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Corn Du

Very similar in shape and height, this summit is Pen y Fan's twin. Rather than treating them as separate summits, it's more appropriate to think of them a single twin-peaked summit, as they were in the past. In 1188, Gerald referred to it as Cadair Arthur, "so called from the two peaks rising up in the form of a chair". Later sources give the name as "the Van" or Bannau Brycheiniog, "alluding to its two peaks".
Carries the remains of an ancient burial cairn, excavated in 1978. The cairn covered a cist which had been robbed, probably in the late nineteenth century and no traces of a burial or artefacts survived. Radio carbon dating established an early Bronze age date for the cairn, about 1800BC.

Pen-y-Fan

The highest summit in the Beacons, distinctively shaped and recognisable thoughout the whole area. The north-east face is the highest and most dramatic in the Beacons, but is perhaps marred by the lack of a lake at it's base. Pen y Fan's worst feature is the number of visitors it attracts and the wide path, "the motorway" that they have created. Relatively speaking, this is the third highest summit in Wales. One of the highest mountains of the Old Red Sandstone in the British Isles. The panorama from the summit, as would be expected, is extensive. On a clear day it is possible to pick out the Somerset Hills and the cost of Devon. The summit carries an ancient burial cairn surmounted by a trig pillar.

Y Garn

The most tedious and pointless summit in the whole area. No redeeming features whatsoever - flat, rounded, grassy and boring. A minor plus point is that it's easily accessible from Storey Arms enroute to Corn Du. The cairn is to the east of the true summit which is unmarked.

Getting There

Being edited

Route Description

Group: Brecon Beacons
Number of summits: 3
Time required: 3� hours
Map: OS 1:25,000 Outdoor Leisure Sheet 11
Start: at 987198 � Pont ar Daf car park
Parking: car park at the start of the route
Nearest center: Brecon (14km)

To the south of the car park toilet block take the path between the conifers, pass through the gate and cross the stream, the Blaen taf Fawr. Continue along the path, pass the National Trust plaque, which commemorates the gift of the Brecon beacons to the national trust by the Eagle star Insurance company in 1965. Cross the mountainside to the pass, Bwlch Duwynt, where the landscape to the east is revealed. Then head north-east, keep to the level path and after about 600m , at the junction , continue forward to Pen-Y-Fan, the first summit. Go back to the junction, keep right and ascend to the second summit, Corn Du. Drop down north west and follow the path along the scarp edge. After about 500m, bear left at the fork, pass the Tommy Jones Obelisk and continue downslope. Cross the junction to the fence, turn left and follow the fence to the third and final summit , Y-Garn

Essential Gear

Just a good pair of boots, waterproofs and some lunch. If walking in winter make sure you also carry an ice axe and crampons.

Maps

Extract from the Ordnance Survey 1:50k map of the Brecon Beacons

Navigation Maps

OS 1:25k Explorer Series OL 12 Brecon Beacons National Park / Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog
OS 1:50k Landranger Series 160 Brecon Beacons / Bannau Brycheiniog
Harvey Map Services Superwalker 1:25k Brecon Beacons: Brecon Beacons East
Harvey Map Map Services 1:40k Walkers Map: Brecon Beacons

Road Maps

OS Road Map 9 Wales/Cymru & West Midlands

Guidebooks

Brecon Beacons (Official National Park Guide) by Roger Thomas and Harry Williams
The Mountains of England and Wales: Volume 1 Wales (Cicerone Guide) by John and Anne Nuttall
Hillwalking in Wales Vol 1 (Cicerone Guide) by Peter Hermon
Hillwalking in Wales Vol 2(Cicerone Guide) by Peter Hermon
The Brecon Beacons: Walker's Interpretation Guide (Cicerone Guide) by Andrew Davies and David Whittaker
Backpacker's Britain � Wales (Cicerone Guide) by Graham Uney
Circular Walks in the Brecon Beacons National Park (Walks with History) by Tom Hutton
Classic Walks in the Brecon Beacons National Park by Chris Barber