The northern precipitous slopes of Fan Brycheiniog with Llyn y Fan Fach famed for the Lady of the Lake legend below.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is made up of three mountain areas. By far the most popular is the central area which includes Pen-y-fan, the highest point and Corn Du which is a very familiar view from the Brecon area. To the east lies shapely Cribun. This was the playground of my youth and I have climbed these hills in all weathers. The eastern edge of the national park include the Black Mountains, a series of fine ridges generally running northwest to south east with some fine summits. Less known and the most western area rises Black Mountain culminating in Fan Brycheiniog rising to 802 metres. This area has much to offer with steep northern slopes exposing the layered red sandstone above the mystic Llyn y Fan Fach famed for the folklore legend known as the Lady of the Lake. This tells of a young man and son of a widow who agrees to marry a beautiful girl who has arisen from the lake on the condition that he will not hit her three times. Despite an initially happy marriage and bringing up children he does eventually hit his wife three times and as a result she returns to the lake.
It’s the making of a hot summer’s day as I drive north from Merthyr Tydfil to the start my walk from the lonely moorland car park at Glasfynydd on the Powys/Carmarthenshire border. The low cloud is soon melting away and being replaced by a penetrating sun.
Donning my boots, three minibuses full of raw soldier recruits turn up and are given their orders to be back by 14.30 hours. It appears to be a map reading exercise and they are soon off setting out in different directions. I’m setting off by heading west along the moorland road following two of the female groups. The first group soon leave the road to veer off to the left only to return to the road well behind me. The second group I eventually catch up and it seems clear that they were a bit lost so I intervene. They are looking for a check point but have already gone too far. I point them back the way they came and they are most grateful, calling me ‘sir’.
The lower slopes of the ascent up to Waun Lefrith. Initially a good track but this disappears. 
Path improvements on the western slopes of Fan Brychieniog.
Meanwhile, my plan is to head southwest along the edge of the moor and somehow get down join a path near Blaenllechach Farm. My plan doesn’t work as there is no connection from the moor and the farm and being occupied it isn’t worth the trespass. Out of sight of the farm, my next plan is to cut across fields to join the path further on and after scaling two fences I end up in a field with cows and calves. I can see the path I want but a herd of cattle are blocking the way. In the end I opt to re-cross a fence and follow the edge of the moorland around to the next valley and in any case the going underfoot along the moorland edge is easy. I skirt around the spur of Mynydd y Llan and drop steeply down to the next valley and at least there is a stile at the foot. I now follow a lane in the hot sunshine and in many ways I am glad that the early morning low cloud has burnt off the hills as I want good weather for this walk having had disappointments before in this area. The lane becomes a track and skirts around a fish hatchery.
Beyond the last farm I cross the stream on stepping stones below the car park and thankfully the water is low. A track leads uphill but this disappears after rounding a left hand bend. It is now open moorland to follow, to reach Waun Lefrith the first summit. The Beacons Way marked on the map follows this route but there is no sign of it on the ground. It’s proving a hot toil and I am glad of any breeze. Nearing the escarpment I pick up a path and this is a lovely spot to stop for a picnic lunch insomuch I could sit there for hours. During lunch I spot a helicopter in the distance delivering stone for path improvements on Fan Brychieniog and this might mean a diversion for me as I near that location.
Setting off, an exciting ridge lies ahead, high above Llyn y Fan Fach as mentioned earlier as being famous for the Welsh myth of the Lady of the Lake. On my walk to Picws Du 749 metres, I pass a couple having a picnic and after a brief pause on the summit I descend east to the col before making directly to the summit of Fan Brycheiniog and passing two other walkers on the way. By now I am very close to the helicopter operation which is making round trips every four minutes carrying bags of stone from the minor road some two miles to the east. It is impressive to see it climb up over the mountain ridge and suddenly appear nearby as it skims just over the ridge. Reaching the trig point (802 metres) I rest awhile.
Despite the heat haze I am thankful that I had at long last got a view from this mountain having had many misty encounters in the past. My route now takes me under the low flight path of the helicopter and so I will need to time it. As it happens, a walker is coming towards me and the next two fly pass are much higher. I again pause on the northern spur and survey my route ahead across the moor. Although not the highest point in the area, this is the ‘county top’ of Carmarthenshire. A path is shown on the map but again it seems to disappear once off the slope. I set a course across the moor aiming for the corner of a forest block in the far distance. The going is easy underfoot and I make good progress over the next two miles, later picking up a path where intended. I later enter the forest of Mynydd Wysg and take a forest track where forestry operations are just finishing for the day and it is then only a short walk back to the car.
The 802 metre summit of Fan Brychieniog and what a viewpoint!
This helicopter was making many round trips carrying stone from a minor road about two miles away to the western slope of Fan Brycheiniog and was skimming over the summit ridge every four minutes.
The route down. I was heading for the forest in the middle distance and the walking was good and firm the whole way. This view looks north from the northern rim of Fan Brycheiniog.
The view back to Fan Brycheiniog. I had descended from the spur nearest. The end to a perfect day.
