Bannau Brycheiniog · Hard · There and back

Pen Cerrig-calch and Pen Allt-mawr from Crickhowell

A long there-and-back day from Crickhowell by lanes and a path up the hillside to the limestone-capped top of Pen Cerrig-calch and along the ridge to Pen Allt-mawr, the high Black Mountains above the Usk.

Distance
15.1 km (9.4 mi)
Ascent
725 m
Time
About 5 h 45 min
High point
718 m
Grade
Hard
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Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.

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Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Pen Cerrig-calch and Pen Allt-mawr from Crickhowell
Shaun Ferguson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

The walk starts from the Beaufort Street car park in the middle of Crickhowell. Lanes lead north out of the town and a track and path climb the hillside to the open moor. The path goes up steadily over the moor to the top of Pen Cerrig-calch, 701 m, where a band of limestone outcrops among the Old Red Sandstone and a trig point marks the summit. The ridge then runs on north-west to Pen Allt-mawr, 719 m, with another trig point and ancient cairns, and the views stretch over the Usk valley to the Central Beacons. The way back is the same path.

It is 15.1 km there and back with 725 m of ascent; allow about 6 hours. The grade is Hard, mostly for its length and height.

The tops are open country on access land, exposed to wind and cloud, and the paths are hard to follow in mist. Parts of the moor are wet underfoot. Keep this for a clear day, with a map and compass, warm clothes and food.

Between 1 March and 31 July dogs must be on a lead on open access land, and they should be kept on a short lead near farm animals. The Beaufort Street car park in Crickhowell is a Powys County Council pay and display car park.

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

  • Pen Cerrig-calch means top of the limestone rock: a band of Carboniferous limestone outcrops around its summit, among the Old Red Sandstone of the Black Mountains, and makes a few shakeholes
  • Both Pen Cerrig-calch (701 m) and Pen Allt-mawr (719 m) have a trig point and ancient cairns on the top
  • Crug Hywel, the Iron Age hillfort also called Table Mountain, lies on the south-eastern spur of Pen Cerrig-calch
  • The upper slopes are access land, and the Beacons Way passes along the southern and western slopes

Summits on the way

  • Pen Cerrig-calch 702 m
  • Pen Allt-mawr 720 m

Getting there

Start: Beaufort Street car park, Crickhowell · Pay and display. 51.85870, -3.13580

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Beaufort Street car park: 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.