Eastern Beacons 2010
A horseshoe route of the neglected eastern set of the Brecon Beacons range.
Ice on Pentwyn Reservoir.
Most of the snow may have melted, but the roads were still slicked with black ice, with very little grip. Many drivers were struggling with the slightest of slopes. This long hill down to Ystradgynwyn was too risky - I could have skated down it in my walking boots, so we had to make a detour and start in the bottom of the Taf Fechan, instead of our intended start at Torpantau.
View through the Taf Fechan Forest towards Twyn Mwyalchod and Graig Fan Ddu, part of the long ridge leading up to the tallest of the Beacons. Make note of the name; Graig Fan Ddu, there's many similar names here, and they're easy to confuse.
At the remains of the Torpantau station (famed for the tunnel that was once the highest railway tunnel on Britain's standard guage railway).
The always-impressive view from Torpantau. On the left is Craig y Fan Ddu (a tall buttress, but not a mountain top in its own right), Waun Rydd (769 metres) and Allt Lwyd (654 metres), with Allt Forgan (513 metres) in front of them. Our walk would involve all of these except Allt Forgan.
Waterfalls by the upper Blaen-y-Glyn car park, where we picked up the main path up into the mountains.
Upper waterfall on Nant Bwrefwr.
Top waterfall on Nant Bwrefwr.
View back towards the Torpantau Pass and Pant y Creigiau (565 metres).
Nicola on the only really steep climb of the route, nearing the top of Craig y Fan Ddu.
And how come you're not frozen, eh?
Superb view of the horseshoe, with Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion (754 metres), Waun Rydd, Allt Lwyd and Allt Forgan. The river below is the Afon Caerfanell, splitting into the Blaen Caerfanell and Blaen y Glyn streams. At the top of Blaen Caerfanell, where it tumbles down the Graig Fan Las scarp, are the Torpantau Falls.
Snowfield on Craig y Fan Ddu.
Torpantau Falls, around 30 metres tall in total (including one upper bench that is not visible here). For scale, see the tiny human on the ridge to the left. To reach these, I had to descend that steep scarp - as much as 60°. I recommend that you don't attempt to copy me - the waterfalls are best approached from below instead.
Lower benches of the waterfalls.
The main fall, about 8 metres tall.
Ice pillars by the waterfall. The waterfalls often freeze in cold weather, and are popular with ice climbers, who gave them their name.
Ice bank above the falls.
Waterfall just above the main set.
Cascades just below the path that crosses the stream at the top of the scarp.
Craig y Fan Ddu.
View of the main Brecon Beacons from the wide moorland of Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion.
Haggs on the moor. One of these is probably the high point on the moor, although the spot height on the map is not placed here.
A red grouse in its glorious plumage. If it had stayed still, I would never have noticed it, as it had blended in perfectly with the grass. This is also the first time I have ever seen one anywhere in this national park, so I was not on the lookout.
The summit and spot height is marked here at Bwlch y Ddwyallt, the edge of Cwm Cwareli, even though it is clearly lower than the haggs. Oh well.
One of the best views of the day, looking from Bwlch y Ddwyallt down into Cwm Cwareli. On the left, leading into the distance, are Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion, Fan y Bîg (719 metres), Cribyn (795 metres, barely visible against the peak behind it), Pen y Fan (886 metres) and Corn Du (873 metres) with the Craig Gwaun Taf ridge on its left. On the right of the picture is Waun Rydd.
Looking down Blaen y Glyn.
At the shallow pass between Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion and Waun Rydd, we met photographer Andy, and for a while, we shared the route onto Waun Rydd, regularly encountering deep snow drifts. These were not as hard packed as the stuff in Norway, so while sometimes you might be able to stand...
Most of the time, it was all too easy to fall through and end up sunk unpleasantly far into the snow.
Light breaking through onto Pant y Creigiau.
Photographer in the clouds.
Almost the entire Brecon Beacons range from Waun Rydd.
Crossing a stream on the moor. The ice is not thick enough to walk on but hides where the edges are, so it's just a case of run, jump, and hope you land somewhere dry. We both failed.
The featureless moor. There was supposed to be a path, but it was hidden under so much snow, we lost it almost immediately, and only found it again at the edge of the moor.
View from the ridge connecting Allt Mawr to Waun Rydd. On the left are the Black Mountains, with Waun Fach (811 metres) on the left and Pen Cerrig-calch (701 metres) on the right of the main ridge, and the Sugar Loaf (596 metres) to their right. In front of the Sugar Loaf is Tor y Foel (551 metres) in the southeastern Brecon Beacons. The main mountain in front of the camera is Allt Lwyd, while on the far right are Allt Forgan, the edge of Waun Rydd and Craig y Fan Ddu. Behind Allt Forgan is the start of the main southeastern Brecon Beacons - from right to left; Pant y Creigiau, Cefn yr Ystrad (617 metres), Mynydd Llangynidr (557 metres and 541 metres), Mynydd Llangatwg (530 metres and 529 metres) and The Blorenge (561 metres). Behind those are several hills separating the South Wales Valleys.
The ridge to Waun Rydd.
Waun Rydd from Allt Lwyd. On the left are Craig y Fan Ddu and the Gwalciau'r Cwm crags, while on the right is the Craig y Fan scarp.
The minimalist cairn on the top of Allt Lwyd, with the Black Mountains in the background.
Descending over steep snow patches from the ridge. A slip here would result in a long, uncontrolled slide down the hillside.
Sun streamers over Pant y Creigiau.
Nant Cynafon in high flow due to the melting snow. One of those tiny waterfalls pours over a ledge with an undercut, but it's not a very tall waterfall, and the undercut only gets to the edge of the spout, so it would probably not be possible to walk behind it properly. And I was feeling too sapped to bother checking.
The ground was saturated with meltwater, and the entire hillside was bursting with little streams, including this rather cute little spout.
Cefn yr Ystrad, the only metric mountain in the southeastern branch of the Brecon Beacons.
Gwalciau'r Cwm.
Crossing the pathless Waun y Gorlan in front of the Waun Rydd-Allt Lwyd ridge, feeling very remote.
A distant view of the entire Torpantau Falls.
Some way downstream, the Blaen Caerfanell tumbles down some more little waterfalls.
Afon Caerfanell, just above its top waterfall (a little downstream of the confluence of the Blaen Caerfanell and Blaen y Glyn streams). We forded the river here to reach the paths on the other side.
Icicles clinging beneath a tree.
The path leading to the Blaen-y-Glyn forestry.
Dying light over the forest.
Icy reflections of the sunset; Pentwyn Reservoir.
Looking up Blaen Taf Fechan, with Graig Fan Ddu on the left, Pen y Fan on the right and Corn Du hiding in the cloud between them.
Ice on Pentwyn Reservoir.
Most of the snow may have melted, but the roads were still slicked with black ice, with very little grip. Many drivers were struggling with the slightest of slopes. This long hill down to Ystradgynwyn was too risky - I could have skated down it in my walking boots, so we had to make a detour and start in the bottom of the Taf Fechan, instead of our intended start at Torpantau.
View through the Taf Fechan Forest towards Twyn Mwyalchod and Graig Fan Ddu, part of the long ridge leading up to the tallest of the Beacons. Make note of the name; Graig Fan Ddu, there's many similar names here, and they're easy to confuse.
At the remains of the Torpantau station (famed for the tunnel that was once the highest railway tunnel on Britain's standard guage railway).
The always-impressive view from Torpantau. On the left is Craig y Fan Ddu (a tall buttress, but not a mountain top in its own right), Waun Rydd (769 metres) and Allt Lwyd (654 metres), with Allt Forgan (513 metres) in front of them. Our walk would involve all of these except Allt Forgan.
Waterfalls by the upper Blaen-y-Glyn car park, where we picked up the main path up into the mountains.
Upper waterfall on Nant Bwrefwr.
Top waterfall on Nant Bwrefwr.
View back towards the Torpantau Pass and Pant y Creigiau (565 metres).
Nicola on the only really steep climb of the route, nearing the top of Craig y Fan Ddu.
And how come you're not frozen, eh?
Superb view of the horseshoe, with Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion (754 metres), Waun Rydd, Allt Lwyd and Allt Forgan. The river below is the Afon Caerfanell, splitting into the Blaen Caerfanell and Blaen y Glyn streams. At the top of Blaen Caerfanell, where it tumbles down the Graig Fan Las scarp, are the Torpantau Falls.
Snowfield on Craig y Fan Ddu.
Torpantau Falls, around 30 metres tall in total (including one upper bench that is not visible here). For scale, see the tiny human on the ridge to the left. To reach these, I had to descend that steep scarp - as much as 60°. I recommend that you don't attempt to copy me - the waterfalls are best approached from below instead.
Lower benches of the waterfalls.
The main fall, about 8 metres tall.
Ice pillars by the waterfall. The waterfalls often freeze in cold weather, and are popular with ice climbers, who gave them their name.
Ice bank above the falls.
Waterfall just above the main set.
Cascades just below the path that crosses the stream at the top of the scarp.
Craig y Fan Ddu.
View of the main Brecon Beacons from the wide moorland of Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion.
Haggs on the moor. One of these is probably the high point on the moor, although the spot height on the map is not placed here.
A red grouse in its glorious plumage. If it had stayed still, I would never have noticed it, as it had blended in perfectly with the grass. This is also the first time I have ever seen one anywhere in this national park, so I was not on the lookout.
The summit and spot height is marked here at Bwlch y Ddwyallt, the edge of Cwm Cwareli, even though it is clearly lower than the haggs. Oh well.
One of the best views of the day, looking from Bwlch y Ddwyallt down into Cwm Cwareli. On the left, leading into the distance, are Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion, Fan y Bîg (719 metres), Cribyn (795 metres, barely visible against the peak behind it), Pen y Fan (886 metres) and Corn Du (873 metres) with the Craig Gwaun Taf ridge on its left. On the right of the picture is Waun Rydd.
Looking down Blaen y Glyn.
At the shallow pass between Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion and Waun Rydd, we met photographer Andy, and for a while, we shared the route onto Waun Rydd, regularly encountering deep snow drifts. These were not as hard packed as the stuff in Norway, so while sometimes you might be able to stand...
Most of the time, it was all too easy to fall through and end up sunk unpleasantly far into the snow.
Light breaking through onto Pant y Creigiau.
Photographer in the clouds.
Almost the entire Brecon Beacons range from Waun Rydd.
Crossing a stream on the moor. The ice is not thick enough to walk on but hides where the edges are, so it's just a case of run, jump, and hope you land somewhere dry. We both failed.
The featureless moor. There was supposed to be a path, but it was hidden under so much snow, we lost it almost immediately, and only found it again at the edge of the moor.
View from the ridge connecting Allt Mawr to Waun Rydd. On the left are the Black Mountains, with Waun Fach (811 metres) on the left and Pen Cerrig-calch (701 metres) on the right of the main ridge, and the Sugar Loaf (596 metres) to their right. In front of the Sugar Loaf is Tor y Foel (551 metres) in the southeastern Brecon Beacons. The main mountain in front of the camera is Allt Lwyd, while on the far right are Allt Forgan, the edge of Waun Rydd and Craig y Fan Ddu. Behind Allt Forgan is the start of the main southeastern Brecon Beacons - from right to left; Pant y Creigiau, Cefn yr Ystrad (617 metres), Mynydd Llangynidr (557 metres and 541 metres), Mynydd Llangatwg (530 metres and 529 metres) and The Blorenge (561 metres). Behind those are several hills separating the South Wales Valleys.
The ridge to Waun Rydd.
Waun Rydd from Allt Lwyd. On the left are Craig y Fan Ddu and the Gwalciau'r Cwm crags, while on the right is the Craig y Fan scarp.
The minimalist cairn on the top of Allt Lwyd, with the Black Mountains in the background.
Descending over steep snow patches from the ridge. A slip here would result in a long, uncontrolled slide down the hillside.
Sun streamers over Pant y Creigiau.
Nant Cynafon in high flow due to the melting snow. One of those tiny waterfalls pours over a ledge with an undercut, but it's not a very tall waterfall, and the undercut only gets to the edge of the spout, so it would probably not be possible to walk behind it properly. And I was feeling too sapped to bother checking.
The ground was saturated with meltwater, and the entire hillside was bursting with little streams, including this rather cute little spout.
Cefn yr Ystrad, the only metric mountain in the southeastern branch of the Brecon Beacons.
Gwalciau'r Cwm.
Crossing the pathless Waun y Gorlan in front of the Waun Rydd-Allt Lwyd ridge, feeling very remote.
A distant view of the entire Torpantau Falls.
Some way downstream, the Blaen Caerfanell tumbles down some more little waterfalls.
Afon Caerfanell, just above its top waterfall (a little downstream of the confluence of the Blaen Caerfanell and Blaen y Glyn streams). We forded the river here to reach the paths on the other side.
Icicles clinging beneath a tree.
The path leading to the Blaen-y-Glyn forestry.
Dying light over the forest.
Icy reflections of the sunset; Pentwyn Reservoir.
Looking up Blaen Taf Fechan, with Graig Fan Ddu on the left, Pen y Fan on the right and Corn Du hiding in the cloud between them.