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Monday 5 July 2010

Brecon Beacons – My Greatest Fans

picws du
And so on Wednesday, I drove off to an out-of-the-way parking spot on a moorland road and wandered off over the parched moorland to Llyn y Fan Fawr – a lovely tarn on a little bench beneath the scarp slope of some Fans. The Fans, in particular started with Fan Hir, followed by Fan Brycheiniog and then Picws Du, overlooking the Llyn  y Fan Fach, which appeared to be almost empty from above.
brecon 015
These fans and the Picws have a fairly gentle, moorland side, and a stupendous terraced scarp side, as do quite a lot of the Brecon Beacons. It makes for exciting walking along the edge and big views.
From Picws, I returned to the bwlch and contoured out the two Fans mentioned above, and returned to the car the way I had come.
my greatest fans
A cracking walk – 7 Miles and 2100 feet.
And on the fourth day, the forecast was for heavy rain, so I stayed around the tent waiting for it to start whilst drinking coffee and reading a book.
The chickens visited for a while, but they had to leave early as they had some pecking, clucking  and strutting to do
It didn’t rain. In fact it got quite warm. I had fish and chips for my tea. The batter wasn’t very good.
I determined to walk more the next day. Dim Arsio as they say in Wales (No messing about)
garreg las cairn
And then it was Friday. I had two Hewitts left in the Beacons, and they were both fairly isolated and far apart, so I could only sensibly do one of them. I chose Garreg Las – which is a very Pennine-ish hill immediately to the West of Picws Du. I reached it by a zig-zaggy road from Llandovery.
stony necklace
I’d worked out the easiest route possible which involved contouring alongside some lime quarries on the flank of Foel Fraith to a wide bwlch and then over some big scree fields, resonant of Cross Fell’s stony necklace to a pair of huge and ancient cairns on the wide summit.
foel fraith flowery bog
I returned by bagging Foel Fraith where I met a couple I’d seen two days earlier by Llyn Fan Bach. They had the day off yesterday, but at least they’d had lots of rain. A rather nice waterfall on the way back provided a long rest stop.
waterfall on foel fraith
This area is obviously Carboniferous, which explains it’s Pennine – like features, which include loads of sink holes and one or two potholes. Just like home.
Which is where I went then next day.
8 Miles and 1300 feet (I started high)
Must reproof the tent.
The next group of hills in the area for the baggings will have to be The Black Mountains….  ooer….

2 comments:

John J said...

The Backpackers Club Treasure Hunt may be held in the Black Mountains again this year, it's a great way to explore places you may not otherwise see. And it's fun. Not sure of the date yet, it may coincide with a certain event involving Peebles.

Word: foert.

I wasn't me. Honest.

JJ

Mike Knipe said...

I am a bit feort of Lord Hereford's Knob as it happens.
Ah yes, Peebles - Moffat.
Its invite only, y'know....
Three walks to bag all the tops, I reckon - or one backpacking trip.
I guess it'll be 2011 for me.