Author Topic: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi  (Read 4706 times)

WhitstableDave

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The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« on: 22:09:29, 22/10/19 »
The weather forecast for today was the most promising of the week so we did the walk that we came here to do - the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe.  :)

We parked at Cwm Gwdi, in a National Trust car park at the end of a long single-track lane. We did the circuit in a clockwise direction, first heading south along Cwm Sere - a beautiful valley - to the foot of Cribyn. We climbed to the summit up the steep and quite challenging north-east side, then across to Pen y Fan and Corn Du, before heading north down Cwm LLwch and back to the car along quiet lanes.

This walk has been described by OS as "...arguably the finest mountain walk in South Wales and one of the best in the country." We wouldn't argue with that because it really was varied and incredibly scenic.

Soon after setting off from the car park:



Near the start of Cwm Sere, with Cribyn (left) and Pen y Fan (right) in the distance:



After a long pathless trek up to the foot of Cribyn we're about to begin the climb. I don't suppose it qualifies as a scramble, but two hands were often needed and the surface was slippery in places. The summit was also much further away than it looked from below!



Having a breather at the top of Cribyn. We were pleased to have the summit to ourselves:



We left Cribyn (left of photo) and headed up nearby Pen y Fan on a very much easier path. (Cribyn looks easy too from this side.) Despite there being a good couple of dozen other people on and around Pen y Fan I managed to take a photo without a single one of them in it!



Me on Pen y Fan... and at that moment I'm on higher ground than anyone else in the whole of southern Britain! :)



The summit of Corn Du was just a gentle stroll from Pen y Fan and, as with Cribyn, we had it all to ourselves. That's the flat top of Pen y Fan to the left:



The sun was behind hills for the long descent down Cwm Llwch and this was my final photo - across to Pen y Fan and Corn Du, with a lovely lake below.



This was our first visit to the central Beacons and we chose the circuit from Cwm Gwdi hoping that it would be quieter than (what I thought would be) the more popular route to Pen y Fan from the south-west. And that's exactly how it turned out. Pen y Fan was far busier than any peak we've seen so far - except for Snowdon, but we hardly saw anyone before or after we were in the vicinity of the peaks. It was a good choice and a great day!
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sussamb

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #1 on: 07:09:27, 23/10/19 »
Nice pics, that's a lovely walk and as you say it's a fantastic area  O0
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pdstsp

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #2 on: 08:15:30, 23/10/19 »
Lovely write up and pictures again.  Particulalry like the picture across the range from Pen y Fan, great stuff and thanks for posting.

sunnydale

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #3 on: 08:45:25, 23/10/19 »
Great pics O0
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clyoung

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #4 on: 23:28:02, 25/10/19 »
Great pics.

When we went up the North ridge of Pen y Fan from Cwm Gwdi and came back down from Corn Du to Llyn Llwch, I thought I'd be clever and avoid the road walking by cutting back round the hill. Spent what felt like ages walking on the side of a hill, one leg continually higher than the other, killed my muscles. Wouldn't recommend it.

vghikers

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #5 on: 07:53:07, 26/10/19 »
A great circuit and clear pics  O0
The circuits from the north are much quieter, though any route would seem quiet compared to the Storey Arms motorway.

GnP

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #6 on: 08:31:04, 26/10/19 »
Very lovely indeed. Great images of a superb area.  O0
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Mel

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #7 on: 13:03:29, 26/10/19 »
Lovely pics and write up.  I enjoyed those sunshiney views on this grim and murky day  O0

Warbler

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #8 on: 16:49:21, 27/10/19 »
Lovely photos of a region I've never walked. The views look stunning. Looks like you had a great day for it.

richardh1905

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #9 on: 09:02:34, 18/12/19 »
Missed this TR. Some nice photos of mountains that I do not know, despite spending the best part of two decades in Wales. Thanks for posting.
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Lee R

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #10 on: 20:27:52, 18/12/19 »
We're finally going to succumb to Pen y Fan after avoiding it on every previous Welsh trip before. We're planning on the horseshoe walk from the Neuadd parking......


Nice photos/report :)

henryb

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Re: The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Cwm Gwdi
« Reply #11 on: 16:38:05, 25/12/19 »
Great report and photos, planning my first south Wales trip next year, this report whetted my appetite O0

 

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