QMD Walks Black Mountains Nuttalls + Copyright Bill Fear 2019 Relevant Maps include: OS OL13 (1:25); OS LR 160 (1:50); Harvey Brecon Beacons (1:40); Harvey Brecon Beacons East Superwalker XT25 (1:25) & Harvey Brecon Beacons West Superwalker XT25 (1:25) Distance: c. 30 miles including The Black Hill This walk covers all of the Black Mountains 12 Nuttalls and takes in the Black Hill as an option for the Black Mountains Nuttalls + route. It is a demanding walk with some long, dull, stretches that have been heavily eroded and are unpleasant to walk on. But equally it is a good challenge and The Black Hill is a interesting. Going: Demanding. Some rough ground. PRoW and FPs not always clear. Route finding necessary. Some steep and slippery ground. River crossings may be tricky in spate 1. Start at Blaen y Cwm CP SO252285. TR up track towards Grwyne Fawr. TL to cross second FB over river. On other side of river TR and handrail river to confluence SO247291. Cross over and TL to follow FP up to Pen y Gadair Fawr SO229287, CB 255. NOTE: you can TL without crossing stream and handrail stream up. But that FP is slippery, muddy, heavily eroded and a bit miserable. 2. At Pen y Gadair TL CB 137 to follow FP to Pen Twyn Mawr SO242267 then on to cairn and JNCT SO247254. TR CB 230 and follow PRoW down towards forestry. NOTE: at 610m ring contour SO243258 you can BR on CB 165 to join PRoW aiming for c. SO245253. 3. Go through forestry and on to next strip of forestry where PRoW BL CB 148 then after 300m switches back CB 285 to come out at Tir y Nant. Cross road and take short track immediately opposite CB 150 for 125m up to road. 4. At road TL CB 140 and follow past Pentwyn then BR round curve past Neuadd Fawr. When road does hairpin left SO234228 there is a stile and permitted FP across fields CB 218 to OA. 5. At OA SO232227 TL CB 145 along field boundary fence/wall for 100m to end of trees SO233225. TR CB 249 and follow line up to hit FP SO220221. This is pretty much a straight line up a slight re-entrant for about one third of the way. In summer it is concealed by bracken but should still be doable. 6. At FP TR CB 297 and follow to Pen Cerrig Calch SO217223. From trig point continue on FP CB 320 coming around to BR following ridge line to Pen Allt Mawr SO206243. OPTION: After Pen Cerrig Calch you can BL looking for CB 305 to Gloch y Pibwr SO202232 and then CB018 to Pen Allt Mawr but his adds a lot of extra onto the day if you are doing the full round. 1 7. From Pen Allt Mawr follow FP CB 355 to 640m ring contour SO206251 then BR CB 048 to Pen Twyn Glas SO212257. From Pen Twyn Glas CB 352until you hit long ring 660m contour on top of Mynydd Llisiau SO210275. 8. From Mynydd Llisiau follow FP CB 355 down to cairn then up to Pen Trumau SO203293. At Pen Trumau TR CB 060 and follow FP to Waun Fach. NOTE: there are a number of FPs that cut the corner just below Pen Trumau to join the main Waun Fach FP. But there is a FP that goes down on CB 022 so make sure you KEEP TO CB 350-355 and are ascending Pen Trumau then Waun Fach. 9. From Waun Fach EITHER stay of FP CB 330 and follow ridge. BR CB 045 around ridge at SO203323 and on to Rhos Dirion SO211334. OR from Waun Fach aim off Rhos Dirion with a CB 348 and cut across rough ground. Try and hit Grwyne Fawr high up as lower down is steep sided and extra work required. There is a fence running parallel to Grwyne Fawr on the opposite side that needs to be crossed on this line. 10. From Rhos Dirion continue with FP along ridge to Twmpa SO224350, CB 035. From Twmpa descend on FP into Gospel Pass SO235352. From Gospel Pass carry on along FP CB 030 up to Hay Bluff SO244366 and at Hay Bluff TR CB 140 and continue along FP to Black Mountain North Top 703m ring contour with cairns SO255349. NOTE: Cutting the corner down Cnapiau past forestry and up gives almost twice the amount of climbing plus rough ground. 11. From Black Mountain South Top continue along FP CB 160 to Black Mountain South Top 637m ring contour SO267322. Continue on FP CB 140 for 390m to JNCT SO270319 12. OPTION TO INCLUDE THE BLACK HILL and part of CAT’S BACK. From Black Mountain North Top cut across to PRoW and FP JNCT SO260356, CB 032. This avoids the re-entrant between North Top and the PRoW. TR CB 135 along PRoW to JNCT SO262353 and BL CB 118 along FP up to Crib y Garth SO275347. - EITHER continue along FP along ridge for 1500m to SO283334. No real distinguishing features here but you can see the fence corner on the RHS at SO281332 in good visibility. TR off ridge CB 230 heading just off fence corner at SO281332. Follow fence to corner at SO280332 where there is a crossing over fence into finger of OA leading to road SO280331. NOTE this finger of OA is only c. 20m wide but is distinguishable from the fields on either side. It is wooded and has stream running through it. At road TL and after 50m TR over old stone stile SO280330 into fields. Follow PRoW CB 260 down across river and up through fields to road SO275330. NOTE: river crossing can be a bit tricky and difficult in spate. At road TL and follow for 250m to PRoW on RHS SO276327. TR and follow PRoW CB 230 up to top of ridge and JNCT SO270319. At top of ridge TR CB 320 and do out and back to Black Mountain South Top 637m ring contour SO267322, 350m. - OR from Crib y Garth SO275347 follow CB 240 to descend to PRoW SO269344. At PRoW TL CB 150 and follow to road SO273337. At Road TR and follow around hairpin to come back onto CB 155 and follow to PRoW on RHS SO276327. TR and follow PRoW CB 230 up to top of ridge and JNCT 2 SO270319. At top of ridge TR CB 320 and do out and back to Black Mountain South Top 637m ring contour SO267322, 350m. 13. At JNCT SO270319 take CB 230 to follow PRoW down to The Vision Farm SO264310. NOTE: PRoW not always clear and very slippery when wet. Stay on CB 230 and note the sharp turns starting at SO265314. From The Vision Farm head for PRoW across fields starting on track at SO264309 CB 228 and heading across FB to road at SO262308. Cross road and pick up PRoW at SO262308 CB 215. Follow up to JNCT SO261307, 100m, and TR CB 291 to go past Ty Canol and on to Maes-y-Ffin SO258308. At Maes-y-Ffin TL CB 215 and there an ancient road PRoW leading up to the OA SO255308. May have to go on the RHS of the PRoW due to it being overgrown. NOTE: Maes-y-Ffin is being ‘done up’ but PRoW still operating so do not be put off. 14. At OA TL CB 120 and handrail wall/fence for 200m to start of path at old wall (not readily distinguishable) SO259304. TR CB 160 and follow FP up hillside keeping to CB 160. FP reaches highest point where it crosses stream at SO261301. After this there is a noticeable and obvious descent. At highest point TR CB 200 and cross rough ground to 670m ring contour Chwarel y Fan SO259293. 15. TL along top of Chwarel y Fan for about 100-150m then descend on CB 218 to corner of forestry fencing SO255288 and PRoW. NOTE: Forestry partly cut here and fencing broken in places; that is why best to TL and come off Chwarel Y Fan a bit further along so as to miss the mess of broken fence and cut forestry. 16. At PRoW way TR CB 300 into forestry and follow PRoW down to JNCT SO250289, CB. TL at JNCT CB 180 and follow back to CP. NOTE: There is a possible cut through TL at JNCT SO251288 CB 245 down forestry road if clear then TL again CB 180 at JNCT. 3 Glossary BL - Bear Left BR - Bear Right CB - Compass Bearing FB – Footbridge FP - Footpath. Usually marked on 1:25 but not on 1:50 JNCT - Junction (paths/tracks cross/join) OA – Open Access PRoW - Public Right of Way. Usually marked on 1:25 and 1:50 Quad bike track - Two parallel lines going across the fell made by continued use by quad bike RHS – Right hand side LHS – Left hand side TL - Turn Left TR - Turn Right Track - A wide track that looks suitably for 4x4 vehicles 4 .