Cader Idris (slowly!)

Six of us started (and finished) this walk on Saturday 21st July. The weather was excellent, not too hot and with very little wind. The views from the top were good and it wasn't as busy as I expected. We took the Minfordd path from Dol Idris (this may be the shortest but I'll have you know it is the hardest of the routes up Cader) and at the summit walked across to Mynydd Moel before descending the 'fence' route - a circular of only 6 miles but believe me I found it a real challenge. One of the problems with this route is that there is a 'false summit' just as you think you're nearing the top and you have to lose a considerable height before starting on the final push. As predicted the walk was completed, slowly, in 6 hours.
We met one of the National Park wardens in the car park before we started and then kept bumping into him at various points on the way - when we were on the top, for example, he was sweeping out the summit shelter. The warden's main job that day was to affix the new roundels to stiles which give the grid reference for those who may become disorientated in bad weather - I'm sure he was really grateful for the rechargeable electric drill he was carrying that day and which made his job so much easire.
After about half an hour on the walk Jesse James spied a cliff on which he suspected was a good scramble and off he set and for much of our ascent the rest of us were able to keep an eye on his progress up the slabs and through the heather. Jesse would not agree of course but I'm sure he took the easy option as his near vertical route had no false summits and he got to the top at least half an hour before the rest of us.
At the end of the walk a panad and a cake were enjoyed at the new cafe that opened last month at the old Idris property.
Exhausting!!!!!
Denis