POWYS GWYNEDD 21 FAN FAWR 22 MOEL HEBOG WALES WALES W N uDistance: 6¼ miles/9.9km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Challenging uDistance: 7½ miles/12.1km uTime: 5 hours uGrade: Challenging S E PLAN YOUR WALK PLAN YOUR WALK SEE SEE FEATURE FEATURE ON PAGE 55 ON PAGE 50 PHOTO: PHOTO: MATTHEW PIKE MATTHEW LENBANISTER ROUTE ROUTE Start/parking Start/parking Car park The Brecon Beacons from Free car park opposite the Moel Hebog (left), Moel (fee) off A498 in Craig Cerrig-gleisiad. Storey Arms on the A470 yr Ogof and Moel Lefn. Beddgelert, LL55 4YJ, SW of Brecon, LD3 8NL, grid ref SH588481 grid ref SN983203 Is it for me? Steep initial CHOSEN BY… Start Is it for me? Navigation is CHOSEN BY… path, through gate then L climb inc.light scramble. LEN BANISTER 1Cross the road to the straightforward but there MATTHEW PIKE under bridge. Turn R then Boggy in places and some Although eschewing Telephone kiosk, go L on the are steep ascents and The three hills quickly L through small gate, route finding required the popular track up track (Signed: Taff Trail/Beacon descents over difficult climbed on this walk turn R and follow path round to Stiles 5 surfaces with much to the Brecon Beacons this Way) which is initially parallel are on the western side of L with stream on R. Continue boggy and peaty walking. PLANNING walk will, later, provide superb to the road. Continue through Snowdonia and separate through old gate and L on lane. Gaiters and poles would Nearest town Beddgelert vantage points to view the the gate to Blaenglyn Farm. be useful enough from the higher Refreshments cut-glass outline of the stars. After one bridge, before Stiles 6 summits within the park to ¼ mile/0.4km Choice in Beddgelert After a gentle start along the another, go L at fingerpost get broad views ranging from 2Lane becomes track, Public toilets In Stryd attractive Tarell Valley we down to the stile. Go L down PLANNING the north coast to the park’s crosses railway twice. Upon Smith, Beddgelert cross the A470 to enter and the track, over the bridge. Nearest towns southern summits. On the leaving wood, just past barn, Public transport S4 from Merthyr Tydfil, Brecon Caernarfon & S97 from Climb past twin trees to turn R following a sign towards climb through the wonderland Refreshments There is eastern side of Moel yr Ogof Porthmadog 01286 881108 of the Craig Cerrig-gleisiad a stile and layby. usually a tea-stall open in is a cave supposedly used Rhyd Ddu. Follow good track, Maps OS Explorer OL17; National Nature Reserve. the car park (The Storey as a hiding place by Owain then turn L at a footpath sign Landranger 115 This solitary, steep sided 1½ miles/2.6km Arms is an Outdoor Glyndwr, a 15th century Welsh following narrow path. Head amphitheatre, was carved 2Cross the road to a layby centre, sadly not a pub) ruler fleeing from the English. over the stile and follow the out by ice 20,000 years ago diagonally R. Take the far Public toilets None grass track up the hillside, Aim just to L of summit until Public transport 2–hourly and is now the home of rare path, alongside the stream, L. bus service, T4, Mon – Sat Start cross the wall and continue steep scrambly section where arctic-alpine plants. Emerging Keep to the main meandering between Newtown & 1From far L corner of car park uphill, going through the gate path is unclear in places with above the crag we continue path up through the Nature Cardiff (0300 200 22 33) from main entrance, take path in the second wall. spells of loose shingly rock. over desolate moorland to Reserve; guided higher up by Maps OS Explorer OL12; towards Rhyd Ddu, turning R Keep R on ascent then, at then ascend Fan Fawr, which a series of waymarkers to a Landranger 160 following path. When path 1¼ miles/1.8km ridge, turn L for easy final at 734m provides great views. neat cairn. Reach the gate. ➥ bends L, continue on unsealed 3Follow path onto ridge. ascent to top of Moel Hebog. ➥ GRADIENT PROFILE GRADIENT PROFILE 600 1200 400 800 200 400 metres metres 0 0 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 ✁ WALES WALES GWYNEDD AUGUST 2017 POWYS AUGUST 2017 22 MOEL HEBOG 21 FAN FAWR uOS Explorer map OL17 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map OL12 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop 2¾ miles/4.4km 7 8 3Turn L along the fence. Continue over the stile; continue straight on when the fence veers L. Now pick 3 up the main path to the hill ahead avoiding the L downhill 6 turns. As you approach Fan 2 Fawr, your route up becomes obvious. This path swings DATE WALKED DATE L then goes straight uphill. WALKED DATE 2 START The higher you climb, the 1 more indistinct the path is. It becomes a sheep track 3 then disappears. Make your MEDIA 001/17 ORDNANCE SURVEY. 2017 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN 5 way diagonally R, to reduce the incline – a bench-like stone below the horizon forms a suitable target. Once the elusive ridge is START TIME TAKEN reached, go L for the cairn TIME TAKEN 4 ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2017 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 001/17 ORDNANCE SURVEY. 2017 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN marking the summit. 1 2 miles/3.3km R, then L where steep scree diagonally L through field 5 miles/8.1km 4R at main cairn, following path leads down to narrow to far corner. 4From here you can see wall downhill to saddle, then bog. Jump over and continue the car park. Follow the clear continue up gap between two straight ahead, after which 5⅓ miles/8.6km path, forking L. The descent rocks. When wall bends L, path clear path leads steeply down 8R at track following blue is initially steep, but it soon veers slightly R, between rocks rocky hillside to left hand arrows. Take third track on R levels out. If you lose the path, towards top of Moel yr Ogof. corner of forest. Turn L at wall, following Rhyd Ddu to B’gelert aim for the path which rises cross stile and follow forest cycle trail. This soon joins larger L of the plantation in the 4 3 miles/4.7km edge until obvious gap in wall track. Turn R before campsite, YOUR RATING YOUR YOUR RATING YOUR distance, behind the Storey 5From summit, veer slightly leading to stile and into forest. pass station then branch R. Arms Centre. Return to car L to pick up clear path to stile Take L fork, cross bridge then park opposite the Storey over fence. Path heads into 4¼ miles/6.9km take trail back to where you left Arms Centre on approach. saddle then up gentle ascent 7At track turn L then it earlier, and retrace steps. just to L of Moel Lefn’s summit. immediately R along footpath, Clamber R up the two outcrops then take R fork leading out GET THIS WALK GET THIS WALK for view. Return to path then, of forest. Path is unclear in ON YOUR PHONE: 2017 August Walking © Country ON YOUR PHONE: 2017 August Walking © Country before third outcrop, take places and boggy, but aim for lfto.com/cwroutes lfto.com/cwroutes subtle L fork leading towards L eventual far L corner, cross stile corner of plateau edge. and continue in same direction IN ASSOCIATION WITH IN ASSOCIATION WITH through woodland. At track JEFF TUCKER/ALAMY* 3½ miles/5.8km turn R then L, and cross three 6When path drops it veers more tracks before heading OS MAPS PHOTO: OS MAPS ✁.