Monday 24 March 2025
Monday morning, same routine as Sunday: after breakfast and checking out of the B&B, a quick dash to Morrison’s Daily for those essential hiking sandwiches. Then, a three-quarter hour drive brought us to our starting point – a convenient layby overlooking the northern reaches of Pontsticill Reservoir. The day was unfolding beautifully, bathed in glorious sunshine.
Today’s plan involved a little modification from the Nuttall recommendation. Their suggested parking spot at the southern end of the reservoir did not appear to exist (as checked out with Google Streetview), so we decided on a slightly shorter route beginning at a layby at the northern end. A few less kilometres meant we could potentially shave some time off and get a head start on the journey home later. Efficiency is key!
Our adventure kicked off with a pleasant stroll across the bridge connecting the two reservoirs. The views towards Corn Du and Pen y Fan, though a little hazy in the distance, were still impressive against the clear blue sky. Once across, we joined the bridleway nestled between the Pontsticill Reservoir and the Brecon Mountain Railway line. A leisurely kilometre followed before we ducked through a tunnel beneath the railway tracks, emerging into a short stretch of woodland and then onto the open hillside.
Just like yesterday, the elusive path marked on the map played hard to get. Undeterred, we navigated in its general direction, crossing a couple of babbling streams and a gentle rise in Cwm Criban before finally intersecting the north-easterly bridleway we were aiming for. Not far away, the intriguing “Inscribed Stone” marked on the map caught our eye, beckoning us towards it. It provided the perfect spot for our mid-morning coffee and banana break.
Suitably refreshed, we took a bearing on the trig point on Cefyn yr Ystrad and began our ascent up the sun-drenched grassy hillside. As the summit came into view, a clear path emerged, guiding us along the upper edge of the disused Cwar yr Ystrad quarry (apologies for the tautology – cwar means quarry). We then circled around to reach the summit trig pillar – a wonderfully sunny perch to settle down for lunch on its concrete base.
Lunch with a view in the spring sunshine – what could be better? Afterwards, we had a little wander over to one of the ancient cairns nearby, which looked suspiciously like it might be a tad higher than the trig point. The debate continues!
Our descent took us north, where we picked up the mine road that winds between the Cwar yr Ystrad and Cwar yr Hendre quarries. A short walk along this track, and then we turned left, heading across the open moorland of Gwaun Nant Ddu towards a restricted byway. This track gently guided us down through the peaceful forest and the valley of Cwm Callan, eventually bringing us past the Dolygaer outdoor education centre and back to our car at the Pontsticill Reservoir.
| Summit | Height (m) | Status | ||
| Cefn yr Ystrad | 617 | Hewitt, Marilyn, Nuttall |
More photos from today’s walk can be seen here (plus those from the rest of the weekend).
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