Talybont & Bwlch ar y Fan, Brecon Beacons
By James Murnaghan

Physical	Technical	Fun	Scenery	Singletrack	Rideability
****	***	****	*****	***	****

Photo courtesy of Carl Ryan

This ride takes in some of the best riding and views in the Brecon Beacons with a good mix of long climbs, semi technical and speedy descents, some road blasts and some fantastic scenery if the weather is good enough. When I rode this route back in the summer of 2000 it was misty throughout making the ride more of a navigational challenge than a scenic ride however I am assured that the scenery is excellent and some of the photos are taken by Carl Ryan who has ridden part of the route in better weather.

The terrain on this ride is varied, with a fairly hard packed trail to start with on the long climb up parallel with the Talybont Reservoir. On reaching the top you have some moorland and marshy terrain along with a host of quarrying debris. After descending from the moorland there is a long tarmac slog alongside the Pontsticill and Pentwyn Reservoirs before a short section of forest track. The climb of Bwlch ar y Fan then ensues with a long and rocky climb at a reasonably gentle gradient followed by a enjoyable stone and grass descent after the initial boulders. Finally, another tarmac slog.

Photo courtesy of Carl Ryan

The greatest navigational challenges can be found at point 10.4km where the path you need to follow is not the quarry road but a small and indistinct path to its right with crosses the grassy moorland, on a misty day it may be wise to consider using a compass for this section. Once you have established the path you need to follow you can enjoy this gentle but speedy descent. Remember to veer left at the first fork and left when you get to 13.1km where you will need to locate an iron gate, at the time I rode it there were two unlikely looking gates, however, the small iron one in a dip is the correct one.

Points of interest on the ride include the disused reservoir at 23km and the impressive view down the Cwm Cynwyn valley at 25.8km.

This ride takes you far on to the bleak moors of the Brecon Beacons as well as up on to one of the higher mountains in the area, therefore you will need to be prepared for bad weather. It is likely that the weather in the valley will not be mirrored on the moor or mountain top. Good waterproof clothing, a reliable map and a compass are advised, as low cloud and mist are prevalent in this area.

Route Directions

1. 0km Begin outside the White Hart PH and turn up the Taff Trail behind the pub on a steep bridge over the canal
2. 0.1km Follow the tree lined path up the hillside.
3. 0.5km Continue up the hillside on the tree lined path when the Taff Trail drops away to the right.
4. 5.2km Having been climbing for some time you should reach a final steep section, after which you join a wide track on the hilltop, follow this for 1.5km until you reach Pen Bwlch Glascwm.
5. 7.5km On reaching a narrow gorge at Pen Bwlch Glascwm follow the track up a short climb and veer left at the fork of paths.
6. 8.2km The track becomes indistinct but keep following what you can make out of it, aiming 50M left of the grassy summit up ahead.
7. 9.9km Continue on this heading until you reach the quarry where you should turn right on to the quarry road which will climb around to the left.
8. 10.0km Follow the quarry road to a triangle, veer right and follow it for a further 150 M until a grassy track veers off to the right.
9. 10.4km Take this track, which can be indistinct at times, across the grassy moors keeping left where a track veers off on the right.
10. 13.1km On reaching a small enclosed wooded copse on you right you should follow another indistinct track down to the wall where you will find a small iron gate. This is easy to miss; the photo below may help you find your bearings as it was taken at this point.
11. 13.2km Ride down the path from the gate steeply down the valley and under the railway.
12. 14.1km Turn right at the road and follow it round to the reservoir dam, cross the dam and turn right at the road junction on the other side.
13. 15.2km Follow this road all the way to the turning for Ystradgynwyn
14. 19.6km Follow the road through Ystradgynwyn and up through the forest as far as the forest track on the left which follows the lower tree line of the mature trees.
15. 20.6km Follow this track, with a new plantation below you on the hillside. You should be traversing the hillside and not descending.
16. 22.2km On reaching the road, join it for 50M before veering off road again to your right.
17. 22.3km Follow this rocky track until you reach the summit of Bwlch ar y Fan. During the ascent take care of the steep stream gorge.
18. 25.8km On reaching the summit, take the obvious continuation of the path which you are on. This descends gradually around the edge of the Nant Cynwyn valley. Giving you an excellent opportunity to enjoy the scenery and some fantastic riding.
19. 29.0km Pass through the gate at the bottom and follow a tree lined track for 200M to the start of the road, from this point you can choose either to take the track directly ahead or the road.
20. ~30.8km Whichever option you choose you will eventually rejoin a minor road that crosses Nant Sere, turn right here followed by a left shortly before reaching the hamlet of Pannau.
21. ~33km At the following road junction, take the right fork towards Llanfrynach.
22. ~34.5km While passing through Llanfrynach on the main road, turn first right and follow this minor road to Pencelli.
23. ~36.5km At Pencelli, join the main road and follow it in an South Easterly direction towards Talybont.

Total Distance - 41km / 26 Miles
Duration - 3 - 5 hours
Difficulty - Hard
Map - Harvey Maps 1:25 000 Superwalker map "Brecon Beacons East"

Photo by James Murnaghan

Getting there

Talybont is easily approached from Brecon in the West or Abergavenny in the East along the A40(T). Parking can be found in the main street through Talybont.

Recently there have been problems with bikers parking in the Pub Car parks and then not even visiting the pubs. Please don't abuse the parking provided by local businesses and perhaps consider staring the route at a different point, for example Pontsticill or the forest carparks in the second half of the route. The nearest Rail station is in Abergavenny where there are regular trains from central and southern Wales.

Staying there

The nearest Youth Hostel can be found in Brecon. Hobo's backpackers hostel can be found in Tredegar just down the road http://www.hobo-backpackers.co.uk Brecon also has a host of other accommodation options, for more information call the Brecon Tourist Office on 01874 622485

Food & Drink

Very little en-route. Go prepared to find the shops (if there are any) in Pontsticill closed. There is a post office / convenince store in Talybont and the White Hart.

Photo by James Murnaghan

Last Updated 20-03-2002
You can contact me at James@OffroadAdventures-Online.co.uk
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