Martin Zuther - 2025-03 - Brecon Beacons

Mileage:	3 activities, 52.6 km, 1.2 km↑ (DLOG)
Description:	I attended a Hill and Moorland Leader training in the Brecon Beacons. As it was my first time in Wales, I added a few days to get to know the country.

Walking, Solo, 3-5 hours
15.1 km, 200 m↑, 230 m↓
Clear - sunny - good visibility / Gentle breeze (DLOG)

Hill   Flagged  
Walking, Solo, 5-8 hours
16.2 km, 270 m↑, 250 m↓
Partially cloudy / Moderate wind (DLOG)

Location and role:	Wales, Brecon Beacons. Moorland around Fan Fawr. Solo walker.
Activity and conditions:	Planned to get to moorland via a bridle way. There was not even a path, so the adventure began much earlier. Had to change my plans again as I could not pass some marshes (and one cairn I was searching lay hidden in them). The bridle way on my return leg also did not exist.
Decisions and experience:	Learned to take the small blue icon on OS maps for marshes more seriously. Found bunkhouses and a road which did not appear on the map. Evaluated accuracy of timing and pacing. Flatter hill tops did not work as intermediate bearings. In contrast, small bushes and tufts of grass worked astonishingly well for bearings. Learned to recognise (and walk around) skylarks.

Mountain   Hill  
Mountain Walking, Solo, 5-8 hours
21.3 km, 690 m↑, 800 m↓
Clear - sunny - good visibility / Strong wind (DLOG)

Location and role:	Wales, Brecon Beacons. Ridge leading to “Pen y Fan”. Solo walker.
Activity and conditions:	Some navigation training, followed by nice traverse via small paths on ridges. Was completely alone until I reached Pen y Fan, where I met the “Instagram caravan”. Returned via byways. Severe wind chill on the mountains.
Decisions and experience:	Started later than usual to allow wind to decrease. Climbed mountain using a bearing, starting from gate which was missing on the map - and hit plateau straight away. Learned lesson that the length of improvised walks must be planned more accurately if buses only run every two hours.