A huge, dramatic glacial cwm in the crater of Cadair Idris set beneath 400m high mountain walls. It’s a 350m ascent up from the car park, past numerous falls and pools, so even if the lake is cold you’ll be warm when you arrive.
Place Categories: Lake Swims and Wild Swim.
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3 reviews
[…] green-dashed line to follow a finer black-dashed line (I’m looking at the OS map, here) to Llyn Cau; a small lake 400m beneath the mountain summit that is also popular with wild […]
-Climbing Cadair Idris (Part 1) – Olly Outdoors, Aug 19, 2017 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
-Allan Macfadyen, Jul 26, 2016 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
[…] by several immediate impressions of the mountain. The first is the awesome glacial cirque housing Llyn Cau, Cadair’s largest lake, and a popular destination in itself for many of the tourists hiking […]
-Cadair Idris, land of legend – Endless Trails Blog, Jul 20, 2016 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
An epic place to swim indeed. Pity those who camp up there keep leaving human waste and toilet paper on the shore though. Just because you have walked behind the massive boulder on the south east corner to go doesn’t mean others won’t find it and have their day ruined. Please, leave nothing but footprints up there people!
-James Ayres, Feb 08, 2016 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
I’m going to attempt this on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Say hi if you see me!
-Vik Gill, Apr 12, 2015 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
An epic place to swim, I recommend it to everyone! The initial walk is up some quite steep steps, but the scenery makes it worthwhile. It took me just over an hour to walk from the car park and the swim was well worth it. If you get to the side of the lake on your right then you can use the stony, sloping beach as your launch pad.
If you go to Snowdonia and only swim in one place, then make this it. As soon as I got home I just wanted to go back!
-Matty Webber, Sep 12, 2014 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
There is a small stony beach at the west end of the llyn: if you come up the Minfordd path, head around the lake on the right and it’s an easy scramble down to your left at the very end of the water where a small stream enters the llyn. The beach is easy on the feet and slopes gently into the water until about mid-thigh depth, after which it shelves away. With care, you can squeeze a couple of small tents in on the grass nearby. As the cwm faces east, if the sky is clear you can start your day by swimming in the perfect clear water in beautiful morning sunshine: I did, and it was wonderful.
-suzannemcbride, Aug 11, 2013 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
Have wanted to swim here since climbing the mountain back in the Spring when the snow was a bit off-putting.
With the sun on the lake it is wonderfully blue and clear. There are lots of places where you can walk straight in via the rocky beach, but three of us went for a more dramatic dive from a rock.
A glacial lake and the mountain gives a stunning backdrop to a blissful swim on a hot day.
-Duma and friends, Jul 31, 2013 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
/5Breathtaking walk with stunning views of babbling brooks and majestic mountain tops. Lots of steps at the bottom of the walk but it was well worth it. We went on a beautiful sunny day and our 14 year old son swam in the crystal clear lake. He said it was one of the best days of his life.
-Rachel Wood, Jul 06, 2013 - Llyn Cau, Cadair Idris
/5Nearby Swims
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Dorothea Quarry lake & ruins 0
Enter description for your listing.A vast, wild site with many fascinating overgrown ruins, like
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a long, thin tarn at the top of a steep wooded valley with a good footpath to the east side but
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this may not be secluded but is a beautiful place to swim. I swim here twice a week. You can
Wild Swimming Books
Wild Guide Books
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[…] green-dashed line to follow a finer black-dashed line (I’m looking at the OS map, here) to Llyn Cau; a small lake 400m beneath the mountain summit that is also popular with wild […]
[…] by several immediate impressions of the mountain. The first is the awesome glacial cirque housing Llyn Cau, Cadair’s largest lake, and a popular destination in itself for many of the tourists hiking […]