Bagging the beacons

A friend and I spent a long day Saturday in the Brecon Beacons (South Wales, UK) walking the full horseshoe of peaks. I think we basically did this walk mapped out here and here.

Started at the car park in Blaen-y-Glyn waterfall car park near the Talybont reservoir and made our way straight up onto Craig y Fan Ddu, along the Beacons Way and Craig Cwmoergwm to the hilariously named Fan y Big (719m), onto Cribyn (795m) then the steep push up to Pen y Fan (886 m / 2907 ft). From there we carried onto Corn Ddu (873m) and down to the the filter house at Lower Neuadd Reservoir. Then along through the Taf Fechan Forest and back to the start.

My soul feasted on the most amazing views all day long! These photos were obviously taken more diligently than mine below and, though the route differed from ours, the flavour is the same.

Walking along the ridge from Craig y Fan Ddu, looking out along the escarpment,towards Craig Cwmoergwm and the peaks on our route.

Each of the peaks spreads a finger-like ridge out into the valleys below. With a bit of imagination the whole place looks like some hairy giant hand resting, palm down and fingers spread, on the landscape. No, I didn't have a hip-flask with me! That's just how my head works even when sober.

The "diving board" on the summit of Fan y Big! Us Brits find this name hilarious in a smutty, mucky sort of way. It's up there with fanny packs for us which is why we call them bum bags. Our route lies ahead, down to the cross-roads at Craig Cwm Cynwyn then on and upwards to Cribyn.

Looking across to Cribyn, the gap road, and the twin peaks of Pen y Fan and Corn Du in the distance.

Looking back up the path to Fan y Big while en route to Cribyn and our lunch stop. (By the gods I was hungry!)

Looking south to reservoir valley with the path down from the mountains to the two Neuadd Reservoirs in the distance.

The view from Pen y Fan looking back on our route down from Cribyn and Craig Cwm Sere.

Hurrah! We reached our high point... it was all downhill from there ;)

Lower Neuadd Reservoir with our earlier route across the Brecons in the background.

 

The Taf Fechan Forest in the distance.

I could have taken way more photos, but to be honest I was way to busy admiring the scenery and gassing at the start of the walk. All in all the walk took us 7 hours, so by the time we dropped down into the valley again we were somewhat focused on the last leg of the walk through the forest and getting back to the car.

Fab day, fab walk, fab (well earned) fish and chips at the end of it!