Llyn Y Fan Fach & Picws Du | Detailed hike guide with maps and where to park
Llyn-Y-Fan Fach, which translated from welsh into ‘Lake of the small hill’, is an enchanting glacial lake set beneath the steep flat-topped hills of the Carmarthenshire countryside.
This is a lesser-known gem situated on the western border of Brecon Beacons but in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful locations in Wales and my favourite hike in the Brecon Beacons.
Although slightly more difficult to reach than the popular Pen-y-fan, this breathtaking area epitomises the beauty of the Brecon Beacons and should definitely be on your ‘must visit’ list.
A panoramic shot of Llyn-y-fan Fach from Waun Lefrith
Key information
Mountains summited: Picws Du (749 m) , Waun Lefrith (677m)
Hike distance: 9km/ 5.6 Miles
Hike duration: 2-3 hours
Elevation gain: 495m
Hike difficulty: Moderate
Technical aspects: None
What Three Words location of start point: battling.daunted.carver
Where to park
The hike starts from the poorly signed, small gravel car park, tucked away amongst the Welsh rolling hills (Postcode; SA19 9UN).
It’s not the easiest car park to reach as it involves navigating some very narrow country roads and feels like you’re driving into someone’s back garden. However trust the postcode as it will eventually lead you there.
The car park isn’t the biggest and can probably only house around 30 cars. With the lanes leading there being very narrow I would recommend getting here early to not secure a spot but to avoid anyone travelling in the opposite direction.
The Route
From the car park, follow the gravel path that runs for 2km alongside the river Sawdde directly up to the lake. On route, you’ll pass several small waterfalls and a small brick building next to a water station.
Once at the lake you can either complete the loop in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. I’d recommend completing the hike in anti clockwise fashion (heading right) as you will have the option of extending your walk once you reach the saddle beneath Picws Du.
After stopping for a breather at the lake, head right and follow the path which slowly climbs up and around the lake. The path gains around 600ft of elevation in just under a mile, hugging the ridgeline and offering incredible views over Llyn and Fan Fach and back across the Carmarthenshire fans.
Llyn y fan Fach from Waun Lefrith
The 677m summit is known as Waun Lefrith and is the most westerly peak within the Carmarthenshire Fans range. From the summit simply continue to follow the path for one mile as it hugs the ridgeline of glacial escarpment and climbs slowly towards the magnificent Picws Du.
Llyn y fan Fach from Waun Lefrith
Looking back towards Picws Du From Waun Lefrith
At 749m Picws Du is the second highest peak of the Carmarthen Fans in the Carmarthenshire section of the Black Mountain range. I would recommend taking the time to sit and admire the spectacular 360 degree views across the western Brecon beacons whilst gobbling any snacks you have brought.
From the summit descend the rather steep slope on the other side straight down to the saddle marked by a small stream.
Picws Du & Llyn y fan Fach, If you look closely you can see the faint path which runs beneath the slopes of Picws Du
Sunset from Picws Du, looking towards Llyn Y fan Fach
Once at the Saddle have the option to either extend your walk up and onto Fan Brycheiniog (802m) & Llyn -y-fan Fawr or descend and complete a loop back to Llyn-y-Fan Fach.
If you’re looking to complete the loop, descend the path which zig zags down the mountain. Once the path splits, turn left and follow the track as is it traverses the lower slopes of Picws Du.
Continue to follow this path either back to Llyn-y-Fan Fach (sticking to the left hand path) before descending down the initial gravel path back to your car. Or stay right following the river bed which cuts back down to the initial gravel path which you walked up.
The path up to the saddle beneath Picws Du
If you wanted to extend the hike you can combine this hike with a loop around Llyn y Fan Fawr, a slightly larger glacial lake located two miles to the east. This hike is around 9 miles long and will take between 4-6 hours to complete. The detailed description of the route can be found here.
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You can find more Welsh hiking inspiration in the following blogs
For more travel, hiking, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.