Our last Cambrian Way day walk started at Tafarn y Garreg, following the Cambrian Way up Fan Hir under a bit of low cloud, which kept things nice and cool. From there we carried on over Fan Brycheiniog and Fan Foel, with fantastic views all around and plenty of reminders of the landscape's glacial past. We dropped down past Llyn y Fan Fach to the road, where we said goodbye to the Cambrian Way for now. The return was along the Beacons Way, including the long slog up the gravel road as the temperature started to climb, before making our way back to the cars beneath the high tops. A cracking day out and a great way to round off this stretch of the Cambrian Way.

Is it a bog? Is it a stream? Is it a squelchy moor?  No - it’s the route (with all three aforementioned conditions) for our next instalment of the Hillwalkers’ Cambrian Way odyssey. We headed up from the Blaen Llia car park to Fan Nedd before dropping down to pick up the CW from Maen Llia, where we headed west to the Fan Gyhirych trig. Then south and south west, passing the major limestone quarrying sites (disused) and the substantial dismantled tramway routes which served the quarries.  On reaching the Beacons Way we headed NW, past the limestone pavements, many shake holes and pot hole entrances, crossing the Nedd Fechan river and along Sarn Helen, the route of a Roman road back to the cars. Solid drizzle until 2pm and then easing a bit, but visibility only exceeded 100m for the last 30-60 minutes of the walk. A very wet boot day!

Starting from the Storey Arms, we headed west on the Cambrian Way (not much to see by way of a path on the ground) crossing over several streams which feed into the Ystrafellte Reservoir. The first of these was slightly challenging to cross, resulting in a couple of instances of ankle-dipping – the first of many during the day. It is a long time since we walked so consistently over wet and waterlogged ground – the result of several days of heavy rain. Having crossed Bryn Melyn, we dropped down to Maen Llia a 3.8m standing stone thought to date from Neolithic times.  A few km of tarmac followed until we crossed the river at the Blaen Llia CP, noticing the greying skies and lowering cloud over Fan Nedd.  As we approached the top of Fan Llia, the light drizzle started, which would last for most of the return leg of the walk. We crossed our outward path to walk along the edge of Craig Cerrig Gleisiad and Craig y Fro – but unfortunately with only views into the mist, as we walked down the car park.

It is a shame that the Met Office provides forecasts which are often more pessimistic than actual.  Such was the case for our CW section from Pen y Fan to Storey Arms. We walked pretty much south from the Cwm Gwdi car park, navigated a barrier of gorse bushes, then along Cefn Cwm Llwch and up the nose of Pen Y Fan – getting pretty much all of the ascent over within the first 3 miles. There were a couple of rain showers en-route, with one v. blustery, heavier shower as we covered the last few hundred meters up into a light mist. The weather improved as we walked down to the Tommy Jones memorial and Storey Arms – accompanied by a profusion of skylarks singing away. For the return route we followed the undemanding Taff Trail (sans waterproofs) and lanes back to the car, pleased to have been guided by the rainfall radar forecast, which generally gives a better guide to the day’s weather.   

Starting from the upper Blaen –y-glyn CP, we headed up towards Craig y Fan Ddu, picked up the Cambrian Way, then followed the route across the glacier-smoothed sandstone tops to Fan y Big. Then down into the bwlch, up to Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Ddu.  Magnificent views continued as we walked south along Graig Fan Ddu to the trig, then down the steep descent to the Taff Trail, where David informed us about a tunnel at the head of the Brecon Mountain Railway.  Despite our many visits to the area, no one else was aware of this tunnel – so some exploring needed on a future visit.  We returned along the road to the cars, with cuckoos calling in the woods. A lovely day with light cloud, warm when sheltered, but a cool NE wind at times.

The next section of our Cambrian Way walk started from the Upper Blaen-y-glyn car park, above Talybont reservoir.  The first task was to complete the short CW link from the Pontsticill road to the path heading north to Craig y Fan Ddu. This was to avoid having to do it on the next CW walk. We headed eastwards on the Taff Trail – hearing our first cuckoo of the spring – before cutting off towards Pen Rhiw-calch and then up to the tramway, where Ceridwen pointed out the remains of an old Roman bridge. Down into the Dyffryn Crawnon valley and up Cwm Pyrgad to the Nye Bevan memorial, where we joined the CW. This section of the CW crosses the rough upland to the Pant y Creigiau trig and then down to the cars.  Excellent weather with light cloud and sunshine – but not too warm. 

Leaving the Blaen Onneu car park we rejoined CW where we left it on the last leg. Across the open moorland and up to the trig on Mynydd Llangynidr where the first rain showers came in. From there we continued to Chartist Cave, then on across more open moorland to meet the Trefil Quarry road above Darren Ddu. From there back along to Trefil taking the high route above the quarry. Into Trefil and out along the old railway track. Leaving the track we headed N on a well-marked path to Llangynydr reservoir. The rain came in persistently then. Across even more open moorland following sheep tracks N. Significant dolines apparent, one water filled. Then back to the cars, but with a horrid hailstorm just before the finish. Wonderful moorland walk with lots of weather, again showing the landscape variety of our hills. 

A further stage of the Cambrian Way. From Crickhowell we walked through Llangattock and up two sections of old tramway routes used for bring limestone-carrying wagons down to the canal. The routes are steep and in poor condition, with grooves in the stone from the ropes and cables used to control the wagons’ descent. After walking past the old limestone workings and cave entrances, we dropped down into the Craig y Cilau nature reserve and then up to the minor road, where we headed west for 2km of road walk towards the Blaen-Onneu quarry.  Then northwards along the edge of the open access land, across a minor road and down a very uneven, water-scoured lane to Llwynon Farm (not to recommended as a route) and onto the Usk Valley Walk, which led us down to the canal and our return route to the car park. An overcast, but mild day – pleasant walking conditions and mainly dry underfoot.

We headed north from Crickhowell up Cwm Cumbeth, then through the sheepfold and on to Table Mountain. From there, we walked along the eastern boundary of the open access land, dropped down to the road before Ty Croes Farm, then NW-wards over Tal Trwynau to Pen Twyn Glas where we joined the CW, to follow it back to town. Pleasing to hear the call, and have a sighting, of a yellowhammer en-route, and hearing a goshawk in the woods to the east (report courtesy of our resident ornithologist).  South to our highest point at Pen Alt-mawr, where a slight deviation took us towards Pen Gloch-y-pibwr, before correcting over rough ground to the CW. The track on the top is no longer the previously rough stones, but made up with large stone blocks and stretches of aggregate. Passing to the east of table mountain (which, btw, is a far more impressive sight when viewed from high ground to the north, than elsewhere) we descended into Crickhowell. This was the best weather of the year to date – warm, sunny, little cloud and only a slight cold wind for a while on top.