Length: 18.9 km (11.7 mi), with options to shorten or
lengthen
Ascent/Descent: 680m
Net Walking Time: 6 hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10
Meet at 10.00 at Crickhowell Square Bus Stop (or join in Llangattock if you are staying there)
From the centre of the rightly popular town of Crickhowell, the route
leads across the Usk River and the Monmouth & Brecon Canal up steeply
through quiet pastures-with-views up to the easterly end of the Llangattock
Escarpment and the fascinating limestone pinnacle of the Lonely Shepherd,
overlooking the Clydach Gorge. From there you follow the escarpment westwards,
past ex-quarries, surreal looking grassy spoil heaps, a couple of raised bogs
and some extensive cave systems leading deep into the underlying limestone
layers.
The natural amphitheatre of the Craig y Cilau escarpment with its
spectacular high limestone cliffs and extensive cave systems, is negotiated
with some easy walking along a former tramroad contouring the dramatic grassy
ledge with some superb sweeping views across the Usk Valley to The Black
Mountains, from the Mynydd Llangorse and Mynydd Troed via Table Mountain and
Pen Cerrig-Calch to Sugar Loaf. You continue through the Craig y Cilau National
Nature Reserve, where the Eglwys Faen cave system allows for some optional
caving and down the slope to the raised bog of the Waun Ddu.
A very scenic descent and re-ascent leads through the beautiful Cwm
Onnau and across into the very lush Usk Valley, from where you contour through
more pastures with extremely fine views of the Central Black Mountains back
down to the canal and via Llangattock village to Crickhowell with its many tea
options.
Walk Options:
A Morning Shortcut cuts 1.5m and 40m ascent.
A rougher version of that shortcut, up a long
and steep bouldery track, cuts another 1.4 km.
Cut out the out-and-back to the Lonely Shepherd limestone pinnacle with views: cut 1.4 km.
Caving (for beginners) can be done in the Eglwys Faen complex. Bring your headtorch and an extra layer or two! Good profile soles
necessary, scrambling experience reassuring. And mind your head!
An Afternoon Shortcut, cutting the
ascent out of the Cwm Onnau and into the Usk Valley, cuts 2.8 km.
An Extension of the route, higher up
the Cwm Onnau adds 2.0 km and 35m ascent. This starts with 20 minutes along the
grassy verge of a busy road though.
Lunch: Picnic.
Best location: on the grassy ledge below the Llangattock Escarpment, with views
across the Usk Valley.
Tea: Plenty of options in Llangattock
and Crickhowell. Check the pdf or the webpage for details.
For walk directions, maps, height profiles and gpx/kml
files click here.
#2026-09-27T10:00 t=swc.370
1 comment:
1 from yesterday's group skipped today's walk on account of the (very wet) weather forecast, so n=11 today.
After earlier heavy downpours that was a decent outcome, and the reward was that we started in dry weather but under dark clouds, had some rain around lunch and then witnessed it clearing up to late sunshine.
At the Lonely Shepherd it was pretty windy due to it's exposed location, but soon after the wind was forgotten. 1 had skipped the out and back to the Shepherd and 1 other, after a bad night and some continuous tummy trouble, returned to his hotel bed from there.
10 we were now, reunited at the caves, not without first encountering a young couple in caver's outfits, with him being a lifelong aficionado, having been involved in various rescue operations, including the famous Craig y Nos one a few years back. He had stories to tell and happily answered a ton of questions.
On then to our (amateurish in comparison) caving experience, where 7 spent around half an hour in the 'Stone Church's entrance chamber and its various offshoots.
It was raining now and we descended from the escarpment into the valley, where 1 took the shortcut.
Up and over into the Usk Valley, now with blue-ish skies, and through pastures with magnificent views and along the Mon & Brec to Dardy, then Lllangattock and across the bridge into Crick. 16.45 at The Britannia Inn and the shortcutter, ensconced in the back garden.
W=dark-skies-then-rain-clearing-to-blue-skies
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