Day one of the Brecon Beacons Super Challenge walk
Mark Rowe, travel writer and seasoned walker, takes on this two-day Super Challenge walk that sees you travel from Brecon to Abergavenny. You will travel over the high mountains and along the tranquil Brecon and Monmouth canal. Day one starts from Brecon and heads into the mountains of the Brecon Beacons.
Map
Start:
Brecon, grid ref: SO043286
1
Follow the road out of town on west end of Brecon along Newgate Street, turning up along Ffrwdgrech Road, with Drovers Arms pub on your right.
2
At the three fork roads, take the far left. Follow the road up to and over the cattle grid (with the Cwm Gwdi National Trust sign) and continue up pass the car park and onto the hill.
Cwm Gwdi
Cwm Gwdi was once a military camp and the car park area is where the Nissen huts used to stand (cylindrical structures made from steel, commonly used during the Second World War). The Army used the hill - Allt Ddu - on the left for mortar firing practice.
3
Once over the second stile, follow the path line up Cefn Cwm Llwch to Pen y fan, which stands at 2,906ft (886m) high.
Pen y Fan
At 2,906ft (886m), Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in southern Britain. Over 250,000 people walk to the top each year, resulting in £100,000 being spent on footpath construction and maintenance.
4
Looking at the Pen y Fan sign turn right and head down the ridge, then up to Cribyn. Take the ridge down to the metalled track.
Craig Cwm Sere
The path from the top of Pen y Fan to Cribyn has been stone-pitched - this method of path construction dates from before Roman times. It's very hard-wearing but takes a long time to make. This path took over four years, with the help of staff and volunteers on working holidays.
5
Head up, taking the contour path of Fan y Big. Just after the large embedded stone on your left (SO041197) - half way around the ridge, take the small track half-right across the moor. This leads to a small cairn and a larger, erratic collection of stones and angular, splintered shards of rock (SO047189). The path keeps ahead and then bears around to the left, joining with a clear track by the waterfalls at Blaen Caerfanell.
6
Follow this path along the edge of the ridge and down to the car park.
End:
Abergavenny, grid ref: SO298143
