Six - Powys - Pen y Fan - The Top Peak - Brecon Beacons (886m)

After a hiatus of several months decided that we needed to finish 2016 on a high note, so climbed to the top of Pen y Fan - 886 metres - the highest point in the whole of southern Great Britain (south of Cadair Idris). The actual ascent is 530m. It was a glorious day, and the fog which the forecasters had been muttering darkly about had burnt off by the time we rocked up at 11:00. Due to time restrictions we picked the classic Storey Arms starting point - such an excellent idea that the entirety of South Wales seemed to have had it too, and as we set off from the jam-packed car park at Pont ar Daf it felt as though we were back doing the Christmas shopping in a jumble of kids, dogs and bobble hats. However, the path is wide and has been stone pitched by the National Trust to accommodate the heavy pedestrian traffic, and we made good time up to Bwlch Duwynt (“Windy Pass”) . This is one possible route for the notorious military selection “Fan Dance” – the difference being that they get 30 kg packs to carry and mine contained just lunch.

Pen y Fan (left), with Corn Du on the right

The ridge to the right (Craig Gwaun Taff) looked tempting, but we saved that for another day and set off round the right (southern) side of Corn Ddu and up to the table top summit of Pen Y Fan where an orderly queue had formed ( so British!) to take photos of friends and family on the top of the cairn. Like Fan Foel, this was also a Bronze Age Burial Chamber, and Taffy gave it his usual mark of respect by peeing on it. From here we walked across the saddle of the ridge to the top of Corn Ddu , but as we came back down we forked away to the right and immediately lost the crowds.

Julie - at 886m - highest person in southern
 Great Britain.



A bit busy at the top! Queuing for the obligatory
 photo by the summit sign.

This route took us past a small Obelisk which was raised as a memorial to five year old Tommy Jones who died after becoming lost on the Beacons in 1900, and then onwards. We then looped round and back down to the Storey Arms car park, following (and occasionally not quite following) a combination of paths made up of bog, tussocks, tyre tracks and skid marks. Which makes it sound worse than it was – no one fell over and the isolation was splendid. 

Obelisk - Memorial to Tommy Jones

No pub this time as we had a bit of long drive home, but we did have some salmon and cream cheese and gammon and avocado wraps which seemed to have survived the yomp quite well.

Five - Carmarthenshire - Fan Foel - The Black Mountain, Brecon Beacons (781m)

After a foggy start, the mist started to clear, and the hike to the top was in a hot sun. Wow- what an amazing walk! We’d never heard of this one, and if it hadn’t been for our challenge/ project/ blog we’d never have found it. Even the youngest member of our backup team, who claims to be underwhelmed by views and only walks to be sociable, was impressed.
We set off, rather unconventionally, from a little lay-by at the end of the road beyond Llanddeusant. Most people continue along the Welsh Water track to the car park, but this enabled us to join the Beacons Way path early on and follow the side of the Garwnant stream up the grassy side of the mountain. It’s quite a steep climb to the top, but as we rounded the side of the hill at about 600m, in glorious sunshine, we could see Llyn y Fan Fach sparkling below us, with the land stretching up out of it. (A debate ensues between me and our Welsh speaking companion about the correct pronunciation of “Llyn” – only resorting to further research has revealed that it’s “LLinn”.)



Reservoir at Llyn y Fan Fach with Fan Foel in
the distance

From here we followed the Brecons Way around the top of the ridge above the lake to Picws Du, which is the second highest of the Carmarthen Fans, and where there are yet more stunning views, right down ( arghh!.. didn’t see that coming – need to be more careful checking those contour lines) to the stream and back up to the spur of Fan Foel , our goal at 781m. At the top is a rather unassuming slab of rock, which is actually a Bronze Age burial cairn, and a lot of flies.


Small cairn (of sorts) at highest point in
Carmarthenshire (781m) - Fan Foel

Just a little way along you can stride across into Powys ( Brecknockshire) to the slightly higher peak ( 802 m) of Fan Brycheiniog , so it seemed rude not to – plus we also got to see Llyn y Fan Fach’s big sister Llyn y Fan Fawr from the summit. There’s a little round stone shelter up there which must be very welcome on a cold windy day. “Kettle’s boiling!” chirped a lady sitting in there - but it wasn’t.


Trig point at Fan Brycheiniog is higher at 802m,
but just outside the Carmarthenshire border

The route back retraced our steps as far as the Afon Sychlwych , at which point we balked at climbing back up the path to the ridge and instead followed the stream back down to where it meets the Water Board track and some lovely little pools. The track took us back to the car park, and beyond this to the road where we’d parked. At this point we were seriously in need of a pint – only 1 of the 4 pubs in Llangadog was open, but that was fine – and there was a bowl of water for Taffy too.


Looking back at Fan Foel on the track back down

Four - Pembrokeshire - Foel Cwmcerwyn (536m)

Source of the Preseli Bluestones used to construct Stonehenge. This is our own stomping ground so we’ve dragged the little Peaksters up here in the past when they were tiny, and wearing matching pink welly boots. Did feel a twinge of guilt about that on the way up this time – it’s not a long hike up from the carpark at the base of Foel Eryr, but it is steep. ( A better walk might have been to climb up from Rosebush, but we were in need of something a bit quicker (and dirtier ?!) today.) It’s also quite tricksy under foot in places, and I never manage it without getting a “socker” – at least one wet, black boggy foot.  


Looking back towards the Gwuan Valley and
Newport Mountain

The first bit of the walk is part of the incredible “Golden Road” which crosses the Preseli ridge to Foeldrygarn on an ancient Neolithic route to and from Ireland. Maps show the path following the treeline for part of the walk, but the pesky foresters keep cutting the trees down which can be a bit disorientating. We then veer off South to the peak at 536m, which is a prehistoric tumuli, or burial site. Although 6 miles from the sea, it lies within the borders of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and there are views down to Newport and Fishguard in the North.  

Taffy romping ahead on the path to the summit


Today we walk up in a howling gale, and as I admire the view something small and black bowls past my head at speed and disappears from view. It turned out to be W’s camera lens cap, and despite a lot of scrabbling about in the cotton grass we didn’t manage to find it.

Trig point on top of Foel Cwmcerwyn.
(Rosebush Reservoir in distance).


Quite happy to yomp back down again and drive into the village for a cheeky pint of Cwrw in the beer garden / ”railway station” at the excellent Tafarn Sinc pub.

Tavern Sinc pub in Rosebush. (Someone needs
to find a bucket & sponge)!



Replica station at Tavern Sinc pub
(complete with recorded train sounds)!

Three - Norfolk - Beacon Hill, West Runton (105m)

Normal for Norfolk.......

High point (102 metres) shown as being actually at the crossroad,
although flagpole must be within a few inches of it.



Wildflower-foreground-action in attempt to add some interest to a dull location!



GPS position on Memory Map (OS 1:250k scale)

Two - Derbyshire - Kinder Scout (636m)

"I'm a rambler, I'm a rambler, from Manchester way....."

At the top of the ascent from Edale along Grindsbrook stream.



Taffy, our intrepid Border Terrier after a quick drink from the stream on the way up. 

The trig point at Kinder Low. The very highest point, a couple of metres higher than this is unmarked in the middle of a peat bog about quarter of a mile out of shot to the right of this. Moments later, the heavens opened, and the visibility went down to 50 yards as the mist descended on us.



The trig point at Kinder Low.

To make a round trip we followed the Penine Way on the way back. By the time we reached Jacobs ladder on the return to Edale, the weather had dried up a little.



Top of Jacob's Ladder.

Cast-iron Public Footpath sign (dated 1939). A direct result  of the  successful public mass trespass onto Kinder Scout earlier in that decade (complete with violent scuffles between the working classes of Manchester and the game keepers and land owners, bringing about the birth of the national parks and the right-to-roam.

Cast-iron Public Footpath sign (dated 1939). 

Finally down back into Edale and a pint and a sandwich at the Nags Head (official start of the Pennine Way). By this time the sun had actually ventured out!

One - Nottinghamshire - Silverhill / Newtonwood Lane (205m)

Not the most auspicious of starts to the challenge.



This must be the place!




Communication tower on top of brow of hill.

Security compound. The highest point is on the covered reservoir directly behind railings apparently.



Security fence around covered reservoir

Off to find the alternative highest point in the county.

Notts County Council sign declaring Silverhill to be highest point in the County.

Silverhill Colliery.

Approaching the top.

Plaque to former mine workers.

"Testing for Gas" sculpture.

Close up of miner and safety lamp.











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