Where to stay in Wales if you want to conquer the 'other' Snowdon

(Image credit: Penmaenuchaf)

The road to Dolgellau — assuming you are coming from the east — sets the scene perfectly for a stay at Penmaenuchaf, a beautifully renovated Victorian country house hotel set in its own grounds on the edge of Snowdonia. Indeed it could not have provided a more appropriate backdrop to the musical biography of Beethoven playing on Audible. Soaring music, soaring mountains, dramatic valleys and sweeping turns. By the time we were half an hour from our destination we had pretty much planned our Saturday: we were going to walk, ideally up a mountain.

While you're there

There are masses of things to do nearby and really this is not the place to come if you don’t intend to explore the coast, beaches, waterfalls and mountains
Dogs are welcome which makes complete sense as this part of the world, perched as it is between the sea and the uplands, is dog heaven
The Dragon’s Breath cocktail from the bar is a nicely spiky take on a Bloody Mary spiced with horseradish and sea salt vodka with a hint of peppery nasturtium
There are 14 guest rooms, but ask if you can have one of the newly decorated suites

Once we had explored our room with its lovely view over the walled garden, its free-standing bath and comfortable looking bed we went to seek advice on our itinerary at reception. Snowdon was quite far away and too serious sounding (someone in the bar told us later that you have to get to the parking area by 7am to get a space). We plumped for Cadair Idris: not quite a mountain at 2,930 feet (about 890 metres), but much nearer and sounding tough enough. A six hours up and down so the helpful illustrated directions provided by the hotel suggested.

After a full Welsh in the restaurant we headed out the next morning for the short drive to the car park — filling up by 9.30am but by no means full — and set off with packed lunch (ordered from the hotel kitchen the night before) in a rucksack a kind member of staff had brought in for us. (We’d left ours at home.)

Although it wasn’t exactly raining there was a lid on the sky which only made the moment of reaching the summit — after two plus hours of walking, mostly uphill — all the more rewarding. But the real thrill, which was shared by all the other walkers, many of whom come here regularly, was when we emerged onto a grassy plateau into broad sunlight.

The peak of Craig Cau, part of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia, emerging from hill fog at dawn.

Of course you must have dinner in the restaurant (very popular with locals as well as guests and with an emphasis on excellent local ingredients served in ingenious ways), but after a day’s walking there’s no better way to relax than a hot bath followed by a cosy supper in the bar beside the roaring fire. Sausages, mash, steak, chips — it’s all top comfort food
As this was once a real home it has plenty of sitting rooms where you can find seclusion or sit and chat with other guests. We rediscovered Boggle in the library games cupboard and found an interesting selection of books on the shelves and several more in our bedroom

We had timed our arrival at the top with a cloud inversion — something it seemed that no one else here had ever seen either. Here we all were on the summit of Cadair Idris with the cloud spread out thickly below us as far as the eye could see and hiding all beneath it. Someone pointed to the far distance where, appearing as if by magic above the solid cloud line, was the blue-grey shape of Snowdon. Enjoying the sun and the respite after the climb up, groups of people were scattered across the grass, chatting, eating picnics and taking photographs. We may not have climbed Snowdon that day, but we all felt that it shared with us that unforgettable moment. After that, the rest of the day passed in a blur with tea and teacakes in Barmouth and a walk along the empty sand dunes before heading back for a hot bath.

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Rooms at Penmaenuchaf startsfrom £230 a night on a bed and breakfast basis. Visit the Penmaenuchaf website for more information and to book.

Previously the Editor of GardenLife, Tiffany has also written and ghostwritten several books. She launched The Telegraph gardening section and was editor of IntoGardens magazine. She has chaired talks and in conversations with leading garden designers. She gardens in a wind-swept frost pocket in Northamptonshire and is learning not to mind — too much — about sharing her plot with the resident rabbits and moles.