Sunday 23 March 2025
A slightly later start as breakfast was not until 8:30 (the B&B proprietors like a lie in on a Sunday!). A quick stop at the local Morrison’s Daily to grab a sandwich for lunch and we were on our way. An hour and a quarter drive to the Llyn y Fan Fach Car Park, Llanddeusant.
The sheer number of cars upon arrival was a surprise – the car park overflowing, with vehicles lining the grassy verges. The hilltops were cloaked in the mist predicted by this morning’s forecast, a slight disappointment compared to the optimistic plans hatched on Friday evening.
While the masses headed towards Llyn y Fan Fach, we opted for a less-trodden route. Crossing the Afon Sawdde, we followed a track west before turning south onto the Beacons Way. Now, the Beacons Way is a famous trail, you'd think it would be obvious. Not for us! Our Strava recording a brief navigational dance as we veered slightly east, then west, before finally connecting around the 500m contour. From there, it was a steady climb to the junction with the track coming up from the dam.
Our next objective was Garrag Las, and we set off south-west towards Pen-Rhiw-goch, guided by compass as our target was invisible in the mist. A sheep track, it seemed, led us slightly lower than intended, bringing us to the Twrch Fechan stream flowing from Waun Lefrith. We followed its course west, then south-west to a ford, an ideal spot for our customary banana break.
Refuelled, we continued south-west towards Garreg Las. The final approach saw grassy slopes give way to a more rugged landscape of boulders, the material used to build the impressive ancient cairns adorning the summit. After a brief exploration of the higher, northernmost cairn, we retraced our steps to the ford, then followed a track back towards Waun Lefrith. A somewhat untidy heap of stones standing a few metres back from the cliff top path above Bannau Sir Gaer indicated the top. Supposedly the Bristol Chanel and Carmarthen Bay are visible from this spot – but not today!
Another half-hour along the ridge brought us to Picws Du. Sadly, the persistent mist once again denied us the dramatic views down to Llyn y Fan Fach – exactly as it was when we walked this ridge in 2002.
Time was becoming a factor, so as we continued eastward along the ridge, we made the call to bypass a direct route to Fan Brycheiniog. Instead, we looped around to Fan Foel (not on the Nuttall list), where we paused for lunch and a strategic reassessment. The decision was made: we would forgo Fan Brycheiniog (which had done in 2002) and Fan Hir (which we hadn’t!). Our revised plan involved descending the north ridge of Fan Foel, picking up the track below the cliffs, and heading west towards the dams at Llyn y Fan Fach.
The final leg was an easy two kilometres on a rough road back to the car park, now almost deserted, a stark contrast to the morning's bustle.
The mist proved a frustrating companion on today's walk, stealing the anticipated views. However, the memory of being utterly soaked on our previous Bannau Sir Gaer ridge trek kept spirits (mostly) dry. It was an enjoyable outing nonetheless, underscored by the ever-present need for careful navigation when the mountains cloak themselves in mist.
A quick shower back at the B&B preceded our search for an evening meal. Our hopes of revisiting last year's excellent Sunday dinner spot were dashed – they'd stopped serving. Their recommended alternative was also closed. Thankfully, some helpful local teenagers pointed us in the direction of Wetherspoons. The food wasn't a culinary highlight, but with the beer at £1.99/pint we weren't complaining!
A quick check of my mountain log back home revealed that the missed summit of Foel Hir is the only peak remaining between me and a completed Brecon Beacons list. I’ll be back (as someone once said!).
| Summit | Height (m) | Status | ||
| Garreg Las | 635 | Hewitt, Nuttall | ||
| Waun Lefrith | 677 | Nuttall | ||
| Picws Du | 749 | Hewitt, Nuttall |
Today's conditions did not permit any award winning photos, but the few taken can be seen here (plus those from the rest of the weekend).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to comment on this post.