Length: 21.6 km (13.4 mi) [longer or shorter walk
possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 837/840m
Net Walking Time: 6 hours
Rating: 7 out of 10
Take the 09.26 Bus Line X43 from Crickhowell Square to
Brecon (does not call in Llangattock), arrives Bwlch, All
Saints at 09.36.
Return: 14.30, 16.30, 18.43 and 20.33.
This is a varied walk from the small settlement of
Bwlch (‘pass’ in Welsh), starting from a low col high above the Usk Valley onto
the rolling moorlands of Cefn Moel and Mynydd Llangorse. The following long
ridge walk along good grass paths across this outlying peak’s plateau – and the
subsequent optional ascent to Mynydd Troed –command panoramic views across to
many of the much higher giants of the Brecon Beacons National Park: across the
Rhiangoll valley to the south-western flanks of the Black Mountains massif,
west to the Central Beacons and south to Mynydd Llangynidr and Mynydd
Llangattock.
A road descent leads to Llangorse village for lunch and around its iconic lake,
of glacial origin and the largest natural lake in South Wales, with its
watersports centre – and the only crannog outside of Scotland and Ireland. This
is a busy touristic site in season.
Leave the crowds behind to further circumvent the large lake through pastures
to a remote bird hide and an even more remote church-with-views in Llangasty-Talyllyn
and then up the Allt yr Esgair ('wooded slope of the ridge' in Welsh). It is
crowned by an Iron Age hillfort and a Roman road and overlooks the valley of
the River Usk to the west and south and Llangorse Lake and the Black Mountains
to the northeast. You then follow the Roman Road back down to Bwlch.
Walk Options:
Cut out the steep ascent to Mynydd Troed (2.2 km/1.3 mi and 260m ascent/descent) for a 6/10 walk.
Cut out the ascent to the Allt yr Esgair Iron Age Hill Fort site near
the end by contouring around the hill’s flank and along the ruined Paragon
Tower folly.
An easterly route from the summit of Mynydd Troed along the ridge and
down into the Cwm Sorgwm and back up over Pen Tir to the Cefn Moel and to Bwlch
adds 800m distance and 245m ascent (8/10).
Lunch: The Red Lion in Llangorse (12.0 km, open all day, brunch served to 15.00); The Lakeside Café at the Llangorse Lake
(12.7 km, open as a café to 16.00, then turns into Lakeside Bar). Tea
Pen Tir Route:
The
Farmers Arms in Cwmdu
(open from 16.00, located 5.8 km from the end). Tea
both routes:
The New Inn (open from 14.00, located
right at the end of the walk).
For summary, walk directions, map,
height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.
#2026-09-26T09:26 t=swc.308
1 comment:
N=12 at the start, under blue skies, which later had some clouds passing through. Brilliant views though when it mattered, while we were on higher ground.
There, on the ridge, was a small stretch of burnt ground to the left of the path (we could still smell the smoke, so it happened this summer) and then we (almost inevitably these days) encountered two groups of e-mountain bikers going up the ridge from the far side, which was neither a bridleway nor a byway. Unlike other groups of that ilk, these guys admitted they shouldn't be there but drove on anyway; and they were locals, judging by their accent and a Black Mountains MTB group top! Hooligans!
We somehow detached from the one person that was new to SWC trips while on the ridge (he was taking an awful lot of photos, which may be behind it), so 9 went up to Mynydd Troed while 2 turned down to Llangorse.
Picnic lunch on the top, while admiring a few glider planes being pulled up to their gliding height. 1 then pursued the alt pm route via Pen Tir, while the other 8 had a quick stop in Llangorse's café or pub and caught up with 1 of the shotcutters before Bwlch and the other one at the bus stop in Bwlch. 16.30 bus for that lot.
The Pen Tir guy arrived in Bwlch at 17.30, so had an hour and a bit in The New Inn before the 18.43 bus.
W=sunny-start-with-light-cloud-cover-later
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