Length: 20.4 km (12.7 mi), with options to shorten or
lengthen
Ascent/Descent: 973 m
Net Walking Time: ca. 6 hours
Toughness: 8 out of 10
Take the 08.50 bus (Line 43, direction Abergavenny/Y fenni, from Stand 3),
arrives 09.42.
Return buses are on 15.13 (43), 16.31 (X43), 17.31
(43), 18.29 (X43), 19.38 (X43).
From the centre of the rightly popular town of Crickhowell, within
minutes you rise up steeply (with an 12% average gradient) for 3 km – mainly
through pastures – to the excellent viewpoint that is the eponymous Iron Age
hillfort site of Crug Hywel (or Table Mountain), which gives its name to
the town and towers above the Usk Valley. You ascend further up the flank of
the main mountain range above the town to Pen Cerrig-calch, the first of
three high tops along the ridge. Continue to the slightly higher second top, Pen
Allt-mawr and down to the third top, Pen Twyn Glas.
The further descent now follows the easterly spur of the range with a gentle gradient and some fantastic views to the valleys either side and out to Sugarloaf/Y Fâl. A short stretch of road walking is followed by a re-ascent up to the col between Table Mountain and Pen Cerrig-calch and then follows the Beacons Way contouring the hill for a while before dropping down to town through the ancient woodland of the Cwm Cumbeth, with the bubbling Cumbeth Brook never far away. The route finishes through the heart of Crickhowell past most of its tea options.
Walk Options:
A Very Short Walk leads back down to town from the
Table Mountain, on a westerly loop along the Beacons Way and down the wooded
Cwm Cumbeth (7.5 km/4.6 mi, 389m ascent, 4/10).
A Short Walk leads in a westerly loop from either Pen
Cerrig-calch or Pen Allt-mawr (the latter route partly map-led) and down the
lower part of the wooded Cwm Cumbeth (11.5 km/7.2 mi, 658m ascent, 5/10; or
16.5 km/10.3 mi, 741m ascent, 6/10).
A Variation of the Ending continues
along Llanbedr Lane, entirely on tarmac, cutting out the re-ascent to the Crug
Hywel and the descent down the wooded Cwm Cumbeth (cuts 1.5 km and 217m ascent,
7/10).
An out-and-back Extension from the last of the Pens to Waun Fach, the
highest top in the Black Mountains, results in a
31.0 km/19.2 mi walk with 1402m ascent/descent, a strong 10/10.
A Longer Walk out to Waun Fach, followed by a descent along its easterly
ridge to Llanbedr village and along roads to Crickhowell,
has 31.6 km/19.6 mi and 1218m ascent/descent (10/10).
A sheltered dropout route avoiding the
final ascent to the Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr ridge in the event of the
weather turning, is described.
Lunch: Picnic.
Tea: Plenty of options in Crickhowell, see the
pdf for details.
For summary, walk directions, map, height
profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.
T=swc.333
2 comments:
30 deg in London, 31 in Brecon and 32 in Crickhowell. As a plot to avoid the summer heat, this posting was an abysmal failure. But...
Of the 10 walkers yesterday, we lost one to driving home (the heat), 1 to sitting the day out (the heat on the walk and in his tent) and one to the Brecon Parkrun.
We had 2 arrivals though, both with a trying journey (one with a broken down train and subsequent taxi journey, one with an overheating bus that was taken out of service mid-journey).
1 other had signalled joining us but wasn't there in Crickhowell when we got going at 9.50.
On slowly up the steep, with plenty of stops (in the shade) but 1 fell behind, and when we had reached the Table Mountain, the announced walker caught us, with one of his sons in tow. They had left London at 6 and arrived in Crick at 10. The newly assembled group of 10 stayed together up to and over the 3 Pens, where father and son moved swiftly on, 1 went on along the long walk via Waun Fach (with a pickup from the Llanbedr pub offered), the rest rested for a while before commencing the Main Walk.
2 of those then followed the road into Crick while the remaining 5 went back on up the hill and completed the walk, getting to Crick at just before 5.
Drinks in The Bear for 8 of us, before the 17.31 bus or a lift by one of the drivers or a drive to Llanbedr to pick up the brother walker.
Lots of wild ponies with many foals, a herd of cattle with very young calves. A newly installed engineered path up from Table Mountain to Pen Cerig-Calch, not just in the spring-fed streams area where it makes sense but also higher up through the heather and bilberry ground, which is unsightly and seems OTT.
Bilberries in sufficient amounts for dessert, a breeze at the top almost all the time, heather in good colour, fine views and no heatstrokes. We had a great day.
The walker that fell behind walked up to Pen Cerig-Calch and back down on a half self made route, back in Crick at around 3.
N=11 w=hot-with-a-breeze-on-the-tops
Supplementary
#1
Attempting the longer walk, this walker encountered no problems on a lovely route until post his descent of Pen Twyn Mawr.
Without an OS map to refer to, confidence was lost in my navigating abilities. To get safely down off the ridge became the priority. Hence a decision was taken to get off the ridge path and into Mydd Forest with the intention to head towards the main road running near the river. This was not without its difficulties through some steep woodland descents.
Eventually he was relieved to find a forest car park (Cadwgan) also a popular wild swimming spot where cars and people were a welcome sight. 7 miles away from the Red Lion pub (sadly not open I later discovered) and with the kindness of strangers he was able to get in touch with his driver who collected me from the car park having waited in Llanbedr. On this occasion no hitchhiking was required and this walker was glad mountain rescue weren’t required. Safely back in Brecon 19:45 not deterred to try solo navigating off text again but a lesson learnt.
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