Wild Camping – Cadair Idris

I was looking at the map last night with a view to a 2-day walk – maybe a traverse – around Cadair Idris so I can get a full weekend out in the hills with a spot of wild camping on Saturday night – some kind of ‘there and back’ but there don’t seem to be any obvious camping spots.

Anyone got any suggestions for a 2-dayer round there that would take in the summit?

ta

You do know what happens if you fall asleep at the top, don’t you?

Or have you done it already? 😉

This one looks ok: http://www.walkeryri.org.uk/Routes/cadair.html

Sorry, link works now.

Top photo, Stoner. Hope you were carrying the sandwiches and cake to compensate.

There’s a bothy at the summit isn’t there?

Cant help with the route, but always take an opportunity to post one of my favourties pictures: Mrs Stoner and Stoner Jr on the saddle just below the summit of Cadair

EDIT: dont recall a bothy….

Nice to see you’re being the gent and making her carry the offspring 😉

it’s an evolutionary throwback. You cant see it in the picture but Im actually dealing with a couple of sabre tooth tigers and a tar pit while Im taking the photo.

(and anyway, I lugged the chubby so-and-so up to the top!)

She doesnt look that chubby to me! 😉

“IHN – Member
There’s a bothy at the summit isn’t there?“

Not so much a bothy as a shelter. Dark and dank, room for a few people in there. Possible to get a night’s sleep in there, bivi-bag and sleep mat would be useful (essential!!) though.

Can get quite busy in there at weekends!

🙂

There are good camp sites either side if you wanted to try that.

theres a small rock wall circular shelter up there maybe do as a bivy with a tent fly over the top…

paul

Dunno if it’s improved any, but the shelter at the top of Cader Idris used to be awful. It had no door, so the sheep used to get in and crap everywhere.

Plenty of good spots down near the lake.
(at work so I can’t refer to the map to give you its name)

The hut’s still there. Still no door. In decent nick if a little damp and draughty. Benches all round, some a bit precarious for sleeping 🙂

Loads of opportunities for wild camping I’d have thought. Just set off?

Have you been yet?

I’m considering going soon, trying to decide between a bivvy at the top, or staying in a tent by Llyn Cau.

Loads of choices- biggest consideration is sufficient water. Top up your supplies when you can. The summit shelter has narrow benches, too narrow to sleep on confidently. If the weather is nasty I suggest you sleep on a mat on the floor, put it on a bivvibag if the floor is yeuchy. If the weather is OK, there is a great little grassy hollow some way down from the summit, towards Mynydd Moel. By far the best bed to be had. Room for two or three, easily. I keep a photo of our bivvi there by my phone at work, to remind me that there are good times.

If worried about the sheep (never been a problem I’ve encountered) use rucsacs to block the doorway.

No, dont fancy the shelter, would be out in the open.

Would take micro tarp in case of bad weather.

Could you get tent pegs in the ground at the summit?

the shelter at the top is ok for kipping in. I spent a night on the benches, the worse bit being the wind howling through the gaps in the stone work.

There is a good camping spot on the side of the A487 at the spot height 285 on OS 1:50,000 maps.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=cadair%20idris&countryCode=GB#map=52.71097,-3.86701|15|4&dp=os&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:52.70993:-3.84264:15|cadair%20idris|

It is sometimes used by the Outward Bound groups from Aberdovey and is nice and flat and well sheltered. It is in a hollow well below the road and not as obvious from the carriageway as it looks.

You won’t find a spot on the actual summit where you would want to camp. Lower down a bit though-maybe. Take a few metres of spare guyline to extend your tent guylines. Use rocks to weight down the pegs if need be. Or guy directly onto rocks but be aware that the lines might fray against the rough stones. It can get a bit breezy up there…

It will be my first time camping up a mountain, so I’m green!

Think I’ll take bivvy bag AND tent, and decide on the day whether to bivvy up top, or camp near a lake.

Does that sound like a good idea?

Thanks.

There’s a few spots around, this was 28.12.08, freezing, with bike.

Wow, great pics!

Whereabouts is that pitched, roughly?

If you are planning to stay anywhere near the summit I’d say forget the tent- it’s a load of unnecessary weight. If the weather is so bad a tent is needed and you are determined to be up there I suggest that you use the shelter. Otherwise camp by the lakeside. Use a subtle coloured tent like Dan’s (Scratch) to avoid too much attention from the Redsox. However, as you are planning a two-dayer you may well have it with you anyway.

PS- Scratch’s campsite looks suspiciously close to Haffodty Gwastadfryn…

I just pitched on the way up out of the prevailing wind and somewhere slightly flat. Near the Lake would be good but when I camped there, the wind was howling across the water. Avoid the top unless its really still weather.

Thanks everyone, lots of good advice.

I’ll be pitching at dusk and up around 6 so tent colour shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Well I went Saturday and camped by Llyn Cau, didn’t see a soul between 6.30pm and 8.30am it was lovely!

Woke up at 5.00am to watch the sun rise, then hiked up and round the horseshoe, great day, very warm and clear on the summit, although my pack was a bit heavy compared to most people just taking their lunch up.

Can’t wait to go again now. 🙂

Rich, you did what I did on Easter Friday – up from the carpark, pitched tent by Lly Cau, up and over Sat am before everyone else crowded the place out. Got some smashing pictures of the cwm at 6:30 am. Great trip… glad you enjoyed it.

Rich and Brooess,

So, the big question –

Poets or madmen? 🙂

Rich, you did what I did on Easter Friday – up from the carpark, pitched tent by Lly Cau, up and over Sat am before everyone else crowded the place out. Got some smashing pictures of the cwm at 6:30 am. Great trip…

Did you leave your car in the car park?

I wasn’t keen on leaving my car overnight in the car park, so asked at the local campsite, and for £5 they let me keep it in the field in front of their house. Not bad I thought as the car park is meant to be £4 for the day.

Yeah got some good pics, the sunrise had great colours.

What if you’re mad to begin with?

🙂

Poet, dead or madman- only if you kip on the summit. Both of Rich and Brooess got off scott free.

thought it was poet, blind or madman :/

Ambrose – Member

Poet, dead or madman- only if you kip on the summit. Both of Rich and Brooess got off scott free.

Ah, there’s always next time.

So which do you think you become?

🙂

Dead. Several times. A very peculiar feeling.