Pen y Fan
886 m
United Kingdom
Also known as Пен-и-ВанAlso known as
Пен-и-Ван
- Elevation
- 886 m
- Prominence
- 672 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The shortest and by far the busiest route: from the National Trust car park at Pont ar Daf on the A470 (about 440 m), a wide, stone-pitched path climbs steadily to the col of Bwlch Duwynt, then over or around Corn Du to the summit cairn. About 6.5 km and 450 m of ascent return; 2–2½ hours.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 3.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +469 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 886 m
- Time Up
- 2h 01m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 25m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Pont ar Daf car park (about 440 m) go through the kissing gate, cross the wooden footbridge and follow the broad, stone-pitched path north-east. The first 40 minutes are the steepest; the path is unmistakable and heavily used, hence its nickname 'the Motorway'. It reaches the ridge at Bwlch Duwynt below Corn Du (873 m). The path traverses below Corn Du to the saddle between Corn Du and Pen y Fan; the summit you see ahead on the way up is Corn Du, not Pen y Fan. At the saddle turn right and climb stone steps to the summit plateau. Corn Du can be added as a 15-minute diversion. The summit of Pen y Fan (886 m) is a flat plateau with a rebuilt Bronze Age cairn; the north face falls in steep cliffs to Cwm Llwch and Cwm Sere, so take care near the edge in wind or mist. Return the same way, or make a loop via Corn Du and the Craig Cwm Llwch ridge down to the Storey Arms and back to Pont ar Daf (about 7 km, 2½–3½ hours in total). On fine weekends the car park fills early and the path is crowded; the summit can be cold and very windy even in summer.
Start
Pont ar Daf car park438 m
- T4 (Cardiff–Merthyr Tydfil–Brecon–Newtown) and T14 buses stop at the Storey Arms, about 800 m from Pont ar Daf
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pont ar Daf car park → Pen y Fan | 3.2 | 469 | 21 | 2h 01m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Pont ar Daf car park438 m
National Trust pay car park with toilets and EV chargers; buses stop at the Storey Arms nearby
- Shoulder: Corn Du871 m
- Summit: Pen y Fan886 m
Key Passages
- Stone-pitched 'Motorway' path
- Bwlch Duwynt
- Saddle between Corn Du and Pen y Fan
- North-face escarpment edge
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest point in southern Britain (886 m): a flat-topped sandstone summit at the centre of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) escarpment, with steep north-facing cwms and a rebuilt Bronze Age cairn. Short, well-made paths make it one of the most climbed mountains in the UK.
Pen y Fan and its neighbours Corn Du and Cribyn form a line of flat-topped summits whose north faces drop in steep, layered cliffs into the glacial hollows of Cwm Llwch and Cwm Sere, while their southern slopes fall gently towards the South Wales valleys. The rock is Old Red Sandstone, with the hard Plateau Beds (now Pen y Fan Formation) forming the summit caps. The mountain belongs to the National Trust, which repairs the heavily used paths.
From Pont ar Daf on the A470 a stone-pitched path reaches the top in little more than an hour, so on summer weekends hundreds of people stand on the summit. Quieter and more rewarding approaches come from Cwm Gwdi in the north along Cefn Cwm Llwch, or from the Neuadd reservoirs in the south as part of the horseshoe over Corn Du, Pen y Fan, Cribyn and Fan y Big.
The ease of access is deceptive: the summit is often in cloud, wind chill is severe in winter, and the north-face edges are steep. The mountain is also used for military training, including UK Special Forces selection marches.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for 450–700 m of ascent and 2–6 hours of walking, depending on the route, is all that is needed in summer; the Pont ar Daf path suits newcomers to hillwalking. Take full waterproofs and warm layers whatever the forecast in the valley, a map (OS Explorer OL12) and compass for the plateau in cloud, and keep away from the north-face edges in strong wind.
In winter the pitched paths ice over and the escarpment can carry snow and cornices; microspikes are useful on the Motorway and an ice axe and crampons on the northern routes. Arrive early at weekends, or use the T4 bus to the Storey Arms. For a fuller day, the horseshoe from the Neuadd reservoirs (about 16 km) or from Cwm Gwdi takes in Corn Du, Cribyn and Fan y Big.
History
The summit cairn is a Bronze Age burial cairn with a central stone cist; it was rebuilt and the cist now holds the National Trust marker. The name means roughly 'top of the peak' (pen 'head', y 'the', fan from ban 'peak'); historically the mountain was called the Brecknock Beacon, and with Corn Du was known as Cadair Arthur, 'Arthur's Seat'. On 4 August 1900 five-year-old Tommy Jones became lost walking to Login farm in Cwm Llwch; his body was found 29 days later high on Corn Du, where a granite obelisk now stands. In July 2013 three army reservists died of heat illness during an SAS selection march on the mountain. Pen y Fan lies in the Fforest Fawr Geopark, established in 2005.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow and ice possible; severe wind chill
- Feb
- Winter conditions likely
- Mar
- Variable; late snow on the north faces
- Apr
- Busy at Easter
- May
- Long days, often dry
- Jun
- Long days; start early to avoid crowds
- Jul
- Very busy; heat on the exposed southern slopes
- Aug
- Very busy; car parks full by mid-morning
- Sep
- Often settled, fewer people
- Oct
- Wetter, shorter days
- Nov
- Wet, windy and short days
- Dec
- Winter conditions possible
Access & Permits
- Fees
- National Trust Pont ar Daf car park: GBP 7.50 per car per day (GBP 10 motorhome/minibus, GBP 12 coach); free for National Trust members, Blue Badge holders and motorbikes; pay by machine or JustPark
- National Trust Cwm Gwdi car park: GBP 4 per car (GBP 8 minibus/motorhome)
- Rules
- National Trust car parks: charges apply 24 hours a day and no overnight parking
- Dogs on leads because of livestock
- The area is used for military training; walkers may meet exercising soldiers
- Getting There
Brecon
Cardiff (CWL) or Bristol (BRS)
- T4 (Cardiff–Merthyr Tydfil–Brecon) and T14 buses stop at the Storey Arms on the A470, about 800 m from Pont ar Daf
- Rail to Merthyr Tydfil (12 miles) or Abergavenny, then bus
- By car: A470 between Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon for Pont ar Daf; narrow lanes from Brecon for Cwm Gwdi
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure