Pared Y Cefn-Hir

The walk up Pared y Cefn-Hir isn't long, but it's proper steep. You're looking at maybe 45 minutes to an hour from Dolgellau if you're taking it steady, starting from the town and heading into the Cader Idris foothills. This one's a real scrambler in places - the name means 'Wall of the Long Ridge' in Welsh, and once you're up there you'll see why. The views back toward Dolgellau are worth every breath, especially on a clear day when you can see across the Mawddach estuary.

It's a favourite with fell walkers and climbers who know the area well. Families with older kids will manage fine, though younger ones might find the steep sections a bit much. There's no visitor centre or facilities at the top - this is proper hill country. You'll want proper boots and an OS map or decent app to navigate, especially if the cloud comes in fast, which it does around these parts.

Staying at Graig Wen Camping & Cottages puts you less than a mile from Dolgellau, which means easy access to the peak and the town's decent shops and pubs for afterwards. If you're doing a longer holiday in the area, Pared y Cefn-Hir makes a solid morning out before exploring the bigger peaks or heading down to the coast. The walk's free, of course - just park in town and go. It's not showy or famous, but that's exactly why it's worth doing.