22Ceredigion Plynlimon

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ON PAGE 42 may see fellow walkers on the the mountain in 1900. You lost his way and perished on Tommy Jones, aged 5, who obelisk commemorating Du. The descent passes an y Fan and the ridge to Corn a saddle, then climbing to Pen panoramic views, dipping into jutting ridge of Cribyn, with grassy back of Bryn Teg to the before climbing the broad moor edge, then round farms, level stretch leads along the stream among birch trees, a Du. After crossing a pretty Cribyn and anvil-shaped Corn Wales, and taking in nearby the highest peak in South FEATURE

metres 1200 km 40 0 80 0 0 0 focused on Pen y Fan, A classic ‘horseshoe’ STEVE EDDY CHOSEN BY… 21 u Distance: 9 miles/14.5km u 9 miles/14.5km Distance: 2 PEN Y FAN POWYS 4

6 kites and perhaps a peregrine. companions will be ravens, red summits, but otherwise your 1 to a stile. Climb this and head along a tree-lined field edge marking the path, which leads across a field to a short post Plas-y-gaer. Cut diagonally SE 300m, follow the sign L round stile to a track, turning R. After overgrown sunken lane. Cross a a gate, along the edge of an away from Pen y Fan, through way footpath sign, turn L, a wood to the L. At a three- birches, into the open, with Follow the path through stile and over a stream bridge. footpath through birches to a take the signed but unmapped GR ADIENT PROFILE From Cwm Gwdi car park, Start 8 Time: 6 hours u 6 hours Time:

Pen y Fan from 10 Corn Du. Grade: Grade:

STEVE EDDY STEVE PHOTO: Challenging on the L. A gate by a National passing a sign to Cwm Cynwyn the lane becoming a track, stream, continue past Bailea, 2 lane and turn R uphill. the track for 100m to the the field next to Pant. Follow downhill to a gateway into 14 Landranger 160 Maps OS Explorer OL12, Cardiff and Swansea Buses from Abergavenny, transportPublic toiletsPublic None Refreshments None Nearest town Brecon PLANNING Stiles 4 descents lanes. Steep ascents and Is it for me? Paths, tracks, grid ref SO024248 parking at Cwm Gwdi, Start/parking Free ROUTE PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN Crossing the Nant Sere 1¼ miles/2km 16

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ON PAGE 42 before descending to it and Llyn Llygad Rheidol Reservoir staying high to circle around The Maesnant stream before climbs Pen-Pumlumon Fawr by in bad conditions. This route walkers but it’s best avoided meaning you’ll see few other This is real wilderness country Cambrian Hills and Mid-Wales. is the loftiest point in The (2,467ft/752 metres), point, Pen-Pumlumon Fawr Ceredigion and the highest landscape of this part 1 returning via a wilderness track. FEATURE on Plynlimon. Wilderness walking

metres 1200 Exit car park uphill/easterly Start km 40 0 80 0 0 0

dominates the The Plynlimon Massif STEVE GOODIER CHOSEN BY… 22 u Distance: 8¾ miles/14.1km u 8¾ miles/14.1km Distance: 2

4 PLYNLIMON CEREDIGION

6 Activities Centre. rough track at Outdoor bridge R just before lane end/ grids. Follow lane to the reach following lane over two cattle to reach road junction. Go L on lane. Cross two cattle grids staying L (wider path) higher shortly and continue uphill R. Stay ahead when this forks track beyond keeping stream junction. Cross over taking path to reach access track/ R continuing ahead on wider After this cross small stream through marshy/rocky area. beyond (stream R) passing path through old fence. Rise R to rise past waterfall. Follow R. Take path beyond curving 2 GR ADIENT PROFILE Leave lane crossing bridge 2 miles/3.2km 8 Time: 5 hours u 5 hours Time: 10

12 Grade: Challenging

STEVE GOODIER STEVE PHOTO: 14 ROUTE Landranger 135 Maps OS Explorer 213; Nothing to start transportPublic toiletsPublic None Hotel, four miles S of start Nearest, George Borrow Refreshments None. Aberystwyth Nearest town PLANNING Stiles None after heavy rain if flowing fast – avoid that would be difficult plus crossing of a leat Llygad Rheidol Reservoir rough descent to Llyn weather. One very steep/ ground – avoid in bad required over exposed walking. Careful navigation of rough ground and - lane route with steep parts, lots Is it for me? Wilderness grid ref SN756862 Nant-y-Moch Reservoir, dam wall at southern end Start/parking Car park by PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN 16 A

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ID: TZID30102 TRAILZILLA 3 © Country Walking June 2016 Walking © Country Download OS maps 1 Use the TZID to download the walk from www.lfto.com/routes or search for it in the Country Walking Best Walks in Britain App u for PC, iPhone, iPad and £12.50 from Android junction. The lane undulates, lane undulates, The junction. the finally leading back to car park on the R. START

4 8 miles/13km the crossroads R at Turn above Llyn Cwm Llwch. Llwch. Llyn Cwm above path the obvious Follow the off the moor onto down Llwch Cwm with Nant track to the R, passing to stream farm the L of former the Cross Llwch. of Cwm and Login at footbridge the stream, by continue which along the track, a lane. becomes 5 and continue, keeping R at a R at keeping and continue, Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop

to Tommy Tommy to Jones, lost The monument The POWYS PEN Y FAN DON’T MISS... DON’T 5 miles/7.8km Descend along Craig Cwm Cwm along Craig Descend 3½ miles/5.5km the descend Cribyn, From on the mountain in His body was 1900. located reputedly a woman thanks to of its dreaming and whereabouts persuading her borrow husband to and trap. a pony OS Explorer map OL12 u Llwch. Pass the Tommy Jones the Tommy Pass Llwch. the path obelisk and follow curving N and descending Trust sign for Cwm Cynwyn Cynwyn Cwm sign for Trust up Bryn Teg. the path leads to R, not along the track Keep the y Big. Follow Fan leading to slope grassy up the broad path the to y Fan of Pen with views and slope steepens R. The the ridge leading turns into 3 4 to the top of Cribyn. the top to ridge path WSW to a saddle to WSW ridge path it with a small pool, where Climb Way. the Beacons meets ridge up the eroded steeply Sere Cwm along Craig path the clearly marked reach to Then y Fan. summit of Pen SW the ridge path follow slope to a gentle down Llyn to Du (views Corn on the R). Llwch Cwm u 21

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ID: TRAILZILLA TZID30103 4 3 7½ miles/12.16 km 7½ miles/12.16 Go L on lane following © Country Walking June 2016 Walking © Country Download OS maps u for PC, iPhone, iPad and £12.50 from Android Use the TZID to download the walk from www.lfto.com/routes or search for it in the Country Walking Best Walks in Britain App track following it to descend descend it to following track curve down curving R. Further track L and rise again. After a series it past follow levels outbound your of tarns. Cross ahead and continue route Follow gate. through on track R curve to downhill track route. lane/outbound to down 5 outbound route to junction. Go junction. to outbound route car park. lane to R down

2 5½ miles/8.8km Go R picking up rough 5 4 to leat. Carefully cross it to it to cross Carefully leat. to is If the water other side. running head further down Go L climbing by fence R. fence Go L climbing by soon starting fence Follow downhill Continue descending. Rheidol (Llyn Llygad col to half Cut L). below Reservoir on path fence from L away cairn/scree it past following path descending runs. Follow begins to L. As path curve to down way a safe look for fade Pick a safe the reservoir. to and slope with no outcrops steeply ground rough descend Use odd sheep floor. valley to dam wall head for to tracks the overflow for a leat reaching it. Go R dropping before just and pick below the stream to a spot to cross carefully. Either carefully. cross a spot to dam wall. go L back to way

Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapshop

CEREDIGION PLYNLIMON START 1 Head easterly to nearby nearby to Head easterly 3⅓ miles/5.3km OS Explorer map 213 u u up at small fork. Rise more Rise more small fork. up at under slopes of passing steeply R at L. Stay Pumlumon Fach upper heading for fork next and valley. of stream reaches When Rise up head of valley. a R at L fork curves path boggy cross to junction again join path Rise to ground. up going R. Climb steeply Fawr slopes of Pen-Pumlumon cairn/wind to path following on summit ridge. shelter point. summit/trig Go R to 3 arrow on standing stone. stone. on standing arrow corner/gate. fence to Continue to cairn/subsidiary summit. cairn/subsidiary to R. When fence by Continue pond bends R by fence ahead following continue fence. Go L by it following it it following Go L by fence. cairn. col/large to downhill fence climbing by col Cross 22

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