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Cadair Idris

Back in September 2012 I was bundled into the back of the car again for a really, really long drive. I was getting used to this now and was also realising that the longer the trip in the car the longer the walkies at the end of it. Anyway, a few hours later we stopped at a beautiful, smelly campsite. I had a quick walkies, some doggie biscuits and leftovers, then a restless night listening to my daddy snoring. I was beginning to wonder if this was it but next morning, my mammy, daddy and sister got dressed up in their best walkies gear and off we went.

Cadair Idris is a mountain in Gwynedd, Wales, which lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park near the town of Dolgellau. The peak is one of the most popular in Wales for walkers and hikers. The most widespread explanation for the name of the mountain is based on the fact that Cadair means “chair” in Welsh. Cadair Idris would thus translate as “the chair of Idris”, and Idris is usually taken to be a giant who was said to have used the mountain as an armchair to gaze at the stars. Alternatively, it may refer to Idris ap Gwyddno (or Gweiddno), a 7th-century prince of Meirionnydd who won a battle against the Irish on the mountain. Idris ap Gwyddno was in fact referred to as Idris Gawr (“Idris the Giant”) in some mediaeval genealogies of Meirionydd. An alternative origin for the name of the mountain, more consistent with the story of Idris ap Gwyddno than that of the mythological giant, is Irish cathair, meaning “city” or “stronghold”.

We did the horseshoe route up past the woods and waterfalls, then up to the tarn and left up the side of Cadair Idris. It was a stunning walkies with lots of different smells to enjoy. Soon we were scrambling around the top and as the mist closed in we stopped for a photo at the trig point. We had some sandwiches, doggie biscuits and a drinkies before setting off to continue our route clockwise around the mountain. My daddy nearly got lost and walked off the edge of a cliff but I put him right with the compass and soon we were back on course.

Back at the car I managed to catch up on last night’s sleep while daddy drove us back to Ponty. All in all a great walkies, although my mammy said she’d never do it again!

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