Cadair Idris

Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in Gwynedd, northwest Wales that lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park. The mountain, which is one of the most popular in Wales for visitors,  is composed largely of Ordovician igneous rocks, with classic glacial erosion features such as cwms, moraines, striated rocks, and roches moutonnées. Cadair Idris (English: the chair of Idris) is in reference to a giant of Welsh mythology who was ... more

Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in Gwynedd, northwest Wales that lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park. The mountain, which is one of the most popular in Wales for visitors,  is composed largely of Ordovician igneous rocks, with classic glacial erosion features such as cwms, moraines, striated rocks, and roches moutonnées. Cadair Idris (English: the chair of Idris) is in reference to a giant of Welsh mythology who was said to have used Llyn Cau as an enormous armchair. The spelling Cader Idris is also found in both Welsh and English, as reflected in the name of the local secondary school, Ysgol y Gader (never Ysgol y Gadair). Although cader is not incorrect, Cadair Idris is the form used on current maps in reflection of modern standardised Welsh spelling. It should be noted that the entire mountain is called Cadair Idris but its summit is known as Penygadair (English: top of the chair). There are three main trails that lead to the top of Cadair Idris. The... less