Cadair Idris was the mountain that most people feared. However, despite being the most difficult to climb, Cadair Idris is also the most spectacular of the three. There were some sore legs after climbing Yr Wyddfa, but everyone was nervously excited. At 1:10pm on the 17th June, with the sun now shining and the temperature rising, the Cancer Research Wales team set off to start the climb to the peak on the trail that began with uneven steps up through an old wood. The unforgiving trail winds up to the summit, through the woods, across grassy inclines and then up steep scree slopes. It seems endless. The mountain also has a false peak, from which you descend before climbing back up the scree slopes to the top. But the views from the top are worth all the pain. The beauty of Wales is on full show as were the beaming smiling faces of all the walkers. We had reached the top by 3:45pm. The descent is tough, maybe even tougher than the climb up. At 6:35pm I reached the car park where the JT Expeditions team were serving mugs of tea and more stunning cake baked by Jake’s mum. We had walked 6.2 miles, ascending 2,880 feet. It had taken 5 1/2 hours.
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