Brecon Beacons
27.5km/17 miles 10 hours
1
SO289278 Cross a stile on the left, in front of the priory (waymarked to Hatterrall Hill), and follow the track to a stream where you turn left to a stile. Continue through a succession of fields, and a small copse, to an interpretation board. Now follow the path steeply up onto the ridge and continue to a crossroads with Offa’s Dyke Path, where you turn left.
2
SO290294 Cruise easily along now, pass the trig point then continue for another 2km to a cairn and a marker stone at a crossroads. Keep straight ahead, always on the national trail, to follow the crest of the Hatterrall Ridge and cross the highest point of the whole path before dropping slightly then climbing easily to Hay Bluff at the northern tip.
3
SO244366 Bear left at the trig point and keep the escarpment to your right to drop down to the road in the Gospel Pass – at 549m, the highest road in Wales. Cross the road and follow the clear track up the hillside opposite. This leads steadily up to the cairn on Twmpa or Lord Hereford’s Knob, as it’s affectionately known.
4
SO224350 Bear left to keep the escarpment to your right and go right at a fork. A long but steady climb now leads to Pen Rhos Dirion. Bear left here onto the obvious track that runs along the ridge top and follow it easily along to the Blacksmith’s Anvil, a large lump of sandstone close to where another path comes up from Capel-y-Ffin. Keep straight ahead here to continue over the summit of Chwarel y Fan to the trig point on Bal-mawr.
5
SO267270 Go down to the left, past a good track on the left, and continue to a cairn. Now descend to the left to a fork where you keep right to follow the line of the brook to a crossroads. Keep ahead (signed ‘Cwm Bwchel’) and continue across two fields and down past a house to a pair of stiles. Take the left one and follow marker posts and arrows down to a footbridge. Keep ahead to a gate, and then follow the stream down to another footbridge. Cross this and continue to the road, where you turn left to the Half Moon Inn.