Brecon Beacons Horseshoe Ridge Walk

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The Brecon Beacons Horseshoe Ridge Walk or Pen y Fan Horseshoe Walk, as it is sometimes known, starts from the Neuadd car park and leads north-west along a narrow paved road.

Shortly, the roadside trees to the left-hand side end and you are you treated (weather permitting) to a magnificent view up the Taf Fechan valley to the peaks fo Corn Du and Pen y Fan.

After just under a 1 mile (1.6 km) you will reach the Lower Neuadd Reservoir. Go through the gate and head west (left) along the front ridge of the reservoir before passing through another gate.

Follow the obvious trail up the steep incline to the top of Craig Fan Ddu ridge. This section of path starts fairly gently but as it progresses, so does the steepness. Just ask Marianne, you had to take a horizontal breather for 10 minutes during the climb!

Upon reaching the top, you will almost certainly want to catch your breath while appreciating the climb that you have just made.

At this point, turn right and follow the trail that now hugs the very edge of the ridge as it winds it way north. You will almost certainly find yourself mesmerised by the majesty and enormity of the Taf Fechan glacial valley that leads to the summits of Corn Du and Pen y Fan.

As you progress, the ridge narrows and you now get to enjoy the shallow sweeping Nant Crew valley that descends southwesterly towards the Cantref Reservoir. Approaching Corn Du at Bwlch Duwynt, the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe Ridge Walk intercepts the Pen y Fan route from Pont ar Daf Car Park on the A470. You will now experience a significant rise in the volume of hikers heading mainly to the summit of Pen y Fan.

Corn Du

Where the paths join, there is also a fork in the trail leading right to Pen y Fan or left and up the steep incline to the summit of Corn Du. Take this left trail and shortly you will be at the top of the second-highest peak in South Wales at 873 m (2,864 ft).

Pen y Fan

From Corn Du, climbing Pen y Fan takes little more than 15 minutes. Firstly, you drop down into the saddle that joins the two peaks and then make the relatively gentle climb to the Brecon Beacons’ highest peak at 886 metres (2,907 ft). In fact, it is the highest British peak south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia National Park.

The views from the summit of Pen y Fan are spectacular but only on a clear day can they truly be appreciated in all their glory. In every direction lay examples of the destructive, yet creative power of the last ice age.

The northern slopes of Pen y Fan drop sharply into the sweeping glacial valleys of Nant Sere and Nant Cwm Llwch separated by the Cefn Cwm Llwch ridge. To the west is the glacial lake of Llyn Cwm Llwch, whilst to the east sit the dramatic northern slopes of Cribyn.

Cribyn

The next section of the Brecon Beacons horseshoe ridge walk takes you in a westerly direction, sharply down Craig Cwm Sere. Beware, this section is slippery enough even when totally dry, so be extra careful if hiking in wet conditions.

Once you reach the dip between the two peaks, the steep ascent to the summit commences. Cribyn, the 3rd peak on the hike sits at 795 metres (2,608 ft).

Take some time to gaze back and you can see the almost vertical north-east face of Pen y Fan which slides dramatically into the Cwm Sere valley below.

Fan y Bîg

Now it’s time to make your way to the fourth and final peak on the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe walk. Head west along the northern ridge of the Cwm Cynwyn valley.

This leads you down to the Gap Road, a track first used to enable horse-drawn carriages the ability to pass through the Brecon Beacons. Nowadays, the Gap Road is a popular route for mountain bikers.

Once across the road, you can start your final ascent up the fairly steep incline to the summit of Fan y Big which sits at 719 metres (2,359 ft). Here, you simply must take that obligatory diving board photo with the three peaks that you have already ascended posing perfectly in the background.

The Fan y Big diving board is a flat rock that juts out over the ridge, sort of resembling a diving board. If you haven’t got a head for heights, you may just struggle with this one!

Homeward Bound

From Fan y Big, head south along the Craig Cwm Oergwm ridge, until it starts to veer off to the east (left). You will notice a large area of small rocks just off to the right of the path at this point.

Head straight on, diagonally down the slope until you intercept the Gap Road. Then, simply continue until the road veers to the right and joins the tarmac road adjacent to the Lower Neuadd Reservoir.

Follow this road back to your starting point at the Neuadd car park.