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Waun Rydd from Blaen y glyn

Brecon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog Walk

Nat Park - Brecon Beacons - Brecon Beacons Central

County/Area - Powys

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 5.5 miles / 8.9 km    Ascent - 1800 feet / 545 metres

Time - 4 hours 30 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Waun Rydd
Click image to see photo description.

This horseshoe route takes you on to a less visited part of the Brecon Beacons and includes the site of a Wellington Bomber that crashed in 1942. The paths are generally easy to follow in good visibility but navigational skills are required in poor visibility.

Start from the Upper Blaen-y-glyn car park (grid ref. SO056175). To start the walk exit the car park, cross the cattle grid and turn right onto the path. The way ahead is initially stepped and climbs steeply onto Craig y Fan Ddu ridge. As the terrain gets easier bear right and follow the rim of the valley below you on your right and continue along the edge of Graig Fan Las to the head of the valley (grid ref. SO057206).

Turn right here and follow the less obvious path that makes for the memorial to the aircraft crash at grid ref. SO061200. You then need to regain height onto the plateau by taking the steep path to the left of the stream gully. Once on the plateau bear right and follow the edge of the crags (Cwar y Gigfran) south to reach a cairn at grid ref. SO066192. Bear half right here with a steep descent as the path heads, roughly south. The terrain becomes less steep and you cross rough moorland to reach a wall. Here you turn right alongside the wall, down to the River Caerfanell (grid ref. SO061161).

Go left over the stile and follow the path beside the river. Reaching a footbridge (grid ref. SO060173), turn right across the bridge. Bear left at the first junction of paths and at the second junction go right and follow the rising path through the forest roughly following a stream with small waterfalls. Reaching a track bear left which leads you back to the car park used as the starting point.

Other walks nearby

Walk 1283 Fan y Big from Torpantaumoderate8.5 miles
Walk 1123 Brecon Beacons Horseshoe from Taf Fechan Forestmoderate8.5 miles
Walk 2934 The High Peaks of the Brecon Beaconsmod/hard10.7 miles
Walk 2349 Pen Y Fan & Corn Du from near Storey Armsmoderate4.6 miles
Walk 3616 Fan Fawr from Storey Armsmoderate6.0 miles
Walk 2400 Pen y Fan from Cwmgwdi near Breconmoderate5.0 miles
Walk 1903 Pen y Fan & Corn Du from Cwmgwdimoderate7.5 miles
Walk 2074 Highest Peaks of the Brecon Beaconsmod/hard11.0 miles
Walk 3546 Pen y Bryn from Pencellimoderate5.0 miles
Walk 3536 Pen y Bryn & Carn Pica from Pencellimod/hard11.3 miles

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