The Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du) from Glyntawe Walk

A spectacular ridge walk to Fan Brycheiniog, Fan Foel and Waun Lefrith. Return via a glacial valley below the ridge, or remote moorland, shakeholes and a waterfall

Note	This walk has several options for experienced mountain walkers. There is also an Easy Version
Length	21.9 km (13.7 mi), with 1062m ascent/descent. For a shorter walk, an alternative start point and an alternative return route, see below Walk Options.
Toughness	8 out of 10, with 6 ½ hours walking time.
Walk Notes	The Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du in Welsh), in the Western Brecon Beacons, is often referred to as the last wilderness in the Brecon Beacons National Park and a walk along it as South Britain’s best ridge walk. It traverses a series of high peaks along a sequence of steep dramatic escarpments and features some of the most spectacular upland scenery in Britain. The route involves remote and rugged terrain, with a couple of glacial lakes and superb mountain views and leads almost entirely through open country. From the Tawe Valley you rise steeply up a grassy hillside onto the first ridge, Fan Hir, and soon follow its edge with some far views to the two famous peaks in the Central Beacons: Pen y Fan and Corn Du. After dropping into a saddle you re-ascend to Fan Brycheiniog and then onto the northerly top Fan Foel. The views of the moorland and open country to the north are spectacular, and reveal the isolation of the range. Turn west through a deep saddle to conquer the even more spectacular ridge of Bannau Sir Gaer. The return route along the bottom of the steep escarpments, past some glacial lakes and moraines, reveals a different and fascinating perspective of the high buttresses and some steeply carved valleys below. Shorter circular or out-and-back options, as well as a start from near the northerly end, are described. An alternative return route from the last top initially leads through open pathless, sometimes boggy, moorland, then through a veritable moonscape of shake holes, swallow holes, pot holes and limestone pavement before dropping back into the Tawe Valley (Cwm Tawe in Welsh). Note: The Black Mountains (plural) are a range of hills in the Eastern Brecon Beacons.
Walk Options	Variations on the main route An out-and-back steeply onto the ridge then to any of the peaks: from 10.9 km/6.8 mi. An out-and-back steeply onto the ridge then to any of the peaks, but descending from the Bwlch Giedd (saddle) onto the main walk’s valley return route: from 12.0 km/7.5 mi. An Alternative Ascent Route, recommended in wet and/or windy conditions: walk along the foot of the Fan Hir escarpment and then late onto the ridge at the Bwlch Giedd (saddle), this cuts 110m ascent. (i.e.: out and back along the bottom of the ridge, with a final ascent to the top) A Short Circular Walk: cut out the last part of the ridge (Bannau Sir Gaer) by descending the flank of the northerly peak Fan Foel to join the main walk’s valley return route: 15.6 km/9.7 mi with 720m ascent, rated 6/10. A Medium Circular Walk: cut out the Bannau Sir Gaer ridge by descending from the Bwlch Blean-Twrch between Fan Foel and Picws Du to join the main walk’s valley return route: 17.4 km/10.8 mi with 730m ascent, rated 6/10. Blaenau Circular An Alternative Start from the north (motorised transport needed): this adds 1.0 km/0.6 mi distance and 94m ascent, but the pubs in Glyntawe become possible lunch stops, ca. 10.0 km/6.3 mi into the walk. You can also combine this start with one of the alternative ascents to the ridge for a short or medium circular walk (picnic lunch only though). For details see the write-up. Return via the Swallow Holes An Alternative Return Route leads on a westerly loop from the last top on Waun Lefrith via an area of Shake Holes and Swallow Holes to Glyntawe, total length: 20.4 km/12.7 mi with 873m ascent, rating 7/10. [!] This includes several kilometres of pathless walking through a grassy boggy hillside and requires good map-and-compass skills or a reliable GPS-led device, and is not recommended in poor visibility. [!] A Diversion to the beautiful Sgwd Ddu (Black Waterfall) on the Afon Haffes (the Haffes River) adds 0.6 km and 42m ascent to this route.
Maps	OS Explorer: OL12 (Brecon Beacons National Park) OS Landranger: 160 (Brecon Beacons) Harvey Superwalker XT25: Breacon Beacons West/Bannau Brycheiniog Gorllewin Harvey British Mountain Map: Breacon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog
Travel	Glyntawe, Field Study Centre Bus Stop, map reference SN 846 167, is 248 km west of Charing Cross, 208m above sea level and in the Tawe (or Swansea) Valley (Cwm Tawe in Welsh) in Powys, Wales. It is on line T6 (Swansea - Neath - Ystradgynlais – Brecon), with 11 buses a day Mon-Sat and 5 on Sundays and Bank Holidays, with a journey time of 43 mins from Neath (and 32 mins from Brecon). The journey time by train from London to Neath is from 2 ½ hours. Saturday Walker's Club: This walk is doable as a daywalk from London with a very early start or if you have motorised transport.
Lunch and Tea	The two pubs in Glyntawe come at the end of the walk, but could be lunch stops if starting from the Blaenau car park: Tafarn y Garreg A 4067, Glyntawe, Swansea, Powys, SA9 1GS (01639 731 415). The Gwyn Arms A 4067, Glyntawe, Swansea, Powys, SA9 1GP (01639 730 310).
Stay	Accommodation is available nearby in Craig-Y-Nos, Pen-Y-Cae or Abercraf, and further along the bus line in Ystradgynlais, Sennybridge or Brecon.

Brecon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog	The Brecon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog National Park is in south Wales. It consists of bare, grassy, glacial mountains, with north facing escarpments. Its peaks, just shy of 1,000m (3,000ft), are the highest mountains in the southern UK. The national park is also noted for reservoirs, and the Dan yr Ogof caves. Its 4 mountain areas, from west to east are: The Black Mountain/Y Mynydd Du (singular!) : Fan Brycheiniog (803m) and the Dan yr Ogof caves. Fforest Fawr : Fan Gyhirych (725m), Fan Nedd (663m), Fan Fawr (734m), and the Henrhyd waterfalls (Sgwd Henrhyd) The Brecon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog : Pen y Fan (886m), Corn Du (873m), Cribyn (795m), Fan y Big (719m), Waun Rydd (769m). South of Brecon/Aberhonddu, north of Merthyr Tydfil. The Black Mountains/Y Mynyddoedd Duon (plural!) : Waun Fach (811m), Black Mountain/Twyn Llech (704m). Abergavenny/Y Fenni to the south. Hay-on-Wye/Y Gelli Gandryll to the north. Our Brecon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog Walks
Mountain Safety	This is a challenging but achievable walk in good weather, even for young children, but it is in remote exposed mountain areas. It is possible to twist an ankle on any walk, and it will take hours for mountain rescue to drive to the trailhead, then climb the mountain, to reach you. So: Check the weather, and start early. Take a paper OS map and compass - GPS are great... until the batteries go flat or you drop it Let someone know you're going, and take a mobile, if only to let them know you'll be late. NB: Mobiles only work at higher altitude. SMS is better in poor reception. Choose a route and pace for the least able member of your party. In hot weather, wear a hat, take and drink plenty of water. In any weather, take waterproofs, a survival bag (a big bin bag to keep the wind and rain out), some energy food (chocolate). Be careful drinking from mountain streams - consider water purification tablets (Boots sell them). Take breaks on the way down to give your knees a rest - they are absorbing all the energy you put into climbing!
Welsh Glossary	aber: estuary, confluence, river mouth; afon: river; affwys: abyss; allt: hillside, cliff; aran: high place; ban/fan/bannau (pl): peak/beacon/crest, hill/mountain; big: peak; blaen: source of river, head of valley; bod: dwelling; bre: hill; bron: hill-breast; bryn: hill; bwlch: gap/col/pass; cadair: chair; cae: field; caer/gaer: stronghold, fort; capel: chapel; carn/garn/carnedd/garnedd: cairn, heap of stones, tumulus; carreg/garreg: stone, rock; castell: castle; cefn: ridge, hillside; celli: grove/copse; cerwyn: pot-hole; cist: chest; clog/clogwyn: cliff; clun: meadow; clwyd: hurdle/gate; clydach: torrent; coch/goch: red; coed: wood; craig/graig: rock; crib/cribyn: crest, ridge, summit; crug: mound; cul: narrow; cwm: hanging valley/corrie/bowl/dale; cyfrwy: ridge between two summits (saddle); ddinas: fort; dibyn: steep slope, precipice; dim: no; din: hill-fortress; disgwylfa: place of observation, look-out point; dôl: meadow; du/ddu: black, dark; dwfr/dŵr: water; dyffryn: valley; -dyn: fortified enclosure; eglwys: church; eira: snow; eisteddfod: meeting-place, assembly; esgair: ridge; fach/bach: small; fawr/mawr: large; fechan: smaller; ffald: sheep-fold, pound, pen, run; ffordd: way, road; ffridd: pasture; ffrwd: stream, torrent; ffynnon: spring/well; gallt: wooded hill; ganol: middle; garth: promontory, hill, enclosure; glan/lan: river-bank, hillock; glas: green (when referring to grass, pasture or leaves), blue (when relating to the sea or air); glyn: deep valley, glen; gors: bog; gorsedd: tumulus, barrow, hillock; gwyddfa: mound, tumulus; gwylfa: look-out point; gwyn/gwen: white; gwynt: wind; hafn: gorge, ravine; hafod: summer dwelling; hen: old; hendre(f): winter dwelling, old home, permanent abode; heol: road; hesgyn: bog; hir: long; is: below, lower; isaf: lower/lowest; llan: church, monastery; llawr: level area, floor of valley; llech: slab, stone, rock; llther: slope; lluest: shieling, cottage, hut; llwch: lake, dust; llwybr: path; llwyd: grey, brown; llwyn: bush, grove; llyn: lake; llynwyn: pool/puddle, moat; maen: stone; maes: open field, plain; mawn: peat; mawnog: peat-bog; melyn: yellow; merthyr: burial place, church; moel/foel: bare, bald/bare hill; mynydd: mountain, moorland; nant: brook/stream, dingle/glen; neuadd: hall; newydd: new; ogof/gogof: cave; pant: hollow; parc: park, field, enclosure; pen: head, top/end, edge; penrhyn: promontory; pentre(f): homestead, village; perfedd: middle; perth: bush, brake, hedge; plas: hall, mansion; pont/bont: bridge; porth: gate/gateway, harbour/bay/landing-place/ferry; pwll: pit, pool; rhiw: hill, slope; rhos: moor, promontory; rhudd: red, crimson; rhyd: ford; sarn: causeway; sgwd/rhaeadr: waterfall; sticill: stile; sych: dry; tafarn: tavern; tâl: end, top; talar: headland (of field); tan/dan: below; tarren/darren: escarpment; tir: land, territory; tor: break, gap; tre/tref: settlement, hamlet, town; twlch: tump, knoll; twll: hole, pit; tŵr: tower; twyn: hill; tŷ: house; uchaf: upper, highest; uwch: above, over; waun/gwaun: moorland, meadow; wen/wyn: white; y, yr, ‘r: the; ynys: island, holm, river-meadow; ysgol: ladder, formation on mountain-side/school; ysgwydd: shoulder (of mountain); ystafell: chamber, hiding-place; ystrad: wide valley, holm, river-meadow.
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