Storey Arms end of day 15

Tuesday: 10 miles / 2700 feet of ascent from Danywenallt YHA to Storey Arms completed at end of 15th day of walking. Weather mostly cloudy with sunny intervals throughout the day and occasional short light showers late morning. Camping at Danywenallt was in an Orchard under a tree which kept the tent mostly dry during a short morning rain shower while I was having breakfast. Evening meal, breakfast and packed lunch as well as the welcome at Danywenallt were excellent.

After leisurely breakfast, striking camp and chatting to fellow hostellers started walking at 10:00. Danywenallt is a Brecon Beacons National Park study centre as well as YHA. It is extensive with all usual hostel facilities located just below Dam of Talybont Reservoir. Walk out took me past the reservoir water treatment works. There were vans outside and door was open so I walked in, and got permission to look around. Discovered it was built 1935-37 to provide water to Newport and towns en route. I was told there is an extensive Victorian Water main which links all the water treatment works to towns. One of the photographs is of a graphic illustrating this.

After walking across the valley I had a long 3 hour, 3 mile hike ascending 2000ft up Twyn Du to the start of traverse across the Beacons. Passed my first hikers on this section, a couple with 2 small dogs. They had been drenched on the mountain tops to the south, I was lucky to miss the same soaking. At the top of Twyn Du was a splendidly constructed cairn called Carn Pica shown in photograph 3.

Once on the top going was relatively level and easy with simple navigation but south westerly wind increased considerably once I creasted the top. It was strong enough at times to halt my forward progress. Waun Rydd began with lots of walking around sections to avoid deep mud / bog followed by a section of laid gravel. I passed a platoon of Marines here on exercise in full kit all carrying their guns with the yellow safety fittings on the muzzules.

Turning SW then West onto Bwlch y Ddwyallt the path surface had worn down into a trench to the base rock. The resulting broken rock surface slowed my pace. This same surface continued onto SSW Craig Cwarell which curved NW onto Craig Cwmoergwm. The vertical drop up to this point gave way mid way along to a nirth facing lower section where I was able to descend 20 feet to shelter from the southerly wind for lunch.

At Bwlch ar yr Fan a Roman Road from a car park to the south, joins the East - West traverse I was on. On the section from here past Cribyn, Pen y Fan (Cambrian Way check point 12) and Corn Du I met 8 more hikers reflecting the ease of access from the car park. On my ascent up Pen y Fan I entered cloud for the first time today. I had seen cloud in the distance over peaks often today but it had always cleared by the time I had ascended the peak. Once passed Corn Du cloud cleared and crossing over the Bwlch Duwynt onto the final WSW smooth 10ft wide gravelled path down to Storey Arms the wind increased to be even stronger. It was at this point I realised a wild camp was out of the question as a doubted my tent would stay up. The strong wind coupled with forecast of heavy rain all Wednesday resolved me get the bus home from Storey Arms. I walked down to Storey Arms at a gentle pace knowing I had plenty of time until last bus which would take me within a few hundred yards of home. A successful couple of days as I have finally walked the eastern section of the Beacons all joined up. Like many of us, I have walked some of these mountains in the past but this is the first time I got to walk them all and appreciate how they all fit together.Read more