. The ground is uneven and not really suitable for buggies or wheelchairs etc but most able-bodied persons should be fine on this section.
My Favourite Scrambling Book
The Mid Section
Steps soon took me up the hillside:
And then higher:
The views started to improve too:
There were a few muddy sections underfoot but nothing my hiking boots couldn’t cope with.
I went in October after some rain but I believe most of the route dries quickly after rain, especially in the summer.
The first rugged section on the route was this bit (it was very short):
The path then zigzags up the hillside to a plateau of sorts and from here, it’s a straight walk upwards at a steady incline.
The Final Section
From the Plateau, the path rises on sometimes loose rocks up to a ridge, with the summit in background:
Nearing the summit, with the ridge now behind me:
Snowdonia Hiking Guidebook:
The second and final rugged section includes a bit of easy scrambling that’s most won’t struggle with but extra care is needed in descent:
A few moments later, I was on the summit:
With views up to the Snowdon range:
Descent Options
To get back to the Ty Nant car park, the best option is to go down the way you came, taking extra care at the scrambly section.
Other descent options will leave you far from the car park.
Comparing the Pony Path to the Minffordd Path
The Minffordd Path starts at the opposite side of the mountain and is steeper and more scrambly.
It can also form part of a circular route so you go down a different way.
The Minffordd Path rewards the hiker with better views and is my preferred route to the summit but is more challenging.
If you want to take the easiest route up Cadair Idris, go for the Pony Path.
Pony Path Map
Below is my map of the easy Pony Path, the GPS coordinates can also be downloaded:
These Are Perfect for General Hiking:
More:
If you like the scrambling aspect of mountaineering, consider this book by Steve Ashton.
It contains 80 routes from easy grade 1 up to challenging grade 3 and contains photos and detailed route descriptions.
This small pocket-sized book comes with a waterproof cover and is a bible of sorts for mountaineers in Wales.
About Daniel Weadley
These photos and route descriptions were created by Daniel Weadley, aka The Bald Scrambler and this page forms part of the Hiking Section.
From walking along beaches and kayaking down rivers to making his way up mountains and even jumping out of planes, Daniel has a love of the outdoors but scrambling is his real passion.
Daniel Weadley aka The Bald Scrambler
4 Comments
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I Never Go Out Without a Lightweight Packable Jacket:
Have fun, keep safe. Hopefully I’ll see you on the mountains one day
By The Bald Scrambler
Thanks so much for all your content, you’re my go to on new routes these days. It would be great to hike sometime
Really appreciated this blog, helped me have an amazing night climb of Cadair for sunrise!
Thank you for all your writing and videos. Since I found them I always check your info before doing any hikes so that I am prepared. We love spotting the places you have photographed on our hikes.
Hi Daniel, thanks very much for the video and advice on Cadair Idris. I haven’t been up since I was a child (as part of a walking group) when we had a bad experience in fog with very poor visability. I’d like to go back, this time with my daughter, and in much better late summer weather.
Would you say the Pony Path is clearly marked and easy to follow? I know we won’t be alone on a fine day but it would be good to know the route is easy to follow.
Thanks, Mark