Given the write off of a year that was 2020 – we managed to squeeze in this epic walk in-between lockdowns at the beginning of December.
As I’m sure you can all imagine, chasing sunrises at Pen y Fan called for a very early wake up call. But, I can hand on heart say, it was worth every second. For those of you who don’t know, Pen y Fan stands at 886m above sea level and is the highest summit in South Wales… and we wanted to reach the top before sunrise!
We headed to the Brecon Beacons and parked by the “Storey Arms Education Centre” car park where we started our ascent for Pen y Fan at around 5.30am. Needless to say, be sure to wrap up warm and pack some torches – as it was pitch black and bitter cold. It would probably be useful and safer if you have already practiced the route first in the day time before attempting the sunrise walk – as the entire walk is in darkness as I’m sure you can imagine. Between us, we had walked Pen y Fan a number of times and so we had a solid route in mind and so we knew exactly where to go and what we were doing.
As it happened, we had totally misjudged the timing of our hike (it turns out we were a lot fitter than we gave ourselves credit for and got to the top far quicker than expected), which resulted in us having a pit stop at the top for over an hour whilst we waited for sunrise. Something I always do for a longer than usual hike, is pack some snacks – you never know when you’re going to need them. A hot drink would have been a good idea too – it was minus 2 degrees before we had even reached the summit, but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
There was lots of waiting around at the top, and for a moment, we thought our walk was going to be ruined by the clouds! But we were pleasantly surprised when we were met with the most spectacular views! (I’ll leave the pictures do the talking). After lots of photo’s, posing and simply admiring the views, we started our descent back down the mountain – but this time greeted by far more people who had only started to make their way up after the sun had risen.
To finish off a cold, but unforgettable morning – we went to Sgwd Gwladys, a dog friendly restaurant, just a 25 minute drive away from Pen y Fan. We made sure to book in advance, which I am glad that we did do given how full it was when we arrived! Sgwd Gwladys is located right next to Pontneddfechan waterfalls too (if you fancied another adventure) and also give you the option to make your own breakfast too – just what you need after an early morning wake up call and a morning spent in freezing cold temperatures.
So to summarise:
- Check the weather before hand. The weather can change quite quickly whilst climbing the mountain, and you want to try and plan for a clear morning. You also want to dress for any occasion, rain, shine, frost, or snow! Anything can happen.
- Know your dog – there are often wild ponies and sheep wandering the Beacons, so be sure to keep your dog under control. There are also a few unexpected drops and cliff edges the higher you climb, so it’s probably a good idea to keep your dog on a lead here. As expected, there aren’t any bins as you climb the mountain, so be prepared to carry your poo bags with you!
- Be organised! Remember to tell somebody where you are going and when you plan to be back. You don’t always get signal up mountains and you never know when you might need the help!
- Dress sensibly – as mentioned, a good pair of hiking boots, and clothes for all weather is the best way forward.
- Pack your essentials – torches, a compass and map if needed, hot flasks, snacks etc.
Say Hello To Cooper... 