Brecon Beakons National Park (Wales)

...in Ciao is for the Brecon Beacons National Park – but I thought that it is such a large area (522 square miles), that I would focus on one area; one that I know so well.

I love travel, I love the seaside, I love the countryside, but I am really happy when I am up on the hills.

Generally when I go on the hills I prefer to be on my own – it’s just the way I’ve always done it. With that in mind I generally sleep out overnight ...
...The nearest town is Brecon about 15 miles away. Once you leave the road, and get on the hills there are no facilities.


** Where is it?**

It is a big hill!! In the Brecon Beacons. This is in South Wales, the best car park to use is at Storey Arms (it’s not a pub, but an outdoor education centre) grid ref 983203. The car park is on the A470 between Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon. There is a public telephone next to ... more

This section in Ciao is for the Brecon Beacons National Park – but I thought that it is such a large area (522 square miles), that I would focus on one area; one that I know so well.

I love travel, I love the seaside, I love the countryside, but I am really happy when I am up on the hills.

Generally when I go on the hills I prefer to be on my own – it’s just the way I’ve always done it. With that in mind I generally sleep out overnight in the woods behind storey arms, so I can start at daybreak (in my view the best time to see the hills) ..and I’ve always done that too. If you want to get the best views, and be alone in this wonderful place, then you will need an early start.

** So where are we going today ? **

Pen-y-Fan This walk that I’m about to take you on is not for you if you only ever walk to the shops on a Wednesday, you really need to do some training for this, but the view you get will be worth all the sweat (and tears)

If you want shops, pubs and things like civilisation, then this is not for you. The nearest town is Brecon about 15 miles away. Once you leave the road, and get on the hills there are no facilities.

** Where is it?**

It is a big hill!! In the Brecon Beacons. This is in South Wales, the best car park to use is at Storey Arms (it’s not a pub, but an outdoor education centre) grid ref 983203. The car park is on the A470 between Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon. There is a public telephone next to the Outdoor Centre, so bring some change (just in case) A little further down the road (600m)– towards Merthyr there is another car park, where there is a toilet block – It’s not the most hygienic place, but it serves it’s purpose.

Remember if you are coming over from the South West you have to go across the Severn Bridge, which costs about £5 to cross in a car.

** What is so special about it? **

The hills here are really deep red sandstone.
It is the highest point in Southern Wales, from the top on a clear day you can see for miles! And you can just lose yourself and contemplate life in general.

** Ready? Lets go then! **

I have been up on this peak so many times, that I have actually lost count. I have been here in all kinds of weather, I’ve done it walking, I’ve done it running, it is almost my spiritual home!. So let me take you on a guided tour, so get your boots on, pick up your bag, map and compass ready? Then lets go…and discover the real Brecon Beacons.

From the car park at Storey Arms, cross the road, there is a style, go over this then head up hill! Don’t worry, I’ll take you up the easy way (at first!). You walk along the edge of some woods (the ones I sometimes sleep in!) and you move over the grass the going here is really easy. There is a broken wall which you cross, the path here goes off to the left to a hill called Y Gyrn. If you went straight on here, you would see an obvious track we used to call it “The Motorway” it is the quickest way up to the top, but it is not the best if you are doing this walk for pleasure (you have to cross a stream or two)

Eventually you get to a fence, which has another style. Climb up onto it, look all around you at the views over the whole of the Brecons, you need to get your camera out here for sure.

** Are we there yet? **

Over the fence we go, the path we are on curves round to the right, the climb now gets a little steeper. You now skirt a really steep sided valley, the bottom of which has a small lake in, called “Llyn Cwm Llwch” If the day is clear, the water you are looking down on, looks so blue (it is about a 200m drop – so not too near the edge please!) Look up, and you can see the peak of Pen-y-Fan dominating the horizon. There are two peaks you can see, the other being Corn Du (which we’ll get to first). At the place we have stopped at there is obelisk, commemorating a little boy called Tommy Jones who was lost on the hills in 1900, and was found near here – dead.

Onwards, the path gets really steep here, up to Corn Du (873m), you might have to use your hands to help you getting up here. Once on the top, you feel you are looking down on the world, and at Pen-y-Fan, but in fact The Fan is 896m.

You now have a short walk to “The Fan”, you go down hill slightly, then up hill. The path is really well defined, and used! There are quite a few loose rocks lying around, so be careful here, you don’t want to turn an ankle.

Look round you, you can see most of South Wales from here, you can see across to England. If you look East from here, not too far away are two more hills Cribyn and Fan-y-Big (our next hills) If you look down to the South East, you see a long valley with a reservoir in, to the South you see a ridge. We are going down to the reservoir, then up along the ridge. It will be either be windy or very windy up here (I’ve been up here when you have had to crawl because of the wind, and that was carrying a 55lb rucksack!), so if you decide to stop and look at the views, you will need your warm kit on.

Be careful as there are some really steep edges here, also if you are eating up here watch out – the sheep try to mug you for your lunch!!

** Lets get off this Hill! **

We get to the South East corner of The Fan, and climb down – there are shelf here, which are relatively easy to climb down (I used to run down!) The obvious path drops down quite a lot here (about 200m) then to get to Cribyn you climb back up again, this is an amazing hill it is a very steep conical hill with a sheer drop to the northern edge (you can by-pass this if you want to)

At this point, you can go back to Corn Du, to the left of the hill is a path, which leads down to the car park where the toilet is.

From here we go down to a junction in the paths. Once we get to the junction, we can either go up to Fan-y-Big, or carry on to what is known as “The Roman Road” The footpath (that’s all it is) goes for about 3km down to about 460m, you end up and the filter houses for the reservoir, the Upper Neuadd Reservoir. Before you get to the reservoir, stop and have a good look around you. You see the sheer scale of Pen-y-Fan, the imposing Victorian buildings of the reservoir, and the sheer sides of the ridge (which we’ll be going up later!)

** Lets have Lunch **

The reservoir area is a good place to stop and have lunch – you can shelter if the weather is really bad. You can relax, look at the map, look around you.

The Upper Neuadd Reservoir was built to help provide water to the large cities of Newport and Cardiff, in the 19th Century, when Wales was one of the largest manufacturing nations in the world.

(There is a road here, which leads to a forest. There is a car park in this forest, so you could actually get someone to drop you off at Storey Arms, and pick you up from here!)

** Had lunch – lets get on then **

Bag on? boots ok? Lets go! From here we cross over part of the reservoir complex, into fields, which can quite boggy. If you’re walking here, keep to the clumps of Maram grass, you won’t sink! You move across the grass towards the steep sides of the ridge you will need to climb from 440m to 730m, so this you may feel!! Climbing up here is quite a challenge; I wouldn’t recommend it to a novice in the hills.

I generally “go for it” here, and try to get up in one go, have the rest at the top (you’ll need it) Once you are here, you can look around and take in more views, take more photos.

** Rested?, carry on then **

Off we go heading North West along the ridge, remember that the sides are really steep, and the path is very close to the edge. The ridge path goes on for about 3 km it is quite easy, but after the excesses of the previous hills you might find it quite boring! There are some different types of ground you have to pass along this path, there is a lot of peat, lots of rocks. There is quite a lot to look at though, the scenery is very “gentle” if you don’t look down! You are always able to see Pen-y-Fan and Cribyn, and it never amazes me how different the hills look from the different angles.

** Nearly finished **

When you get back to Corn Du, you can look back down the valley and with great satisfaction you can say to yourself “I did that!” or maybe you would say “I did that?” To my mind this view looking back down the valley after you have done it is one of the best views in the world. From here you head off down the well trodden path. I find this path awful!! The National Trust have done a brilliant job in re-constructing, and repairing the path, but I just hate walking on these stone paths, they seem to do more damage to my feet then the whole of the walk!!

** It’s all downhill from here! **

Maybe I should have used that title for the beginning!!

This is a very well trodden path, and on the way down you will pass many tourists walking up the hill. You will be surprised at what people wear when going up!!

About half way down, you see a plaque saying that the land was given to the National Trust by Eagle Star insurance company!

At the end of the path (the bottom of the hill) there is quite a large stream which you have to cross. This looks very clean, but remember that sheep are up on the hill (need I say more!) There are stepping stones to help you here, although they can get very slippery. Another point to remember is that the stream can get very full if we have rainy weather, so the route across may have to be modified!

The great thing about doing the walk this way is that you end up at the lower car park, in the summer there is generally an ice cream van parked there, so you can fill up, knowing that you have deserved it. Oh and you have just done over 14 miles!

** What should I take? **

Essentials to take when going up here are :- Map (I use the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Outdoor leisure map 12, Brecon Beacons – West and Central Areas, the other thing is that I always waterproof my maps), compass (and learn how to use it!) whistle, torch (and spare batteries) water, food, warm clothing, waterproof clothing, strong boots (I’ve seen people coming up here in sandals!) and a first aid kit, and maybe a camera!. Some people may take a mobile phone, but some, if any networks will not cover here. Remember the emergency number (on mobiles you can dial either 999 or 112)

Oh… I forgot. If you see lots of men running round in green, with big rucksacks and carrying rifles, don’t be alarmed, they won’t stop, they’ll be going very fast too, so will be past you before you realise! Need I say more!

Warning:- The weather up in the hills can be very changeable – I have been up there on days when the visibility has been miles and miles, and within 1 or 2 hours it has closed down completely to 2-3 metres, I have known people die on this hill. So if you are up here, treat it with respect.

In the summer, it can get very hot up here, so remember to take plenty of water, to avoid dehydrating.

….and remember “Leave only footprints, and take only photos”

Thanks for reading this, and I hope some of you get to do this walk.

Larry
 

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