Author Topic: Brecons weekender suggestions?  (Read 4065 times)

NeilC

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Brecons weekender suggestions?
« on: 10:48:34, 12/01/18 »
In the next week or two I'm gonna visit the Brecon Beacons for a weekender with a wild camp. I've done the Pen Y Fan horseshoe on day walks before. I'm happy to include that as part of it but I'm interested in hearing any suggestions for something a bit different to include and also any wild camp suggestions. My normal camp method is to just keep an eye out for a decent, flat spot as we go and always finding something before darkness but it's good to have at least a vague idea in advance.


Also be interested to hear of any little scrambles to consider to keep things interesting.


Where's the best place to find out the weather there? I'm assuming there's no snow to speak of right now.

phil1960

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #1 on: 12:58:44, 12/01/18 »
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/mobile/mountains/brecon-beacons#?tab=mountainWeather
You’ll be hard pushed to find any scrambling as such in the Beacons (not the Brecons, there’s no such place). What part of the Beacons were you thinking? Black mountains, central Beacons, Fforest Fawr or the Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du)? I don’t camp or wild camp but if I can help with a specific area I will.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

NeilC

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #2 on: 15:07:29, 12/01/18 »
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/mobile/mountains/brecon-beacons#?tab=mountainWeather
You’ll be hard pushed to find any scrambling as such in the Beacons (not the Brecons, there’s no such place). What part of the Beacons were you thinking? Black mountains, central Beacons, Fforest Fawr or the Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du)? I don’t camp or wild camp but if I can help with a specific area I will.


Thanks.


Central. Done the black mountains to death. Will be arriving in Brecon to meet

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #3 on: 15:23:50, 12/01/18 »
How about following the famous Coelbren Roman Road, starting from the Mountain Centre above Libanus, and heading towards Coelbren.
The distance is just about right for a long weekend, and the route takes in some great parts of the Beacons National Park, that not that many people bother to explore.
The route, is almost entierly flat, so i am afraid there are little scrambling opportunities, but i did the walk back in 1995, and enjoyed every bit of it.


The views are incredible, its well worth checking out, but most of it goes through very remote country, so the weather has to be fairly favourable, as you will be in the teeth of it, with nowhere to take shelter.


The section from the Mountain Centre, where it starts in the Pen Y fan and Forest Fawr direction, is not the place to go in driving rain,  i learnt to my cost, when traversing various sections of it, your clothing has got to be in tip top shape.


The Road from Brecon's Y Gaer fort, is not easy to follow, the archaeologists know the course it took, but from the Mountain Centre, its direction is never in doubt, so this is where most walkers doing the route will start.

Maybe more of a spring summer adventure, or a winter traverse for someone with the experience and knowledge to navigate in possibly hostile conditions.
« Last Edit: 15:45:37, 12/01/18 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

phil1960

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #4 on: 18:03:39, 12/01/18 »
How about this one -
Set out from Storey Arms or Pont ar Daf, then take the taff trail northward toward Brecon. At around the 290m contour take the path toward the A470 then across the road to follow the path up into Craig Cerrig Gleisiad.Follow this to Fan Frynach, Craig Cerrig Gleisiad summit, then Fan Fawr (good wild camp spot). From here head towards Fan Dringarth and Fan Llia (good wild camp spot), then descend to Afon Llia. Then cross road to climb Fan Nedd (good wild camp spot), descend to Maen Llia an ancient standing stone, follow roman road Sarn Helen to Pont Blaen Cwm Du, ascend to Fan Frynach again then follow Beacons Way back to car, it’s a fair bit of ascent, but not too strenuous and you’ll love it.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

phil1960

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #5 on: 18:51:41, 12/01/18 »
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #6 on: 19:29:51, 12/01/18 »
By what i can remember of this area, the Coelbren Roman road, uses the Maen Llia, Maen Madoc section, so its a great walking area.
Living in Cardiff, it was not a part of the Beacons i visited that often, as it was slightly off the main A470 Storey Arms bit,  but  the latin inscription on the Mean Madoc standing stone next to the Roman rd, always impressed me, blimey what stories of past history that stone could tell us.

I can remember one visit to see this stone, back in the late 1980s, that the weather was so terrible, that i got soaked to the skin, less than a few yds from my car., stair rods was not the word for it, Niagra falls stuff, all day and relentless.

I wonder what %age of visitors to the main Beacons area, ever visit Mean Madoc, its a lonely location, and easily accessible, but in a remote area of the park.

Brings back great memories of my early walking career.
« Last Edit: 19:34:58, 12/01/18 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

NeilC

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #7 on: 09:33:05, 13/01/18 »
Great - thanks for the ideas guys.

I'll get the map out and work out a route.

 O0

NeilC

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #8 on: 13:24:33, 19/01/18 »
The weather is changing I see, looks like snow on Saturday. Trying to work out if it's worth taking spikes if we're just sticking to the main footpaths?

phil1960

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #9 on: 16:16:07, 19/01/18 »
The weather is changing I see, looks like snow on Saturday. Trying to work out if it's worth taking spikes if we're just sticking to the main footpaths?
I’m out myself tomorrow and have spikes in the boot ready, but I’ll keep an eye on the forecast and see what the morning brings, gut feeling at the moment is probably won’t need them.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

NeilC

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #10 on: 09:29:28, 21/01/18 »
I’m out myself tomorrow and have spikes in the boot ready, but I’ll keep an eye on the forecast and see what the morning brings, gut feeling at the moment is probably won’t need them.


Cheers. Needn't have worried about the snow lol - it was the heavy rain and most that was the problem. No that it bothered the welsh kids who were up there in jeans and trainers.

phil1960

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #11 on: 12:22:25, 21/01/18 »

Cheers. Needn't have worried about the snow lol - it was the heavy rain and most that was the problem. No that it bothered the welsh kids who were up there in jeans and trainers.
Oh dear, it’s the Snowdon of the South for popularity and the uninitiated isn’t it. I was over the Carmarthen Fan myself, much better. I think there was another fan dance this weekend?
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

NeilC

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #12 on: 12:58:16, 22/01/18 »
Oh dear, it’s the Snowdon of the South for popularity and the uninitiated isn’t it. I was over the Carmarthen Fan myself, much better. I think there was another fan dance this weekend?


Yes very busy. We came up Cefn Cwm Llwch. We passed a couple in jeans turning back having seen the final snow-covered climb to the peak. With battering winds and rain and the snow we were feeling a bit heroic only to find the the summit filled with youths in tracky bottoms, leggings, ugg boots and so on, not giving a Welsh toss about the weather. And then scores of guys dressed in a various bits of army gear running over the summit with big packs on - yes a fan dance race - both days apparently.


Visibility was like 50 yards for most of it with only the odd glimpse of mountain or valley. Rained all day. Had to laugh at an inappropriately dressed and overweight dad dragging his glum wife and two crying daughters (in pink tracksuit bottoms) up the path from the Storey Arms.


And when we eventually headed over to llyn cym llwch there were already more than one group looking to set up camp for the night.

 
Not the best area for wild camp I think. Still I kind of knew that really but thought it would be a bit quieter given the time of years and weather.

phil1960

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #13 on: 15:09:00, 22/01/18 »
No it’s got worse if anything, there are still fairly quiet areas of the park but if you want a bit of peace and quiet in the central areas, go very early or late, not always an option in the winter though.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Brecons weekender suggestions?
« Reply #14 on: 23:00:40, 22/01/18 »
Not having ventured in the Beacons for some considerable time, roughly twelve years, i was wondering how busy the Carmarthen Vans have become.
When i lived in Cardiff, and used to drive on the Craig Y Nos A4067 to Llandovery road, which was about twice a month,  i rarely saw any walkers in this area of the National Park.

With news that the main Beacons have become very busy, far busier than twenty or so years ago, is it the same for the rest of the National Park,  or can one still find solitude if one tries.

 

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