Pen y Garn and a Huge Windfarm

Saturday 14th September 2013 

An evening ascent of Pen y Garn from the south by way of the Ystwyth Forest 

Distance: 8.5km; Ascent: 300m; Sunny; Solo

See tracked route in new window

After my first walk of the day, I drove south from Nant y Moch Reservoir and set off walking from the corner of a minor road near Cwmystwyth at around 5pm.  A footpath led me into the Ystwyth Forest, where I picked up one of the many forest roads and began to gradually ascend.

On one of the forest roads in the Ystwyth Forest

Near the highest point of the forest road, a gap in the trees revealed a good view down into the Nant Rhuddnant gorge, and a short while further on the first wind turbine came into view.

View down to the steep sided Nant Rhuddnant valley

First sighting of a wind turbine

After a few hundred metres I left the main track at a junction where I forked right to begin to ascend up the northern slopes of Pen y Garn.  The wind turbines were now very close and they seemed out of place on this this otherwise remote high moorland.

Cefn Croes Windfarm

Looking north towards Pumlumon from Pen y Garn

I could make out the Pumlumon hills to the north, where I had been walking earlier in the day.  Soon I reached the top of Pen y Garn (Marilyn, Nuttall), where there was a trigpoint together with quite an elaborate windshelter cairn.  The trigpoint also had what looked to be its original OS plug, which I think is the first time I've seen one; pretty much all the other trigpoints I've visited either just had a hole in the top or it had been filled with concrete.

OS trigpoint on Pen y Garn

Elaborate windshelter on Pen y Garn

Pen y Garn trigpoint with the windfarm very close

On the actual summit of Pen y Garn

After a quick rest I visited the actual summit, which seemed to be somewhere near a gate a short distance away from the trigpoint.  There were good views from up here, although they were spoilt somewhat by the Cefn Croes windfarm, the closest turbine of which is only a few hundred metres away from the summit of Pen y Garn.

Lovely light on the descent from Pen y Garn

I descended southwards along the ridge to reach a vehicle track, which I followed down into Cwm Perfedd.  The light on the hills and clouds just before and just after sunset was excellent this evening!  So I spent a while trying to capture the best of it on my camera.  A track through the fields then brought me to the road a few metres away from my start point at around 7:30pm after a pleasant evening walk.

Sunset

Pink clouds over Cwm Perfedd

See also my Social Hiking live map from the walk.

A Round of the Pumlumon Hills in Mid Wales

Saturday 14th September 2013 

A quiet six hour walk on the highest ground in Mid Wales 

Distance: 15.5km; Ascent: 710m; Sunshine and showers; Solo

See tracked route in new window

I had plans for a two day backpack this weekend, possibly staying in one of the MBA bothies south of Pumlumon, but the dreadful weather forecast for Sunday put me off this idea somewhat!  However after studying the map I realised that with a few route modifications I could still just about manage to climb the six hills I had planned for the weekend in just one day: a day walk up the five Pumlumon hills followed by an evening walk up Pen y Garn, so that is what did!

After having driven over from Stockport this morning, my plans were almost thwarted by a road closure but luckily I was still above to reach my planned starting point on the eastern shores of Nant y Moch Reservoir.  I set off walking at around 10:30am and headed SW over rough ground alongside the Nant y Moch stream, before crossing a barbed wire fence at a dilapidated stile and beginning to ascend.

On the way up Y Garn from Nant-y-Moch Reservoir

Nant-y-Moch Reservoir

It was now quite warm so I stopped briefly to change into shorts before continuing my ascent up the grassy slopes of Y Garn with good views back down to Nant y Moch Reservoir and over to Pumlumon Fawr.  Eventually I reached the summit of Y Garn (Nuttall) where I decided to stop for an early lunch.

Summit of Y Garn with Pumlumon in the distance beyond

There were good views from here, especially of the rapidly approaching rain clouds!  After donning my waterproofs I descended eastwards along the undulating ridge with good views in all directions.  I could make out this evening's hill, Pen y Garn, to the south, together with a large windfarm nearby.

Heading east from Y Garn

The Cefn Croes windfarm from the north

Research Equipment from Aberystwyth University

I passed a series of pairs of small circular fences that were apparently something to do with a research project at Aberystwyth University before joining the south ridge of Pumlumon at the forest corner.  I ascended past the only two only walkers I saw today with good views, especially westwards back down to Nant y Moch Reservoir.

Pond on the S ridge of Pumlumon

Nant-y-Moch Resevoir from Pumlumon

At around 1pm I reached the many cairns and the trigpoint on the summit of Pumlumon Fawr (Marilyn, Nuttall) where I stopped for a second lunch break at my highest point for the day.

Large windshelter cairn on Pumlumon Fawr summit

There were excellent views from here, which was to be expected as it's the highest point south of Cadair Idris and north of the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains.  It was a shame however that the view to the south was blighted by the large windfarm at Cefn Croes; and this was certainly not the only windfarm I could see!

On Pumlumon Fawr summit

Pumlumon Fawr summit trigpoint

I descended the steep ground to the NW before the short ascent to the cairn on the summit of Pumlumon Fach (Nuttall).

Summit of Pumlumon Fach

After retracing my steps for a few hundred metres, I took a traversing line above the cliffs overlooking Llyn Llygad Rheidol in the corrie below.

Llyn Llygad Rheidol

Pumlumon Fawr from the east

Once I was on the east ridge of Pumlumon Fawr it was a gentle walk eastwards to reach the grassy summit of Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan (Nuttall).

Summit of Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan

Boundary stone on Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan

A couple of boundary stones indicated the onwards route across the peaty moorland, with a slight drop followed by a bit of ascent to reach the two ancient cairns on the summit of Pen Pumlumon Arwystli (Nuttall).  According to hill-bagging.co.uk, the southerly cairn is the highest so this is the one I choose to stop at for a quick break as another heavy shower arrived.

Ancient cairns on the summit of Pen Pumlumon Arwystli

I retraced my steps for just over a kilometre before picking my way down the steep ground to reach the shores of Llyn Llygad Rheidol, which is another reservoir.

Llyn Llygad Rheidol

Llyn Llygad Rheidol

From the dam I picked up a reasonable vehicle track, which skirted around the north ridge of Pumlumon Fach before gradually descending down to the road a short distance away from my car.  It had been a pleasant walk in what seemed to be a little frequented area of hills.  Now it was time to drive southwards for half an hour to start my second walk of the day: the ascent of Pen y Garn.

See also my Social Hiking live map from the walk.