Cadair Idris Full Account

There’s a motto that I was taught as a child that I’ve always followed.

“Be prepared.”

As simple as it sounds it’s vital that you always remember this motto. When we arrived at Cader Idris on Friday night we soon discovered that the motto is taught for a reason.

It was dark and we were tired after driving for three hours with lights that seemed to fade as we went along. There were some near misses when the road became unpredictable and the club x mobile seemed like it wouldn’t be able to make the journey. It also turned out that El Capitan had forgotten to put the fuel cap back on and the smell of petrol on every right turn made us all feel a little on edge.

As always we made it, so the next part of our trip was finding a place to stay for the night. We all decided to rough it for the night as being prepared we had brought our tents along. Problem is we only had two LED head lamps. Not really the best lighting when it's pitch black and you are tired and cold. So after walking along a fence we found a clearing in between some trees but it was on a slope. At this point we all decided that anywhere was good to stay as long as we were in our sleeping bags. Soon the tents were pitched and we were ready for bed, but as always we had to open a bottle of wine, roll a few and chat about important issues on cow bells and bulls, bowel movement and the opposite sex.

At one point we were stood in the field in pitch black as the farmer returned home and paranoia struck. We had pitched on a farmer’s field hoping to be shielded and camouflaged by some trees, but as always El Cap stuck out like a sore thumb. A big silver dome isn’t very inconspicuous. Funny thing was a three man tent still can’t fit the giant that is El Capitan.

When sunlight eventually came out from its hiding place it turns out that there was a flat piece of ground about twenty meters below us just by a wall that would have easily shielded us from the farmers’ eyes. Even worse was that beyond that wall was a camp site that the farmer has sectioned off for anyone that was in our position the previous night.

Well after packing the tent away and having some well earned soreen loaf and luke warm tea (sorry Rik but you gotta admit you’ve made better teas!) we set off to look at the path taken by the slow moving glacier. All day we were finding where the glacier had gone over rocks and cut down the mountain. To be honest my description of these next two days won’t match up to actually seeing the views. Looking at the rocks and the marks left behind by the glacier was interesting but the walking up the mountain and distant views were breathtaking.

We didn’t summit on Saturday, it was decided that it was too late and we were tired, cold and hungry. Drastic action had to be taken to find a warm bed. Every bed and breakfast we came to had no vacancies, then the last place we were to try before settling on the cold tents was a tea and cake shop. They referred us to Short Stay Bed and Breakfast and we ended up with a house for the night. The littlest old lady owned it and left us with the keys to her spare house for twenty pounds a head. The house was perfect. We all had grins on our faces even as we went to sleep.

The next morning we woke up and had a big fried breakfast cooked by our host. After an hour off packing up and tidying we were on our way to go to the summit. Tired and still hazy from the previous night we got out of the warm car and put on as much clothing as possible, but most of it wasn’t needed because the weather was perfect. Visibility was HIGH; the sky was clear with the sun shinning, so we moved off. Slowly and gradually we worked our way to the top of the summit and each time we got to a clearing El Cap, El Pres and El Gring told me why the valleys we could see were there and how the glaciers cut through the mountains.

I was more interested in the summit. It was my first and I wanted to get there quickly. Only problem was my legs didn’t seem to want to go up a mountain as quickly as my body did. Every five minutes my legs would refuse to go on any more unless they rested or I replenished my self with a tracker bar and some water. Everyone else seemed to take it in their stride but I was struggling. The only exercise that I’ve had recently has involved a Game cube and these use of my highly developed gamers thumbs. I wasn’t ever going to let that stop me from getting up my mountain. I had to make it even if I couldn’t walk back down.

Eventually we got to the top just as some mountain bikers got to the top. After some tea, cake and pork pies we began the decent. Fresh from inspiration of the view of Wales and the sea I was ready for more. The sun was starting to set and we had a mountain to walk down. We were starting to worry about whether we would be down the mountain before the sun had gone in, our pace quickened (well everyone else’s pace apart from mine quickened). Finally after a little disagreement, which wasn’t needed because it wasn’t about ability of climbing up or down a mountain it was about responsibility, we arrived in the car park. By the time we had got to the bottom it was dark and cold, we just wanted comfort and warmth.

We all got changed and set back off for Crewe. Silence came over us for the first time in three days. We couldn’t talk any more of women, cow bells & bulls and bowel movement. We were exhausted. Ready for a bath then bed there was no excitement of going back to Crewe and doing something. We just wanted to sleep.

So remember kids. Be prepared because the worst could happen. I know I was prepared for the weekend. I did my job as El Chronic and sorted the core committee out.

El Chronic out


Rest is not idleness and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water or watching the clouds float across the sky is hardly a waste of time