What and where is Pen y Fan?

At 886m/2,907ft, Pen y Fan is the highest peak in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, and the biggest mountain in South Wales – making it the highest point in southern Britain. The name translates roughly as ‘top or head of the peak’, and its distinctive flat-topped summit, with steep crags on its northern flanks, gives it an unmistakable silhouette.

It’s a popular mountain. This is understandable, since Pen y Fan boasts relatively easy access from the A470, clear paths to the top and panoramic views that stretch for nearly 130km/80 miles in all directions on the clearest days. Unsurprisingly, that makes it one of the busiest peaks in Wales, with the main paths seeing significant numbers of visitors year-round – which is why we’ve put together this guide, to disperse footfall and help you avoid the crowds via several route options.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Pen y Fan (‘Pen-uh-van’), meaning: ‘top of the peak’.
• Height: 886m/2,907ft.
• Typical climb time: 3-4 hours there and back via the shortest route.
• Difficulty: Moderate – achievable for reasonably fit walkers with no prior mountain experience.

Need to know

Weather on Pen y Fan can turn quickly, and the exposed summit ridge is notably colder and windier than the valleys below – conditions that catch out walkers who treat it as a straightforward day out. Always check dedicated mountain forecasts (MWIS and the Met Office) before setting off, and be ready to turn back if conditions deteriorate.

What to wear

• Sturdy, comfortable and waterproof trail shoes or walking boots, with good grip
• Walking trousers or shorts and a wicking baselayer top (avoid cotton T-shirts and jeans)
• Warm layer (fleece or insulated jacket), hat and gloves

What to bring

• Comfortable daypack
• Waterproof jacket and overtrousers
• Packed lunch, snacks and at least 1 litre of water
• Head torch, first-aid kit and safety whistle
• Fully charged phone (but don’t rely on signal)
• Paper map and compass

Pen y Fan is a living, working landscape – sheep graze widely across the hillsides, so keep dogs under close control at all times. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for police, then mountain rescue. Also register your phone with the emergency SMS service beforehand (text the word ‘register’ to 999), which may enable you to get help even if you don’t have a good phone signal. Check out AdventureSmartUK for lots of advice on staying safe, and respect the environment by following the Countryside Code.

Distance: 12.9km/8 miles
Duration: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Leisurely

To take in these magnificent peaks without tackling the climb – or when the weather rules out getting up high – the Taff Trail offers a gentler alternative. This popular walking and cycling route meanders between Cardiff and Brecon along disused railway lines, riverside paths and forest tracks, with the stretch between Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon passing sparkling reservoirs, tumbling waterfalls and the grassy lower flanks of the main summits.

The easiest approach is to catch a bus from Brecon or Libanus (where you’ll find the National Park Visitor Centre) to Storey Arms, then walk back – a gentle route that still delivers superb views of Corn Du and Pen y Fan rising above the forest, without a single steep ascent. It’s an ideal option for young families and less-confident walkers, or simply for a change of pace after tackling the summit on a previous visit.

Distance: 6.5km/4 miles
Duration: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Leisurely to moderate

The simplest route up Pen y Fan is also by far the most popular – not least because it starts from the convenient National Trust car park at Pont ar Daf (LD3 8NL) on the A470. Rising visitor numbers led to the car park being expanded in 2022, with improved toilets and visitor facilities. As an alternative to driving, consider using the regular buses between Newtown and Merthyr that stop at the Storey Arms nearby.

You shouldn’t get lost on this well-worn path, but there is about 450m/1,476ft of ascent to negotiate. From the car park, a clear trail climbs steadily to Corn Du, an 873m/2,864ft summit just south-west of Pen y Fan and topped by a Bronze Age burial cairn. Corn Du yields breathtaking views across the valley of Cwm Llwch and west across the wider range – reason enough not to bypass it. From here, follow the ridge down to the saddle, then up again to the National Trust’s summit marker cairn on Pen y Fan itself – a justifiably popular spot for photos. Return the same way for a round trip of about four miles.

Distance: 7.2km/4½ miles
Duration: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

Although there was once a coaching inn here, today Storey Arms (LD3 8NL) is an outdoor education and activity centre a little north of Pont ar Daf, at the highest point on the A470 between Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon. It’s also the starting point for another accessible route up Corn Du and Pen y Fan, part of the long-distance Cambrian Way, and slightly quieter than the Pont ar Daf path.

The route loses a little height early on before climbing the hillside to the ridge north-west of Corn Du, where a prominent obelisk comes into view. This memorial commemorates Tommy Jones, a five-year-old boy who died after getting lost on the mountain in 1900 – a sobering reminder of how quickly this landscape can turn serious. It overlooks Llyn Cwm Llwch, a small glacial lake that’s a popular spot for picnics (and, for the hardy, a wild swim). From the obelisk, the views are uplifting, stretching north towards Brecon. Turn right along the ridge (Craig Cwm Llwch) to Corn Du, then continue to Pen y Fan. Return the same way, or descend to Pont ar Daf and walk the path parallel to the A470 to get back to the Storey Arms.

Distance: 8-12.9km/5-8 miles (route dependent)
Duration: 4-5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

Approach from the north via Cwm Gwdi (LD3 8LE) for a quieter hike – albeit a more demanding one. This former military camp, where soldiers slept as recently as the 1960s, is now the site of a smaller National Trust car park just south of Brecon – a useful alternative when the western car parks are busy.

From here, a grassy track leads past the remains of a military firing range and disused quarries, continuing south and up onto the ridge known as Cefn Cwm Llwch. As the gradient eases, look back north for dramatic views towards Brecon, before the going steepens noticeably on the final push to the summit – a good excuse to pause and admire Cribyn, the fourth-highest peak in the range (at 795m/2,608ft), rising to the east.

A series of parallel ridges fans out north from the Pen y Fan massif, offering several ways back down to Cwm Gwdi. Retrace your steps for a straightforward 8km/5-mile out-and-back, continue west to Corn Du and descend past Llyn Cwm Llwch for a 12.9km/8-mile loop, or follow the escarpment east to Cribyn and back via the Bryn Teg ridge for a slightly shorter 11.3km/7-mile circuit.

Distance: 16km/10 miles
Duration: 6-7 hours
Difficulty: Challenging

Tick off four great peaks on this demanding and dramatic horseshoe circuit, sometimes called the ‘Pen y Fan horseshoe’. Start from any of the small gravel car parks in Taf Fechan Forest, north of Merthyr Tydfil – note that spaces here are limited, so arrive early. Prepare for a stiff climb from the outset: the hike up to the Graig Fan Ddu ridge is breathless in more ways than one, with Corn Du, Pen y Fan, Cribyn and Fan y Big appearing in a row across the wide glacial valley.

At the end of the ridge, join the Pont ar Daf path for the final climb up Corn Du, then continue east to tick off the remaining summits via a series of steep drops and climbs. At 719m, Fan y Big is the lowest of the four, but its famous ‘diving board’ rock provides some of the most thrilling photo opportunities in the national park. Return to the previous pass and follow the Gap track – believed to be an old Roman road – back down to the car park. Round off the day at the Old Barn Tea Room at Ystradgynwyn, Torpantau, near the head of Pentwyn Reservoir.