As the weather forecast was so good, a last minute decision to do a day trip to the Brecon Beacons to climb three Nuttalls that have so far eluded me. After an early start and an uneventful journey I arrived at the little parking area on the narrow road skirting the western side of the Talybont Reservoir at about 9:15am. The weather looked perfect for a day out in the hills; warm with clear blue skies. I had a leisurely coffee whilst getting ready to set off.
Half a kilometre of walking, firstly on a forestry road and then a green lane, brought me to a stile which marked the start of the CRoW access land. A further 0.75km following the edge of the Talybont Forest and then I was on the open hillside with an easy, grassy climb past a small tarn up to the summit of Allt Lwyd. I cannot remember how the summit is marked as I omitted to photograph it. Time for the customary banana break.
A grassy ridge lead easily up to the summit plateau of Waun Rydd, but I did not go directly to this summit, instead following the path that crosses the plateau westward to the summit of Bwlch y Ddwyallt (it seems a bit incongruous that a summit can be a bwlch). A large heap of stones marks this summit. I walked a few metres from the summit to take an unhurried lunch perched on the edge of the precipice falling away into Cwm Cwareli. Magnificent views westwards towards Pen-y-fan and its satellites. Three pairs of walkers passed me as I lunched, but not one of them deviated from the path the 5m necessary to visit the summit.
Retracing my steps for 500m, at the col I left the path and struck up hill to the summit of Waun Rydd. An unremarkable summit on a grassy plateau, marked by the usual untidy little pile of rocks, but elevated by the superb view west to Pen-y-fan and Corn Du.
Heading South-east from the summit I soon found myself back on the excellent path on the plateau which led eastwards to Carn Pica, a prominent cairn at the eastern end of the plateau. Images of this on the web show it as a well constructed 2m high dome of red coloured stones. Sadly on my visit it had crumbled away and collapsed on one side. Whether this was due to weathering or wanton vandalism I could not tell.
Apart from the initial steep descent, made easier in places by stone steps laid in the path, the return was now easy on a good path descending eastwards over Twyn Du leading off the hills and finishing across fields back down to the road a couple of hundred metres from the start.
A final relaxing coffee on the edge of the Talybont Reservoir before commencing the drive home.
A great day on the hill.
| Summit | Height (m) | Status | ||
| Allt Lwyd | 654 | Sub-Hewitt, Nuttall | ||
| Bwlch y Ddwyallt | 754 | Nuttall | ||
| Waun Rydd | 769 | Hewitt, Marilyn, Nuttall |
More photos here
