Fan Fraith, Fan Gyhirych & Fan Nedd - Wednesday 17 August 2016
Route
East of Cray Reservoir - Bwlch y Duwynt - Fan Fraith - Fan Gyhirych - Bwlch y Duwynt - Fan Nedd - Yr Allt - Fan Bwlch Chwyth - East of Cray Reservoir
Parking
The road North East of the A4067 near Cray Reservoir - parking on the verge at Grid Ref SN894220. There is off road parking 300m further up the track at SN896222 but this was occupied by large vehicles on the day of our walk.
Mileage
11.6 miles
Terrain
Forest tracks, good mountain paths and escarpment ridges. The path both to & from Fan Fraith from the track was intermittent. Leaving Fan Bwlch Chwyth, the descent to the plantation is primarily pathless but not a difficult transit.
Weather
Gloriously bright, warm & sunny for the most part with no wind.
Time Taken
5hrs 20mins
Total Ascent
2486ft (758m)
Map
OL12 - Brecon Beacons National Park (Western Area)
East of Cray Reservoir - Bwlch y Duwynt - Fan Fraith - Fan Gyhirych - Bwlch y Duwynt - Fan Nedd - Yr Allt - Fan Bwlch Chwyth - East of Cray Reservoir
Parking
The road North East of the A4067 near Cray Reservoir - parking on the verge at Grid Ref SN894220. There is off road parking 300m further up the track at SN896222 but this was occupied by large vehicles on the day of our walk.
Mileage
11.6 miles
Terrain
Forest tracks, good mountain paths and escarpment ridges. The path both to & from Fan Fraith from the track was intermittent. Leaving Fan Bwlch Chwyth, the descent to the plantation is primarily pathless but not a difficult transit.
Weather
Gloriously bright, warm & sunny for the most part with no wind.
Time Taken
5hrs 20mins
Total Ascent
2486ft (758m)
Map
OL12 - Brecon Beacons National Park (Western Area)
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GPX File
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Walk Description
Yes the Brecon Beacons in the summer holiday period can be extremely busy but there is more to this fabulous area than the walk up Pen y Fan from The Storey Arms - I bang on about this a lot and whenever we have strayed from the environs of Pen y Fan & Corn Du we have hardly ever bumped into other walkers. There is an abundance of walks in this fantastic area where you will be very lucky to encounter anybody at all. Today was one of those walks - bearing in mind this was a glorious summers day in August we saw absolutely nobody from start to finish.
The walk today started from a track north east of the A4067 east of the dam on Cray Reservoir. The plan today was to take our time and enjoy the weather while it lasted and then have a post walk drink and meal down the road in Glyntawe at the Tafarn y Garreg. All seemed perfect as we left the car and headed up the track from where after about 300m we turned east to begin the walk on a gently rising farm track to Bwlch y Duwynt. Reaching the Bwlch we were afforded superb views to Pen Y Fan, Fan Gyhirych and Carmarthen Fan - tearing ourselves away we continued along the track to travel west towards Fan Fraith.
To reach Fan Fraith it was just a question of picking the right spot to leave the track and gain the summit - there is a path of sorts but it is very intermittent and it was just a question of going for it - it isn't far. Summit bagged we took a slightly different route to regain the track and shortly after headed up a faint path to reach the summit of Fan Gyhirych. There is a rather sorry looking Trig Point on the summit but the view over to Carmarthen Fan is very impressive and leaving the top we headed north east to pick up the path around the escarpment from where there was a fabulous view down to Cray Reservoir. The route around the escarpment is fantastic and drops down to reach a small cairn from where we regained the outward path from Bwlch y Duwynt.
Arriving at the Bwlch the route ahead to gain our next summit, Fan Nedd was never in doubt and we could see the path sloping straight up the hillside to the large cairn at the northern end. From the cairn it was a short transit south to gain the summit Trig Point, suitably emblazoned with the Welsh Dragon and from both here and the cairn the views over to Pen y Fan are superb. From Fan Nedd we returned the way we came but before arriving back at the Bwlch headed North through a gate to transit over a lovely ridge passing Yr Allt before arriving at the Trig Point on the summit of Fan Bwlch Chwyth - again we were afforded great views over to Pen y Fan.
Leaving the ridge it was now a simple case of dropping down over pathless ground to the corner of the plantation to pick up the outward track that would return us to the start. Glorious conditions today to walk in an unfrequented part of the Brecon Beacons - if you are up here give this route a go. The food in the Tafarn y Garreg was very good!
The walk today started from a track north east of the A4067 east of the dam on Cray Reservoir. The plan today was to take our time and enjoy the weather while it lasted and then have a post walk drink and meal down the road in Glyntawe at the Tafarn y Garreg. All seemed perfect as we left the car and headed up the track from where after about 300m we turned east to begin the walk on a gently rising farm track to Bwlch y Duwynt. Reaching the Bwlch we were afforded superb views to Pen Y Fan, Fan Gyhirych and Carmarthen Fan - tearing ourselves away we continued along the track to travel west towards Fan Fraith.
To reach Fan Fraith it was just a question of picking the right spot to leave the track and gain the summit - there is a path of sorts but it is very intermittent and it was just a question of going for it - it isn't far. Summit bagged we took a slightly different route to regain the track and shortly after headed up a faint path to reach the summit of Fan Gyhirych. There is a rather sorry looking Trig Point on the summit but the view over to Carmarthen Fan is very impressive and leaving the top we headed north east to pick up the path around the escarpment from where there was a fabulous view down to Cray Reservoir. The route around the escarpment is fantastic and drops down to reach a small cairn from where we regained the outward path from Bwlch y Duwynt.
Arriving at the Bwlch the route ahead to gain our next summit, Fan Nedd was never in doubt and we could see the path sloping straight up the hillside to the large cairn at the northern end. From the cairn it was a short transit south to gain the summit Trig Point, suitably emblazoned with the Welsh Dragon and from both here and the cairn the views over to Pen y Fan are superb. From Fan Nedd we returned the way we came but before arriving back at the Bwlch headed North through a gate to transit over a lovely ridge passing Yr Allt before arriving at the Trig Point on the summit of Fan Bwlch Chwyth - again we were afforded great views over to Pen y Fan.
Leaving the ridge it was now a simple case of dropping down over pathless ground to the corner of the plantation to pick up the outward track that would return us to the start. Glorious conditions today to walk in an unfrequented part of the Brecon Beacons - if you are up here give this route a go. The food in the Tafarn y Garreg was very good!
The parking area near Cray Reservoir - Fan Gyhirych awaits to the rear. Fudge is suited & booted and raring to go.
A panorama from the start - Fan Gyhirych to the left with Fan Hir on Carmarthen Fan to the right
Heading up the forest track - Fan Bwlch Chwyth is ahead and we would descend from there on the way back
Got a feeling today is going to be good as we head up the track from the start - weather is fabulous
Cray Reservoir with Fan Hir on Carmarthen Fan in the background
Fan Gyhirych
Fan Nedd - see you shortly
The forest track leading to Bwlch y Duwynt
The unmistakable outline of Pen y Fan & Corn Du from Bwlch y Duwynt
Pen y Fan & Fan Nedd from Bwlch y Duwynt
Looking back to Bwlch y Duwynt - our return journey will be to the right over Yr Allt & Fan Bwlch Chwyth
The understated summit of Fan Fraith - as you can see Fudge is totally unimpressed with the lack of a cairn to climb all over.
Nice to tick this Welsh Nuttall off but I can't see us gracing this summit with our presence again.
Nice to tick this Welsh Nuttall off but I can't see us gracing this summit with our presence again.
Fudge's hide & seek is coming along
Approaching the summit of Fan Gyhirych
The summit of Fan Gyhirych looking to Fan Hir on Carmarthen Fan - will not be long before that Trig is on its side I think
Leaving Fan Gyhirych looking to Cray Reservoir
This was a really nice part of the walk as we headed around the escarpment of Fan Gyhirych with this view for company
How about that - nobody else here today
Our approach to Fan Nedd from Bwlch y Duwynt
Yr Allt & Fan Bwlch Chwyth
Approaching the impressive cairn at the northern end of Fan Nedd......
.... and here we are up on the northern end of Fan Nedd
With Fudge on the summit of Fan Nedd - he was telling me it was time to get down and have a beer
Fan Nedd looking to Corn Du & Pen y Fan
Time to head back to the north then retrace our steps west to near Bwlch y Duwynt
The summit of Fan Bwlch Chwyth
The Tafarn y Garreg in Glyntawe - a good place for a debrief and about a 5 minute drive from the start
Debrief after a super day in the Brecon Beacons - saw nobody at all on the walk