Wednesday the11th of July saw me heading Back on the trail from Weston Super Mare to the Brecon Beacon. The VW Passat makes short work of the motorway trip and Im getting used to the stop start thingy it has on it to save fuel and its automatic handbrake thingy it also has a pleasing habit of sipping fuel Im well impressed with it..
Pointing the Hire Car up the A470 past Merthyr Tydfil I enjoy how the landscape changes and the urban environment gives way to Pine Forests Reservoirs and Mountains as the National park slowly reveals its self to folk travelling up the A470. All too soon the drive is over and I pull into an early morning car park on the A470 opposite the Story Arms. Its early enough for there to be few cars and the Burger Trailer is closed thwarting any plans for a bacon and egg sarnie and cup of coffee .
The Empty Car Park and closed Burger Trailer
I sort gear its the same set up as Monday I adjust the walking poles and the clouds swirl around and the odd spot of rain drips down.. With the car secure theres not much more to do but to crack on todays objective being Fan Fawr and a circuit of the hills to the West of the A470.
Fan Fawr from the car park
Looking Back towards the Story Arms. Note the felling in the Forestry Block.. The map needs updating with this.
There is no well defined track to Fan Fawrs Summit just a suggestion to keep heading upwards. This is in contrast to the well paved tracks that head up to Corn Du and Pen y Fan to the east of the A470.
Regardless of the lack of track the grass is short and I make good progress up the slope of Bryn Du and onto the Fan Fawr summit.
A small Cairn marks the summit and the rain is blowing in along with some mist I do A quick bit of calculation of the bearing for the Trig unlike a lot of Hills the Trig on Fan Fawr is located approximately 500m to the SW of the summit. I Calculate a Bearing of 4100 Mils and set this on the compass Im not bothering with adding the variation the variation is only some 20-30 mils so Im not overly bothered . The compass gets me oriented correctly and I set off noting the foot prints in the Peat. Someone has been this way before wearing LOWAs I reckon as I recognise the sole pattern is the same as my Mountain Boots After a short plod on the Boggy plateau the trig looms into view. I stop for a snack and note its 08:30 and I have the hill to myself.
The Summit Cairn On Fan Fawr.
The Trig on Fan Fawr.
Self Portrait on Fan Fawr
The problem with Fan Fawr is that its a lonely mountain not connected to any others by a ridge. Its big brooding lump of rock and peat and to make progress you have to give up your preciously won Height gain. I consult the map. I want to get onto the ridge line that makes up Fan Llia and Fan Dringarth to do so means a fearsome height loss and height Gain and the need to make it across the water course that feeds into the Ystradfellte Reservoir. I have a couple of options Drop off and look to use the dam on the reservoir to cross or head more directly down and cross above the reservoir I note some Sheep folds on the map and set a quick bearing for those and begin the descent. The Weather is starting to play ball and the sun is out although there is a chilling wind. The descent is steep and I give away 350m of height in 1.5 K.
The Stream by Sheep folds is easily crossed and I pause and strip off my upper layers leaving just a Paramo Cambria Base Layer T shirt on top. On my legs I have a pair of Paramo Pajaro Trousers. The Paramo stuff is a recent purchase driven by getting soaked in the Lakes and North Yorks Moors as Britian enjoys a wet June and July the trousers performed superbly on Mondays Jaunt. Theyve also done well until now. In the sun and out of the Wind they feel warm but Im not sweaty. The climb up to Fan Dringarth is going to require some effort its about 300m of ascent and I head up the slope getting a great view of Corn Du and Pen y Fan on the way the suns out and the wind behind this ridge is non existent but I figure the wind on the top of the ridge will be a lot stronger. Eventually I pull onto the ridge the Summit of Fan Dringarth id covered in strange lumps and bumps and sure enough a stiff westerly is blowing. I head SW along the ridge line towards the 632m summit of Fan Llia and break into a Jog on the easy going ridgeline covering the K or so to Fan Llia in a few minutes. I note a Group of walkers at the cairn that lies to the SW of Fan Lias summit. They have A day Glo Orange Bergen cover on one of the Bergens so I figure they must be DoE anyhow Im in need of a brew and break out the flask and get a warm / wind proof layer on and enjoy the delights of a Brew and a slack handful of Nestle Munchies. The DoE Group sidle by wearing full water proofs and bobble hats. I give them 10 minutes for the Day Glo Bergen to disappear a bit and scan the horizon with my car boot find of the century a nifty pair of Leica Trinovids in perfect order mine for two pounds fifty after a haggle. The Leicas pick out folk swarming up the track to Corn Du and figures on the summit. A quick Scan of Fan Nedd reveals the summit is deserted apart from the trig. I scan North and pick up the Day glo DoE Group and a few others further. I look towards todays destination Fan Frynych I pick out the white painted trig but the summit seems deserted.
Rainbow on the Descent from Fan Fawr The sheep folds are at the bottom of the slope.
Ystradfellte Reservoir comes into View.
Sheep folds and the climb beyond.
The Stream that required crossing.
Corn Du and Pen y Fan on the climb up to Fan Dringarth
Day Glo DoE walkers heading along the Ridge to Rhos Dringarth
I back track at walking pace to Fan Dringarth then drop down towards Craig Cwm du noting a few boil in the bag packets and Biscuit Brown Wrappers stuck under a rock. The sun is out now and the wind strength has dropped . The climb up to the 629 spot height on Rhos Dringarth seems to take and age, my legs are warm but not sweaty so the Paramo Pajaros and their pump layer are doing a good job.
I drop down from the 629 spot height and find my Day Glo DoE friends holed up having a lunch break with a couple of instructors swaddled in Duvet jackets I breeze past in the Cambria Base layer T shirt with a quick Kia Ora the instructors look a bit Non plussed as I crack by heading for the Trig on Fan Frynch. The area surrounding the Trig is a National Nature reserve. I assume something Nests here anyhow at the trig I decide to have lunch and dig into the tuna mayo and cheese sarnies with the flask doing a good job of knocking out the brews. Another well equipped walker appears and we chat. Hes doing a recce prior to leading a rambling group up here at the weekend, we discuss the difference to this area in comparison to Pen Y Fan. He tells me he lives out to east of the Brecon Beacons and gets up here quite a bit. I note his GPS tucked into the straps on his daysack and we chat about navigation he asks if Im using a GPS and I say no and show him the M73 + Protractor. He gives the M73 an appreciative once over and commets that they dont make them like that anymore.
I resist the urge to down load a bunch of factoids on M73s and Pyser SGI etc and settle for a probably not. We part and I pack up retracing back past the DoE instructors who I stop and chat to briefly discovering they are from Hampstead. Then I take the path that contours around Craig Cerrig gleisiad and Craig y Fro and back the Story Arms.
The Trig on Fan Frynych
View from the Trig to Corn Du and Pen y Fan
Looking down towards Brecon from Craig Cerrig gleisiad
The View Back to the Storey Arms from Craig y Fro
The Car park is in full swing and the burger trailer is dispensing greasy food at an alarming rate. A bunch of young Soldiers are sitting around on day sacks having done what looks like a bit of Adventurous Training the DS are there and are enjoying a brew and Sarnie. Come far? asks one of the DS I reckon hes a Full Screw. I give him a précis of the route and we chat they are from the Soldier Development Centre and on a weeks AT. Our chat concludes and the Full Screw asks me how I find my Gaiters. Pretty good I say especially for the wet ground with that I amble off back to the Passat and then back out of the Mountains
Pointing the Hire Car up the A470 past Merthyr Tydfil I enjoy how the landscape changes and the urban environment gives way to Pine Forests Reservoirs and Mountains as the National park slowly reveals its self to folk travelling up the A470. All too soon the drive is over and I pull into an early morning car park on the A470 opposite the Story Arms. Its early enough for there to be few cars and the Burger Trailer is closed thwarting any plans for a bacon and egg sarnie and cup of coffee .
The Empty Car Park and closed Burger Trailer
I sort gear its the same set up as Monday I adjust the walking poles and the clouds swirl around and the odd spot of rain drips down.. With the car secure theres not much more to do but to crack on todays objective being Fan Fawr and a circuit of the hills to the West of the A470.
Fan Fawr from the car park
Looking Back towards the Story Arms. Note the felling in the Forestry Block.. The map needs updating with this.
There is no well defined track to Fan Fawrs Summit just a suggestion to keep heading upwards. This is in contrast to the well paved tracks that head up to Corn Du and Pen y Fan to the east of the A470.
Regardless of the lack of track the grass is short and I make good progress up the slope of Bryn Du and onto the Fan Fawr summit.
A small Cairn marks the summit and the rain is blowing in along with some mist I do A quick bit of calculation of the bearing for the Trig unlike a lot of Hills the Trig on Fan Fawr is located approximately 500m to the SW of the summit. I Calculate a Bearing of 4100 Mils and set this on the compass Im not bothering with adding the variation the variation is only some 20-30 mils so Im not overly bothered . The compass gets me oriented correctly and I set off noting the foot prints in the Peat. Someone has been this way before wearing LOWAs I reckon as I recognise the sole pattern is the same as my Mountain Boots After a short plod on the Boggy plateau the trig looms into view. I stop for a snack and note its 08:30 and I have the hill to myself.
The Summit Cairn On Fan Fawr.
The Trig on Fan Fawr.
Self Portrait on Fan Fawr
The problem with Fan Fawr is that its a lonely mountain not connected to any others by a ridge. Its big brooding lump of rock and peat and to make progress you have to give up your preciously won Height gain. I consult the map. I want to get onto the ridge line that makes up Fan Llia and Fan Dringarth to do so means a fearsome height loss and height Gain and the need to make it across the water course that feeds into the Ystradfellte Reservoir. I have a couple of options Drop off and look to use the dam on the reservoir to cross or head more directly down and cross above the reservoir I note some Sheep folds on the map and set a quick bearing for those and begin the descent. The Weather is starting to play ball and the sun is out although there is a chilling wind. The descent is steep and I give away 350m of height in 1.5 K.
The Stream by Sheep folds is easily crossed and I pause and strip off my upper layers leaving just a Paramo Cambria Base Layer T shirt on top. On my legs I have a pair of Paramo Pajaro Trousers. The Paramo stuff is a recent purchase driven by getting soaked in the Lakes and North Yorks Moors as Britian enjoys a wet June and July the trousers performed superbly on Mondays Jaunt. Theyve also done well until now. In the sun and out of the Wind they feel warm but Im not sweaty. The climb up to Fan Dringarth is going to require some effort its about 300m of ascent and I head up the slope getting a great view of Corn Du and Pen y Fan on the way the suns out and the wind behind this ridge is non existent but I figure the wind on the top of the ridge will be a lot stronger. Eventually I pull onto the ridge the Summit of Fan Dringarth id covered in strange lumps and bumps and sure enough a stiff westerly is blowing. I head SW along the ridge line towards the 632m summit of Fan Llia and break into a Jog on the easy going ridgeline covering the K or so to Fan Llia in a few minutes. I note a Group of walkers at the cairn that lies to the SW of Fan Lias summit. They have A day Glo Orange Bergen cover on one of the Bergens so I figure they must be DoE anyhow Im in need of a brew and break out the flask and get a warm / wind proof layer on and enjoy the delights of a Brew and a slack handful of Nestle Munchies. The DoE Group sidle by wearing full water proofs and bobble hats. I give them 10 minutes for the Day Glo Bergen to disappear a bit and scan the horizon with my car boot find of the century a nifty pair of Leica Trinovids in perfect order mine for two pounds fifty after a haggle. The Leicas pick out folk swarming up the track to Corn Du and figures on the summit. A quick Scan of Fan Nedd reveals the summit is deserted apart from the trig. I scan North and pick up the Day glo DoE Group and a few others further. I look towards todays destination Fan Frynych I pick out the white painted trig but the summit seems deserted.
Rainbow on the Descent from Fan Fawr The sheep folds are at the bottom of the slope.
Ystradfellte Reservoir comes into View.
Sheep folds and the climb beyond.
The Stream that required crossing.
Corn Du and Pen y Fan on the climb up to Fan Dringarth
Day Glo DoE walkers heading along the Ridge to Rhos Dringarth
I back track at walking pace to Fan Dringarth then drop down towards Craig Cwm du noting a few boil in the bag packets and Biscuit Brown Wrappers stuck under a rock. The sun is out now and the wind strength has dropped . The climb up to the 629 spot height on Rhos Dringarth seems to take and age, my legs are warm but not sweaty so the Paramo Pajaros and their pump layer are doing a good job.
I drop down from the 629 spot height and find my Day Glo DoE friends holed up having a lunch break with a couple of instructors swaddled in Duvet jackets I breeze past in the Cambria Base layer T shirt with a quick Kia Ora the instructors look a bit Non plussed as I crack by heading for the Trig on Fan Frynch. The area surrounding the Trig is a National Nature reserve. I assume something Nests here anyhow at the trig I decide to have lunch and dig into the tuna mayo and cheese sarnies with the flask doing a good job of knocking out the brews. Another well equipped walker appears and we chat. Hes doing a recce prior to leading a rambling group up here at the weekend, we discuss the difference to this area in comparison to Pen Y Fan. He tells me he lives out to east of the Brecon Beacons and gets up here quite a bit. I note his GPS tucked into the straps on his daysack and we chat about navigation he asks if Im using a GPS and I say no and show him the M73 + Protractor. He gives the M73 an appreciative once over and commets that they dont make them like that anymore.
I resist the urge to down load a bunch of factoids on M73s and Pyser SGI etc and settle for a probably not. We part and I pack up retracing back past the DoE instructors who I stop and chat to briefly discovering they are from Hampstead. Then I take the path that contours around Craig Cerrig gleisiad and Craig y Fro and back the Story Arms.
The Trig on Fan Frynych
View from the Trig to Corn Du and Pen y Fan
Looking down towards Brecon from Craig Cerrig gleisiad
The View Back to the Storey Arms from Craig y Fro
The Car park is in full swing and the burger trailer is dispensing greasy food at an alarming rate. A bunch of young Soldiers are sitting around on day sacks having done what looks like a bit of Adventurous Training the DS are there and are enjoying a brew and Sarnie. Come far? asks one of the DS I reckon hes a Full Screw. I give him a précis of the route and we chat they are from the Soldier Development Centre and on a weeks AT. Our chat concludes and the Full Screw asks me how I find my Gaiters. Pretty good I say especially for the wet ground with that I amble off back to the Passat and then back out of the Mountains
