Lake Bala from the Arans

What makes a mountain popular? Cadair Idris was really busy yesterday, with numerous people taking advantage of the steps up that have been laid by volunteers. Having said that, it was possible to find a quiet route as we discovered coming down the Foxes path. By contrast, the Arans today were incredibly quiet. They stretch from Lake Bala down to Dolgellau and the highest peak, Aran Fawddwy, is only a few feet under 3000 and higher than Cadair. We met one man near the top who declared that this was his favourite mountain. He had been up three times, and this was the first time that he had been able to see anything from the top. He liked the combination of grass and rock. It was nice, but I must admit to having a soft spot for Cadair. It must be due to childhood memories.