Cadair

Cadair is a Welsh toponym meaning chair or seat, a term used across Wales to describe prominent landforms that resemble a chair-like silhouette. The best-known use of the name in modern geography is Cadair Idris, a mountain massif in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, near the town of Dolgellau.

Cadair Idris rises to about 893 meters (2,930 feet) above sea level, making it one of the higher peaks in Snowdonia. The name Idris's Chair derives from a Welsh legend about Idris Gawr, a giant said to have sat upon the mountain, giving the ridge its distinctive moniker. The massif contains several ridges and summits, with Llyn Cau, a small lake in a corrie near the summit, and the high point commonly referred to as Pen y Garnedd.

The mountain sits within Snowdonia National Park and is a popular destination for hikers and climbers. The ascent from the Minffordd car park is known as the Pony Path, one of the best-known routes to the summit; other approaches traverse the south or north flanks and vary in difficulty. The terrain includes open heather moorland, rocky steps, and, near the summit, exposed ground where weather can change rapidly.

Culturally, Cadair Idris has a place in Welsh folklore and poetry, symbolizing endurance and the wild landscape. The area is also of interest to geologists for its glacially sculpted features and diverse lithology, reflecting Snowdonia’s complex Ordovician geology.