Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the car park at the Storey Arms on the A470. A path climbs the hillside to the summit of Fan Fawr, 734 m, a broad grassy top, with the steep face of the hill falling away to the east and the Beacons, Pen y Fan and Corn Du, across the valley. Fan Fawr, 'great peak', is formed of Old Red Sandstone laid down in the Devonian period and lies in the Fforest Fawr Geopark. The walk returns the same way.
It is 3.4 km with 294 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Moderate.
The climb is steep and the ground is open: the top is exposed to wind and often in cloud, so take a map and compass, and keep well back from the steep eastern edge. Much of the plateau is boggy. Take care crossing the A470 at the start.
The Storey Arms car park charges and is busy at weekends; Pont ar Daf, nearby, is the start of other walks to Pen y Fan.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Fan Fawr, 'great peak', is 734 m high and the parent hill of the Beacons' 886 m Pen y Fan
- It lies in the Fforest Fawr part of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, and in the Fforest Fawr Geopark, designated in 2005
- The hill is formed of Old Red Sandstone laid down in the Devonian period
- The western cwm holds a late-glacial moraine called Cefn Bach, and the steep face on the east overlooks the A470
Summits on the way
- Fan Fawr 734 m
Getting there
Start: Storey Arms car park · Pay and display. 51.87196, -3.47942
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Merthyr Tydfil: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
