Walking in the Brecon Beacons

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Guidebook to 45 circular day walks in Wales’ Brecon Beacons National Park. Exploring areas including Fforest Fawr, the Black Mountains and Waterfall Country, these walks cover both mountain and valley routes and visit classic ridges, dramatic waterfalls, wooded gorges and upland valleys. 

Cicerone says: 

Guidebook to 45 graded circular walks in the Brecon Beacons National Park, perfect for those wishing to discover the diversity of the region, away from the crowds. The routes range from 4 to 24km and cover the north-eastern, eastern and south-western valleys and ridges, Fforest Fawr, Waterfall Country, the Black Mountain (Mynydd Du) and the Black Mountains (y Mynyddoedd Duon). Designed to include all the interesting facts an expert park ranger would provide, the guide contains a wealth of information about local geology, botany, archaeology, history, mythology, industrial heritage and environmental issues.

Clear route description is illustrated with 1:50,000 OS Landranger mapping, summary statistics are provided for each walk and handy tables make it easy to compare routes or choose according to points of interest. A useful Welsh-English glossary is also included to help you make sense of local place-names.

A remarkably varied landscape, the Brecon Beacons National Park showcases some of the best scenery in Wales. The walks take in mountain peaks and ridges, waterfalls, wooded river gorges and remote upland valleys, with highlights including Pen y Fan, the highest peak in south Wales, and the spectacular Sgwd Gwladus (White Lady Falls), Sgwd yr Eira and Sgwd Clun-gwyn waterfalls. Picturesque market towns on the edges of the park, such as Llandovery, Brecon, Crickhowell and Abergavenny, are also great places to explore and ideal bases for a walking holiday.

Our Verdict

For nearly 50 years Cicerone have been producing guidebooks on recognised treks, regions, areas and general tips for hikers.

We have used them countless times and they’ve always provided excellent insight and knowledge that you only get through experience, giving you the edge to make your trip a success and more enjoyable too.

If you’re a gram counter you can easily remove sections of the book to take with you making your own ultra-lightweight guidebook with only the essential sections that you require.

– Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Features

• Seasons: The Park has something special to offer in all seasons from the high summits covered in snow to the autumn colours of the wooded valleys.
• Centres: The towns of Llandovery, Brecon, Crickhowell, Abergavenny and Hay-on-Wye provide excellent bases from which to explore the national park.
• Difficulty:The 45 routes cater for all abilities and weather conditions. Low-level valley routes are alternatives to the high peaks and ridges of the central Brecon Beacons. The Waterfall Country offers good options in poor weather and there are a variety of different length walks.
• Must See: Mynydd Du, Fforest Fawr, Brecon Beacons, the Black Mountains and Waterfall Country; Pen y Fan; Sgwd Gwladus waterfall (White Lady Falls); Llanthony Priory; fascinating geological features; historical sites; industrial heritage; plants and wildlife

Specifications

• Weight: 294g
• Edition: Third
• Number of pages: 256
• Size: 17.2 x 11.6 x 1.4cm
• Published: 27 April 2022
• Reprinted: 4 May 2022
• Author: Andrew Davies & David Whittaker

Contents

Introduction
Geology of the Brecon Beacons
Changing woodland
Human impact
Birdlife
Getting to and staying in the national park
A solitary guided walk?
Using this guide
1 North-eastern valleys and ridges
Walk 1 Corn Du and Pen y Fan via Cwm Llwch
Walk 2 Pen y Fan via Cwm Sere
Walk 3 Cribyn via Cwm Sere
Walk 4 Cwm Sere ridge ascending Cribyn and Pen y Fan
Walk 5 Cribyn via Cwm Cynwyn
Walk 6 Fan y Bîg via Cwm Cynwyn
Walk 7 Cwm Cynwyn ridge ascending Fan y Bîg and Cribyn
Walk 8 Fan y Bîg via Cwm Oergwm
Walk 9 Cwm Oergwm and Gist Wen
Walk 10 Cwm Oergwm ridge ascending Fan y Bîg
Walk 11 Cwm Oergwm Valley
2 Eastern valleys and ridges
Walk 12 Bryn
Walk 13 Cwm Tarthwynni circuit
Walk 14 Blaen-y-glyn and Allt Forgan
Walk 15 Blaen-y-glyn and Craig y Fan Ddu
Walk 16 Torpantau circuit
3 South-western valleys and ridges
Walk 17 Neuadd Horseshoe: Corn Du, Pen y Fan and Cribyn
Walk 18 Cwm Llysiog and Waun Wen
Walk 19 Corn Du and Pen y Fan via Cwm Crew
Walk 20 Corn Du and Pen y Fan from Pont ar Daf
4 Fforest Fawr
Walk 21 Craig Cerrig-gleisiad
Walk 22 Fan Fawr
Walk 23 Craig Cwm-du and Fan Frynych
Walk 24 Fan Frynych, Fan Dringarth and Fan Llia
Walk 25 Fan Gyhirych and Fan Nedd
5 Waterfall Country
Walk 26 Elidir Trail: Sgwd Gwladus and Sgwd Ddwli waterfalls
Walk 27 Waterfall walk
Walk 28 Sgwd yr Eira
Walk 29 Ystradfellte Falls
Walk 30 Afon Nedd and Afon Mellte
6 The Black Mountain (Mynydd Du)
Walk 31 Carmarthen Fans and glacial cwms
Walk 32 Tair Carn Isaf via Cwm Pedol
Walk 33 Sinc Giedd and Carmarthen Fans
Walk 34 Afon Twrch
Walk 35 Henrhyd Falls and River Tawe
Walk 36 Garreg Las via Cwm Sawdde
Walk 37 Cribarth
Walk 38 Carmarthen Fans via Cwm Giedd
Walk 39 Carreg Cennen
7 The Black Mountains (Y Mynyddoedd Duon)
Walk 40 Pen Cerrig-calch and Table Mountain
Walk 41 Craig y Cilau
Walk 42 Crug Mawr and Sugar Loaf
Walk 43 Llanthony Priory, Offa’s Dyke and Bal Mawr
Walk 44 Lord Hereford’s Knob
Walk 45 Castell Dinas and Waun Fach

Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Routes by interest
Appendix C Brief Welsh–English glossary
Appendix D Useful contacts