Date Walked: 19th April 2016
Distance: about 9 miles
Map used: Ordnance Survey OL 12 – Brecon Beacons National Park (Western Area)
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Bob had never climbed Pen-y-Fan – the highest hill (it’s less than 3,000 feet so I won’t claim mountain status for it) in South Wales so he was happy to do most of the work to bring us together. He lives in Barnsley. I fancied a treat and Bob took little persuading (once I had struck a good deal) for us to stay at the Felin Fach Griffin, near Brecon.
I knew the food was fab and I had heard that the rooms were good, too. They come with a warning that the inn is near the busy A470, and although I am almost phobically noise-sensitive, the traffic didn’t disturb my sleep. The refreshment tray had bottled water, fresh coffee and a tea-pot with several leaf-teas. Classy. The bathroom was super, with a deep bath and a powerful shower. But it didn’t have a bath robe. Do stay there sometime. Bring your own robe. NB The inn doesn’t have wi-fi; I have taken it up with them.
I have climbed these peaks a few times, the last being a very murky celebration with friends on my 6oth birthday last May (search back through these posts). Today was cool but the clouds were high, so I was anticipating that we would have some decent views. The most popular way up the hill is from Storey Arms on the A 470. On a nice day the car park there is packed and the sheer numbers of people somewhat detract from the pleasure of the climb. So I was pleased to find that Kevin Walker, in his neat little book “Undiscovered Wales”, takes a route from the other side of the hill.
We parked our car at Pont Rhydbetws, Bob eyeing up the sheep whilst I booted up.
The little lane follows the course of a small river called Nant Cwm Llwch- the trees on its banks had not yet broken into leaf, so we could see the peaks of the hills through their bare branches.
The lane stops at Cwm Llwch farm and here I told Bob the sad story that Walker recounts at length in his book of Tommy Jones.
In 1900 this 5 year old boy got himself lost in the dark as he was making his way up the lane to stay with his Grandparents at the farm. Twenty nine days later his body was found not far from the top of Corn Du, over 1000 feet above the farm.
From the farm a track rises quite gently at first, the bump of Corn Du (pronounced “Di” by the way) straight ahead and ever so slightly intimidating.
Bob is always faster than me on the ascents and tore off ….
…while I took a slower pace, admiring these lower slopes…
….and greeting the sheep.
I was out of breath by the time I joined Bob on a well placed boulder.
If I am climbing hills it always takes me a while to get going in the mornings; I imagine my lungs expanding slowly to accommodate the extra demands made on them. This is probably nonsense but I don’t have a better explanation. In any event I was panting quite hard as the grassy slopes became steeper and steeper.
The little glacial – formed lake of Llyn Cwm Llwch sits at around 1900 feet; our peaks were another 1,000 feet higher.
We had seen no-one at this point but a small group passed us coming down. We were a couple of months before the Referendum; Bob took a straw poll which was fairly balanced. Bob and I were on opposite sides of the debate. Clearly this was going to be a close thing.
As we climbed the day got brighter and the surface of Llyn Cwm Llwch completely changed its appearance in this different light.
Near this vantage point is a granite memorial to Tommy Jones that was erected in 1901. If you squint hard you should be able to read the inscription.
From the obelisk to the point where we joined the main path up from Storey Arms, the hill carries the deep scar of the thousands of feet that travel this way every year to pay their respects. When I climbed Pen Y Fan last my friend Bridget mildly rebuked me for walking on the grass at one point rather than the more uncomfortable stone but Bob was too far ahead of me to pass on this chastisement.
But at the confluence of the paths, the route up to Corn Du has been paved with local stone; an understandable and, frankly, welcome response to what would otherwise (and is elsewhere in this range) be serious erosion.
We began to encounter a steady stream of people coming down the hill; mostly this requires no more social exchange than a friendly “hello”; though sometimes one is left speechless.
As we approached the Corn Du summit a large group of French Youth were having lunch. Led by local Park Rangers they had been repairing the stonework; we thanked them for their efforts, avoided talk of Brexit and I wondered why we had the benefit of their labours – perhaps the French do not wear out their hills so much.
Corn Du’s summit is unremarkable but a pic had to be taken nevertheless.
Even though this was the lesser peak someone had left a mark of remembrance here.
Below us to the south the Upper Neuadd reservoir is empty, its banks picked out by a line of conifers, but the more distant Pentwyn Reservoir was still full.
From Corn Du to the top of Pen Y Fan the path is a carefully laid stone highway with a fringe of red soil.
Back on track, Bob marched it with his usual head-down posture.
People climb Pen Y Fan in their droves and on its near flat top were several groups milling around.
This means that standing on the summit can be a bit crowded. As we waited for a opportunity for a solo pic a couple of kids (French as it happens) started putting stones in the pockets. I shouted sternly at them that this was “not cool” (in english) and they dropped the rocks and re-joined their gang. Bob and I then grabbed our chance.
The view east from Pen Y Fan is, for want of a better word, stonking, and the day was giving us the best of it.
It is very difficult to portray just how steep the ridged faces of these near-mountains are.
To get from Pen y Fan to Cribyn is less than a mile as the crow flies but unlike the crow in order to make this distance the human has to clamber down several hundred feet in order to climb them again. This is hard work.
Most walkers agree that it is harder going down than coming up. Mind you, going up again is not exactly a walk in the park.
At the saddle between Pen Y Fan and Cribyn is a little pond where one might pause, and possible have a paddle.
The Beacons Way joins the peaks route here and taking it would avoid having to climb Cribyn. Today Bob and I were still fit enough not to feel too daunted by the climb back up to Cribyn’s top , though even Bob’s pace had slowed by this time.
Once Cribyn has been reached one is entitled, I think, looking back to Pen Y Fan and Corn Du, to give oneself a pat on the back for what has been achieved.
It is also not difficult for those of more senior years to feel a little daunted by the descent and ascent that follows if you want to make the last peak of Fan Y Big.
Today it was always my intention that we only do the descent bit. At the saddle between these two peaks (Called Bwlch ar y Fan or the gap road) there are escape routes for the exhausted or faint-hearted both north and south. Neither applied to us but we needed to head north and both of us were happy that we had done the climbing for the day.
As soon as we were off the top of the hills I was immediately struck once again by their sheer size.
The path down was quite rocky at first.
By this time in the day Bob would normally be feeling a lot of crippling pain in his feet but today he realised with some delight that this hadn’t happened. A cause for celebration, which Bob did in the traditional way of football supporters and stripped off.
As we descended, so the path flattened out to a more gentle incline, the valley becoming populated with trees once more.
It was low enough for horses to find sufficient grazing as well as sheep.
Approaching Pont y Caniedydd …..
…..we debated the merits of a short cut across the farm of Plas y gaer. I won that debate and was rewarded by a good ruin…
… and some unusually inquisitive sheep.
By now I had boasted to Bob that this might be the first walk in living memory where I had not got lost. I spoke too soon as we then promptly missed a turn to the left, taking us instead across a field and to join the road nearly half a mile further away from our car than we might have been. Bob took this in good humour, though his face here suggests otherwise.
We were in good spirits, though. This was very easy road walking and we had plenty of time to be back at the Inn for a shower and (for me) a snooze.
And had climbed the highest hills in south Wales.
But I was still very happy to see our car when we reached the last little hill.
Better than the last time we did it!
Few points you may find useful…
Mountain Training (body responsible for developing nationally-recognised mountain and climbing leaders and skills awards) define a mountain as being over 600m in height (not caring about prominence, that’s a whole other discussion!!)
Your readers may prefer seeing the way to pronounce ‘Du’ as ‘dee’ – don’t want them thinking ‘di’ as sounding like ‘die’.
Great pics as always – where’s next?
Much better! We were very grateful for your guidance. Yes, thanks for the pronunciation tip. I should probably change it in the body of the piece but then people won’t know what you are talking about. 600m a “mountain” ? Well really…..
The Knoydart peninsular is next. Then back to Pen Y Fan on the Cambrian Way. Now that was an exhausting day.
I’ve switched to cycling for a while. Doing a 75kms road event next weekend, but contemplating a 60kms mountain bike event over the Beacons (inc the Gap road you mentioned) in Sept. It’s called the “Brecon Beast” (for good reason). I’ve seen quite a few people combine Knoydart with a canoe / pack raft – another good challenge!
Simply bonkers! But we all have to die somehow.
Glad to be the first to comment. Stunning photography as always. This is not influenced by being in a high proportion of them myself.
One of our vey best walks. Very happy that my chronic Achilles problem remains in remission.
Hehe. You do feature a lot, don’t you. Mind you, there is lot’s of you to feature. Very pleased that your foot is still good. Xx
Bob makes a good photograph – I found myself chuckling at them for some reason – sorry Bob.
Yes stunning photographs and an inticing way up and off the MOUNTAINS.
Hills indeed !
Well, there is no clear definition of what the minimum height of a mountain should be. There used to be a (unfounded) belief that OS defined a mountain as 1000ft; OED says 2000 ft. Charles would probably accept that Snowdon is a mountain but he would equally have to accept that Ben Nevis (which is higher) is a hill – there are no mountains in Scotland. The consensus these days is that something becomes a mountain if that’s what people call it. So Pen-y-Fan is a mountain.
Then again, I wouldn’t pronounce “Corn Du” as “Corn Di” but, rather “Corn Dee” (with a guttural undertone). But overall, Charles will be Charles and as it’s his blog we should humour him. And he does give us nice photos to look at. 🙂
For some reason, my comment this morning didn’t go through; but I said almost exactly the same as far as pronunciation is concerned.
As far as the hill or mountain debate, Mountain Training define one as having a height in excess of 600m (no mention of prominence – I’m not going there!). Based on this, Pen-Y-Fan is well in…
Sorry about that. My software should recognise you by now!
This mountain discussion is fun. It seems that the OED is close to Simon’s 2,000 feet. Do they just have Munros in Scotland, then? And Corbets, of course. More of them anon. But I think I would have to have the debate refer to the difference between a peak and it’s surroundings. I mean a plain at 2,000 feet is not a mountain range. Yes, “Dee” is right but I’m afraid Simon got in there first, so the Mars bar goes to him. Well, it did.
Seems the Scots have “Bens” and anything over 3000 ft is a “Munro”. I’ve heard “Och! That’s just a little mound.” That was someone talking about Ben Nevis!
Don’t encourage him- he’ll be after modelling fees. Honestly, you Welsh are so tetchy.
Well, very disappointed in you Charles for not climbing Fan-y-Big. Just you pull your socks up and do the proper thing next time 🙂
Fun to read this account given our recent outing . Another fabulous day, and great views !!!
Sshh – don’t let on. Only real mountain climbers do Fan Y Big.
Such beautiful photos!! As soon as Grace sees them I know she will be on her computer plotting our return trip so we can go to the Beacons…. Did you read her last couple of posts where she was talking about really really wanting to return…. SOON. Wonder who that was meant for??
Thanks Kevin! The Beacons are fabulous. On the Cambrian Way we are traversing a large chunk of them. A two-day trek (which brought us back to Pen-y-Fan) will be here, soon. I shall buy some bunting and buns in anticipation of your return,
I’m walking up there ten times in twenty four hours next Saturday so I hope it’s going to be a fine day like you had
The walk is for Latch Welsh Childrens Cancer charity see my Just Giving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nigel-pearce1
Wow! That will be an extraordinary achievement. Hope you raise lots of money!
Nigel – your comment ended with a colon. Can you post a link to the JG page, please? We can then sponsor you for the the walks down!
Soz, it just appeared as if by magic.
Good luck Nigel!!