Waun Rydd via Allt Lwyd, Y Gyrn

[poppiesrara]

A good summer's day in the Beacons, firstly taking the eastern approach to Waun Rydd from the Talybont Reservoir via the outliers Allt Lwyd and Bryn. Lovely grassy ridges down from and, especially, steeply up to the summit plateau which, broad and marshy, maybe doesn't have quite the same charm - bar the spectacular beehive cairn Carn Pica. Long views over the Black Mountains throughout though and also, once over Waun Rydd, of Pen y Fan and its neighbours; an outline that will take some tiring of seeing. An uneventful and quite long way back, largely through farmland, but generally a good and easy-going route.

allt lwyd.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Talybont Reservoir

Waun Rydd

Tor y Foel from ascent to Allt Lwyd

Allt Lwyd

Twyn Du & Nant Tarthwynni valley

Carn Pica

Black Mountains from Waun Rydd summit

The high Beacons: Bwlch y Ddywallt, Fan y Big, Cribin, Pen y Fan, Corn Du

Cwm Cwareli

Bwlch y Ddywallt

Bryn summit

Waun Rydd from Bryn

High Beacons

Northern flatlands from Bryn

Back up the initial ascent route, Waun Rydd on skyline

Just a little time left to pick up the loose Nuttall of Y Gyrn, sitting unconsidered on the edge of the high Beacons. This is only a little round lump not far above the busy carpark, but it's a pleasant enough few minutes up the paved path heading onto Pen y Fan and then through rough grass following the high ground to the summit. Nice views, especially of Fan Fawr looking quite genuinely 'mountainous' from this side, even if this definitely isn't the best side of the main summits: the routemarch tramp up the rest of the path among the crowds didn't look too enticing an alternative to the terrific south and north approaches...

y gyrn.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Fan Fawr over the Storey Arms cars

Beacons Reservoir

Pen y Fan & Corn Du

Fforest Fawr hills

Fan Fawr

Y Gyrn from the roadside

[AJNicholls]

Always interesting to see some reports on the non-Hewitt Nuttalls. I'd be more likely to include them in my rounds if they were on WalkHighlands, which implies that WH has a bit too much control over my route-planning!

Seems like you had better weather there than I did in the Lakes today as well.

That's an impressive cairn on Carn Pica. Some better-known hills (Pavey Ark, I'm thinking of you) could learn a few things from that.

Thanks for the TR.

[ChrisW]

Great report P, you certainly picked a good day for it. This is one that's right up my street I thought that row of cars were all from folks up your second hill I half expected to see an enormous group shot at the summit