Blaen-y-glyn waterfalls & Fan-y-Big circuit
This lesser known, eight mile loop encompasses everything which is great about the Brecon Beacons National park; wonderful waterfalls, sweeping glacial ridge walks, and even a visit to a World War II plane wreckage.
Not only will you have incredible mountain views but you’ll encounter a certain solitude which you wont find up on Pen-y-fan.
Trust me this is a must do hike if you’re in the Brecon Beacons.
Key Information
Hike Distance: 8 miles
Hike Duration: 3.5 - 6 hours
Elevation Gain: 550m
Hike Difficulty: Moderate
Parking: Blaen y Glyn Uchaf
What Three Words of start point: ///sting.excavate.penny
Things to note before starting this walk
Although this route isn’t that difficult, navigation and the ground underfoot may be tricky at times so make sure you’ve either got a good map or use a hiking app with plenty of battery. I’d recommend using ‘Os Maps’ or ‘maps.me’ as they show all the trails and topographic features whilst being able to use offline.
There are no toilets or facilities on this route or at the car parks.
You can complete this hike in either direction. For the best views head in an anti-clockwise heading up the Blaen-y-glyn waterfalls first
You can take a dip in the Blaen-y-glyn waterfalls, so it would be worth leaving some swimwear and a towel in the car and having a post hike dip once you finish.
The South Wales mountain weather can be fickle and weather can quickly take a turn for the worse. I’d recommend a waterproof coat, appropriate footwear, and packing an extra layers.
Where to park
Parking is available in at either the upper (Uchaf) or the lower (Isaf) Blaen y Glyn car parks located between the Pontsticill and Talybont reservoirs. I’d recommend trying to park at the upper car park but if that’s full the lower car park is only a short but steep 400m walk down the hill.
The Route
This route is a loop and can be completed in either direction. I’d recommend tackling anti- clockwise, heading up past the Blaen-y- glyn waterfalls first then hiking along the ridgeline towards Pen-y-fan.
This way you get the trickiest section out the way first and you’ll walk along the ridgeline towards the spectacular views of the highest peaks in central Beacons.
Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfalls
From the Upper Car park head down into the forest towards the waterfalls.
The path will quickly fork, the left hand route is well maintained and easy to follow, leading you around then down to the river.
The right hand path goes off trail, passing one of the bigger more impressive waterfalls. This being said the path isn’t the easiest to follow and goes over some steep and uneven ground so it may not be suitable for everyone.
Both trails end up at the impressive Blaen y Glyn waterfall (see below).
The Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfall
After stopping for photos, cross the wooden footbridge to the eastern side of the river and follow the right hand river bank upstream.
The path is quite narrow and can get boggy underfoot, however it is very easy to follow. On route you’ll pass several other smaller cascades with plunge pools which would be perfect for a refreshing dip.
After 1.3km you’ll reach a wooden stile and a fence which extends up the valley. Here you have two options.
Reaching the Wellington Bomber War memorial
After crossing the style, turn right follow the steep path that leads up the mountain alongside the fence. after 1.3km you’ll reach a stone cairn. From here follow the path along ridgeline for a further 1km until y the war memorial comes into view below you. The peaks of Pen-y-fan should come into a view from the top of the ridge and you’ll be offered great views back down the valley.
Option 2: The route up and over the ridge
30m beneath the ridge lies a stone obelisk and two piles of wreckage which mark the crash site of the Word War Two Wellington Bomber.
The plane crashed into the mountainside under poor weather conditions in July 1942, killing all five of its Canadian crew members.
A panorama of the valley from on top of the ridge
The view of the memorial and Pen-y-fan from the ridge
The stone memorial
The good news is that difficult part of the hike is now out of the way and from here you will be treated to (hopefully) spectacular views.
From the memorial follow the distinct path northwards after around 700m you’ll eventually reach a saddle where several paths meet.
Work your way onto the north side of the saddle and turn left following the Bwlch y Ddwyallt ridge as it curves westwards towards the peaks of Pen-y-fan
The view from Bwlch y Ddwyallt
Bwlch y Ddwyallt
Curved glacial escarpments drop sharply beneath you and lead out towards the mighty peaks of Pen-y-Fan, Corn Du and Cribyn. There’s more layers than a Viennetta and you could argue that these views are one of not the best in the Brecon Beacons.
Even though I have done this walk before I couldn’t help but be astonished by the insane mountain views you get when you come up and over the saddle.
This ribbon like ridgeline weaves its way westwards for just under a kilometre before heading Southwards towards Craig Cwareli. Take you time and enjoy it as the views are magnificent.
Craig Cwareli
Keep following the the ridgeline as it heads southwards towards Craig Cwareli. Although you may not have thought it was possible, the views continue to get better and you will find yourself stopping very couple of 100m to take a photo.
Fan-y-Big
After 2 miles of ridge walking you’ll reach the hilariously named Fan-y-big. Sitting at a 717m high it is translated from Welsh to 'Beacon of the Beak'. Although the mountain isn’t the highest and the views aren’t quite as dramatic as those from Pen-y-fan or Cribyn, the peak is still impressive in its own right.
The summit is marked by a large stone slab which resembles a diving board. Its a perfect peak to escape the crowds and grab a rather daredevil like photo.
How to get back to your car
To return to your car, retrace your steps from Fan-y-Big back to Craig Cwareli before bearing right, heading south east way from the ridgeline across the Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion plateau.
After a kilometre you’ll reach stone cairn turn left and descend down Craig y Fan Du ridge back to the upper car park.
Extending the walk
If you have a bit more in your legs, I would recommend extending this walk to include the mountain of Cribyn. It will add an additional 4km in length and 600ft of elevation gain, but the reward would be incredible views towards Pen-y-fan and back across the central beacons, see below for proof.
From Cribyn you could even continue on to Pen-y-fan, looping the horseshoe and completing a circuit of the central Beacons. This 13 mile monster walk isn’t for the faint hearted but is one of the two best day hikes in the Brecon Beacons. The details of this hike can be found below.
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You can find more Welsh hiking inspiration in the following blogs
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