Pen y Fan and Corn Du

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Grid Reference: SN988199.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/bannau-brycheiniog-brecon-beacons/pen-y-fan-and-corn-du-circular-walk

Duration: 3.5 hours

Distance: 4 miles

Starting at the Pont ar Daf car park, which is a lovely, neat, well laid out parking area with facilities and a much-needed coffee truck this walk is described honestly as ‘a strenuous, circular mountain walk on well-made footpaths to the summit of Pen y Fan’. Just read that and understand what is being offered here, amazing views and sights but at a cost of a lot of steady climbing. There is a lot of ‘up’ involved in this magnificent walk.

That said, it is definitely worth it.

You start, after that all important kick-start with a good coffee and a Mars bar (other snacks are available), at the footpath at the southern end of the car park, passing through a wide kissing gate and crossing a wooden footbridge over an attractive river. You also have the option of stepping stones if you feel more adventurous.

From here the footpath goes uphill towards Bwlch Duwynt (which means 'Windy Pass' in Welsh, and very much lived up to its name when we reached the pre-summit, a point at which Peter almost para-glided when he opened his coat.

The ascent comes steadily, never overly technical, but persistent enough to remind you that you’re gaining height. The stone-pitched path all laid carefully to protect the mountain from erosion guides your steps upward like a staircase built by giants. 

With each turn, the view expands, and the horizon becomes less a line and more a vast, breathing space. 

Wildlife encountered included ponies wild, sheep somewhat suspicious of sharing the path with us, and the sight and sound of a skylark swooping low and fast.

As you approach Pen y Fan there’s a moment where you pause, and not just to catch your breath, but because the landscape demands it. Across the saddle, Pen y Fan rises just ahead, its broad dome both inviting and imposing. One last push to the summit and the end-goal of our walk.

The crossing between the two peaks is brief but memorable as the path dips slightly before climbing again, and in that dip, you feel suspended between the two summits of Corn Du and Pen y Fan, a moment when effort and reward are more than matched. Then comes the final push up to Pen y Fan itself, the highest point in southern Britain. It’s not so much a scramble, but the incline sharpens enough to make your legs know that they are working hard, and your breathing deepens.

A few random facts about the walk:

• Pen y Fan (which translates from Welsh to English as ‘top of the peak’) is the highest peak in Southern Britain at 886 meters (2,907 feet)
• Corn Du (pronounced ‘Corn Dee’) is a Welsh phrase translating to ‘Black Horn’ and is just 550 meters south-west of Pen y Fan and standing at 873 meters (2,864 feet).
• Both mountains are composed of red sandstones and mudstones from the Devonian period, often known as Old Red Sandstone, with the summits formed of harder, erosion-resistant sandstone
• The mountains were formed by glaciers during the last ice age, which carved steep, dramatic valleys known as cwms, including Cwm Llwch
• The summit of Corn Du features a well-preserved Bronze Age cairn
• Pen y Fan is an extremely popular challenge and destination, and can be very busy as a result (the site receives an estimated 750,000 visitors per year, causing significant erosion and pressure on local mountain rescue teams)

At the summit, on a clear day, the views stretch endlessly it seems towards the Bristol Channel, to the Black Mountains rolling eastward, and deep into the heart of the rest of the Brecon Beacons.

It was both sunny and clear for us and we were well rewarded with awesome views.

The obligatory photo shoot at the trig point completed (there is always the next arriving walker to take the shot for you) and recharged with a chunk of Kendal Mint Cake, we began the descent.

Challenging in its own way, the muscles less used on the way up are put to the test on the way down, but naturally you move faster, although we still stopped to wonder, admire and take photos.

At the base, back by the car park, people could be seen refreshing their feet in the cold, clear fast flowing river before returning to their cars.

And for refreshment there are a number of pubs nearby, we elected to travel to Abergavenny which was on our way home, but tired walkers have a number of options to choose from.