Introduction to Hill and Mountain Walking

This is a fairly quiet walk from the northern end of Pen y Fan. It’s a moderate walk and a full day for children.

Start at Cwm Llwch Car Park on the outskirts of Brecon and follow the path to Login Cottage. Once up on to the moorland, walk to the beautiful Cwm Llwch Lake and then zigzag up the footpath on the ridge. Continue past the obelisk of Tommy Jones, on to Corn Du. The mountain to the north is Pen y fan (the biggest Mountain In South wales and Southern Britain), which has a Bronze Age ancient burial site.

Heading north, drop down onto and follow the ridge and eventually there is a road which forms a part of the Three River Ride, which you can follow and take the left road back to the start.

This is one of our harder walks through the Brecon Beacons as there is a very steep bit at the beginning of the day, but it’s worth it as you get to experience some fantastic scenery which is why this walk is popular with keen mountain walkers.

Park in the car park, approximately 2km away from the lower dam. When you get to the reservoir, head over the dam, walk up the steep hill onto the ridge, follow the ridge Graig Fan Ddu, Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog, Craig Gwaun Taf to Corn du, north to Pen y Fan, East to Cribyn and down to ‘The Gap’ (the roman Road, along the roman road and back to the car park.)

This walk is extremely popular as, although it is one of the longest walks, it captures all the biggest peaks in the central Brecon Beacons. It’s a full day and is one of the harder walks described, but well worth the walk, if you fancy a big mountain day!

Follow the Taff trail through Taf Fechan Forest to the filter house. Cross the lower dam and when you get to the reservoir, walk up the steep hill onto the ridge. Follow the ridge Graig Fan Ddu, Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog, Craig Gwaun Taf to Corn du, north to Pen y Fan, East to Cribyn down to ‘The Gap’ (along the Roman road) and then up Fan Y Big. Follow the beacon way over Craig y Fan Du and return to the top Blaen Y Glyn Car Park

This is an easy walk, covering short distances, making it a great walk for children for their first experience. Those with an interest in history or aircraft will find this especially fascinating as there is the plane wreckage still visible near the Memorial for the Wellington Bomber.  

Leave the car park and head in a northerly direction. Follow the path over a concrete bridge and around to the right over the footbridge with the impressive waterfall in the background. Follow the footpath up the hill and onto the moorland and then take the grassy path up to the Wellington Bomber Memorial, where you can still see some remains of the plane in the grass. Follow the path around, on the Waun Rydd oath head in a westerly direction onto the graig fan las footpath/ ridge, and onto the beacons way over Craig Fan Ddu to the top car park. Follow the footpath in a southerly direction down through the forest and return to the concrete footbridge which was passed earlier in the day, back to the lower Blaen Y Glyn Car Park.