Neuadd Horseshoe: Corn Du, Pen y Fan, Cribyn & Fan y Bîg
SO037170 From Taf 1 Fechan car park, head north along the road to what was the Lower Neuadd reservoir. Follow the waymarked path across the valley to the hill fence on the other side.
SO028180 Climb 2 steeply left alongside the forestry fence up to the ridge, turning north towards Graig Fan Ddu.
SO019182 Continue 3 north along the ridgeline to Cefn Cul. Across the valley is the Roman road crossing over the gap between Fan y Bîg and Cribyn and so on to Brecon. The track continues along the crest of the ridge, close to the steep drop on the right, and care should be taken in winter. Towards its northern end the ridge falls off to the west and becomes the headwall to Cwm Crew.
SO005207 At the end 4 of Craig Gwaun Taf descend to the col at Bwlch Duwynt where the track from the left comes up from Pont ar Daf. Ascending Corn Du brings you up the rock steps to the summit plateau. This is best crossed at its western edge and so to the summit cairn. The rocky steps up to the flat-topped summit of Corn Du are formed by a resistant cap of Plateau Beds.
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Now strike east, by a flattened cairn, and descend to the col and the well-worn track up to the summit of Pen y Fan. This col can be heavily corniced in winter and it is advisable to keep well back from the edge.
SO012215 From 6 the summit cairn of Pen y Fan, leave at the southern end of the plateau on a well-worn artificially stepped path. The path swings round to the east and drops steeply at first to the col. Pen y Fan is the highest point in south Wales and, on a clear day, provides one of the finest vistas in the whole country. As you descend Craig Cwm Sere, look to your left for a fine view of the north-east face of Pen y Fan. The National Trust, which owns this land, has carried out extensive path restoration here to make ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. SO019211 7
Ascend
Cribyn steeply to another cairn. Then descend following the path along Craig Cwm Cynwyn, which swings south then east down to ‘the Gap’ and the Roman road. Stop at ‘the Gap’ to take in some of the interesting features in this area. You may well be where Roman legionnaires once marched.
SO031205 Continue 8 east from the col and climb Fan y Bîg. This summit is easily identified by a distinctive sandstone block known as the ‘diving board’, which protrudes on the north-west side. The steep scarp faces of these ridges and summits are formed from resistant Brownstones.
SO036206 From the 9 summit, turn south and follow the ridge path along Craig Cwmoergwm to the military bothy at the low point of the ridge. Below to the north is Cwm Oergwm, the last of the north-eastern glacial U-shaped valleys.
SO039197 Leave the 10 main ridge path just past here and contour south along the top of the slope of Tor Glas. When you meet a stream gully (Nant y Gloesydd), just before the conifer plantation, descend following the right bank to the Roman road. turning left to rejoin the main route back to the car park.