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Date: 24/10/2015
From: Blaen y Glyn Uchaf
Parking: Blaen y Glyn Uchaf
Start Point: Craig y Fan Ddu
Region: Brecon Beacons
Route length: 10 miles (16.1 km)
Time taken: 05:08
Average speed: 2 mph
Ascent: 1,135m
Descent: 1,114m
Nuttalls on this walk:
Fan y Big (719m), Cribyn (795m), Pen y Fan (886m), Corn Du (873m)
Other Summits: None
Other points of interest: The Diving Board
A change of scenery this week. In fact, a change of country as well as we were off to Wales to savour some of the best it has to offer. Not Snowdonia (yet) but a bit further afield - the Brecon Beacons, a range of high hills in the south of the country. High is perhaps a bit of an understatement as Pen y Fan reaches a towering 886m in height - that's Pillar territory which is every bit a mountain. Pen y Fan would be the focal point for our walk - a high level circuit along the mountains surrounding the Neuadd Reservoirs. Pen y Fan would be the main event.
We were forecast a day of two halves; a rainy morning followed by an improving afternoon. With this in mind, we delayed our start slightly to give us the best chance of a cloud-free Pen y Fan. Our starting point was a large car park at Blaen y Glyn Uchaf in the Talybont Forest, an expansive woodland that surrounds the Talybont Reservoir. From here it was straight into action with a tough climb up alongside Nant Bwrefwr to reach the main ridge of the mountain range.
A stepped path climbs the steepest parts before it levels out over Craig y Fan Ddu; a short terminal ridge to the southeast of the range. Ahead if a couple of miles of largely flat walking along Graig Fan Las high above Blaen y Glyn. The moment I proclaimed that the weather wasn't that bad (misty as I saw it) the rain arrived and hung around for the next few hours. Many of these photos were salvaged from my phone and other people's more waterproof cameras so at least there's something to look at, even if it is largely a grey mass.
Waterfalls on Nant Bwrefwr |
The path alongside Nant Bwrefwr |
Entering the mist on Craig y Fan Ddu |
Sara at the stepped Blaen Caerfanell |
Blaen Caerfanell |
Blaen Caerfanell - you'll notice me in this picture |
Heading along Graig Fan Las |
Bwlch y Ddwyallt and time for the main camera to go back in the bag |
Looking back to Craig Cwareli |
Craig Cwmoergwm |
Cwm Oergwm |
entertaining. With the rain returning we continued along the ridge as it sweeps steeply off Fan y Bîg into Bwlch ar y Fan, a deep col that bears the remains of an ancient trail known as The Gap Road. The trail scythes straight through the centre of the range, splitting Fan y Bîg from the neighbouring Cribyn.
Shelter cairn close to the summit of Fan y Big |
The summit ridge |
Fan y Big's summit |
The diving board |
The dog tries out the diving board |
The face of Fan y Big |
Heading down to Bwlch ar y Fan with Craig Cwm Cybwyn up ahead |
Fan y Big |
Heading up towards Cribyn |
Looking back along Craig Cwn Cynwyn |
Cribyn's summit |
Descending off Cribyn |
A brief glimpse of Pen y Fan |
Cwn Cere |
The paved path leading up Pen y Fan |
The burial mound atop Pen y Fan |
Pen y Fan's summit monument |
Sara and I at the top |
Summit portrait |
It was still cold and windy by the time we left the summit behind, crossing the small col that joins Pen y Fan to the neighbouring Corn Du. The two peaks together were once referred to as Cadair Arthur or 'Arthur's Chair'. Corn Du shares many similarities with Pen y Fan, including matching Bronze Age burial cairn. As we sat on the summit there was a sense that the weather was slowly starting to cheer up though it was arriving later than hoped for.
The busy summit of Corn Du |
At the summit of Corn Du |
The clouds begin to break as we make our way down Craig Gwaun Taf |
The Neuadd valley |
Corn Du, Pen y Fan and Cribyn |
Heading along the narrow Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog |
Cribyn |
Looking along Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog |
Graig Fan Ddu |
Sara and I descending Graig Fan Ddu |
On our way down towards the Lower Neuadd Reservoir |
The steady slopes lead to the dam of the Lower Neuadd Reservoir |
Sara and I contemplate the route down |
The reservoir had been drained, presumably for work on the dam |
Sunset between the trees of Taf Fechan Forest |
Looking towards Pentwyn |
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