Sunday 6th May 2007 had another epic trip up to Cadair Idris in Wales with the Scouts from 2nd Donnington Scout Group. This is one of those examples where good preparation and equipment counts. However, it doesnt matter what lists you give to parents/scouts or equipment you tell them to bring, something will be forgotton.

I will get on to this latter.

Suffice to say we were late starting - not my fault this time - a car we followed from Shropshire nearly all the way there doing 30/40mph.

The plan and route card was such that I was anticipating leaving at 10am from car park. We would attempt to do the circular route of Cadair, going up from Minffordd, to Lyn Cau, then left up onto the ridge up to Craig Cwm Amarch (791metres SH 7106 1213 )  then to Penygadair (893metres) returning via the plateau and Mynydd Moel (863metres) rejoining the track up the forrest from Minffordd. around. At all points around the route I would be assessing the condition of the group and the weather with a view that no matter where we were by 2pm (now 3pm due to the delay) we would turn back for the car park. A cutt off point though was planned that if by 3pm (new time) we had reached Craig Cwm Amarch then the return would be via the plateau and the summit and not tracking back along the ridge following the outward bound route. This is because with a young group like I had, and the wind forcast for the day, it was safer and easier at that point to descend from Amarch, go up to the summit and then you have a tricky but easy walk across the grassy plateau and a fence line handrail down from Mynydd Moel. As opposed to an exposed descent across the ridge above Lyn Cau - with children potentially getting tired, easier on grass to manage than a ridge.

We started out really well, made one of our check points above the forrest in 30mins from the car park. Then we went around above the lake and ascended the ridge.

I had my first case of first aid treatment using a blister platser on one of the Scouts who was breaking in his new boots. Also by now we had a case of number 2's for a scout - he used wet heather. When we got up onto the ridge the weather started to turn a bit and wind increased with light rain. My phone went and the County Mountain Advisor rang with a 'you sound like your half way up a mountain....", yep and after a chat for 10mins I concluded our call as we had to move on. We lunched and as we were proceeding up to Craig Cwm Amarch the wind got a bit stronger and light rain started in earnest. We made the top just before 3pm so we were ontime and now went past the main turning back point and descended to the col above Llyn Cau and at the top of the sheep track.

As we walked down to the col the wind really wiped up and clouds came in; we had our first experiences of an inversion and also the scouts really experienced white out conditions. I kept them all happy and also away from the path along the edge of the sheer 1000ft drop into the lake and we walked up to the summit of Penygadair. On the way up we were overtaken by a couple of hill walkers , one with shorts and cold knees! Also we met a couple with no compass, no map, on the way down who were going to follow our ascent route. I gave then a copy of our map - laminated and they decided to try ours instead via Mynydd Moel.

We got to the summit before 4pm ( its not an hour  between the two but you have to remember I had 10 yr olds with me). We had more food, hot drinks in the shelter and then left the summit at 4:30pm. Took a bearing from the summit, approx 65 degrees and headed across the plateau. We took in a slight detour so I could show the group the top of the Foxes path - a descent I did last year with some scout leaders - not a recommended way down for the faint hearted or children. We then walked across to Mynydd Moel.

The plateau crossing got really bad and driving rain, high winds and dropping temperatures made this a poor finish. I was really glad I went this way as when on few occasions the weather lifted the ridge on the other side of Cadair that we came up was totally immersed in bad weather.

By the time we got to the descent route from Mynydd Moel all the group were wet and cold. I had to keep them all moving and we took the broken path back down the mountain. Some of the scouts -the younger ones had trouble walking on the wet rock - first time under these conditions, also they were tired, so I took my time with them - encouraging them at all times.

Near the bottom of the main path I was met by firends and a dad from another group who had been ahead of us. They had been down to the car and decided to come back up and see if I needed help with my group - they were worried I was having to carry some down!!!No carrying but we were travelling too slow. It did give them all an additional burst of energy to get down.

We took photo's on the river slate bridge above the forrest and then descended down to the car park, arriving down in the car park for approx. 7:30pm. This had been a slow descent. That said, the path down from Mynyyd is so eroded, wet and slippy, plus two of the scouts were tired and kept stopping and losing their footing, the time we made was quite good.

At no time in the above were any of the scouts in any danger but it shows about fitness. One of the youngest scouts at 10years was full of energy, but an 11 yr old was not.

Also, children have different abilities when it comes to being able to walk, even on fairly level ground - stop, start, stop start, stop start. As well, you have to keep an eye on the one who is full of bravado who goes all quiet on the ridge and then says he feels sick - when you enquire the sickness was shen he looked at the drop - he being the one who was not afraid of heights.

We also before we left checked evyone had rain coats, hats and gloves. When the weather hit, the value of me bringing additional clothing paid as a scout looked me blank in the eye as he was getting wet telling me he didnt have a rain coat! Left in the car 2000ft below us. With gloves and other things they should have brought.

So next time I think its going to be kit inspection just after we leave the carpark!.