Pen Y Fan (886m) [P-672]
Summited On: December 19, 2025
Region: Brecon Beacons NP, Powys, Wales, UK
Overview
Pen Y Fan (886m) [P-672] is the highest peak of the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog), situated in the southernmost area of Powys, and crowns the central massif of the range. It is one of only two P-600 mountains in South Wales, and is extremely popular with walkers, mainly due to the relative easy grade of the Via Normale. For many visiting from South Wales and Southwest England it is their first experience of a proper mountain hike. Pen Y Fan (886m) is composed of Devonian period Old Red Sandstone, the mountain features gentle slopes on its Southwest aspects, and is characterized by glacial sculpting dating back to the Ice Age. It is one of the most isolated mountains in the UK and often sees adverse weather from the Atlantic, primarily wetter storms.
Pen Milan (561m).
NW Face of Y Gyrn (619m).
Bagging my first UK P-600 was high on my list this year, and since I’d be returning to Wales after nearly 2 years, it was not a bad idea to give it a shot. While I was aware of the usual unstable conditions at this time of year, I correctly assumed that most adverse weather can be delt with easily on Pen Y Fan (886m) given appropriate equipment and enough time. Heavy rain kept us away from the mountains on Thursday and instead we spent the day in Brecon before attempting Pen Y Fan (886m) the next morning. Find out what there is to do in Brecon, including a lovely museum and great steak pie on the relevant Trip Report, “Wales Christmas 2025”.
Most photos from this story are terrible, but I am still attaching them, and took them originally, with the explicit intention of enabling my reader to feel more immersed into the article.
Route
On Thursday evening, in the warmth of our YHA Brecon Beacons room, I consulted my new OS map and usual online services to finish selecting a route. I would leave the hotel at 04:15, continue to Storey Arms, then join the Via Normale at Pont ar Daf and on to the summit. Hopefully, I would be able to catch a bus back to the YHA Hostel in time for breakfast! At the very least I’d be back no long after Nieve would wake up and we’d have the rest of the day to return to Newport.
At 04:00 the alarm rang, and outside the constant noise of rain had finally subsided. After getting dressed, eating a yoghurt, and smoking a cigarette, I was ready to set off. From the YHA, an obvious gate leads down towards the valley through the downslope field. Continuing onto the next field, I overshot in the darkness, following the route to Brecon Town. After some retracing with my helpful GPS, I found the unmarked turn into the forest. Under the headlamp anything but my immediate surrounding were invisible, and the first bridge crossing proved exhilarating over an unseen waterfall. After a few minutes through the wood the Tarell river was reached, here a wide wooden bridge afforded passage.
Gate at the start of the route.
A dark bridge crossing in the Tarell Valley.
Crossing over to the East bank of the Tarell, the route joins an FSR which skirts around the base of Y Gyrn (619m) and heads towards Storey Arms. The road proved quite pleasant under the clear night sky, and besides a multitude of puddles and plenty of mud it was easy going. I took the opportunity to dim my headlamp and enjoy the limited views; even running into a small white rabbit. In the blink of an eye however, the weather changed and a strong sleet passed through, abating again by the time I reached Storey Arms. It took no more than 45 minutes from the YHA at a brisk pace.
Before continuing to Pont ar Daf, about 500m down the road, I cautiously enjoyed a cigarette in the confines of the weather-proof bus station, spending just enough time to warm up. With the connecting trail closed for maintenance, the A-road shoulder was used instead. I walked across the dark and desolate Pont ar Daf parking lot at 5:30am, just an hour after I started from the YHA.
I was however, not alone, as a singular parked car, occupied by two guys was to be found. I timidly made my way to the info center, the only thing lit at that hour, sat down and had a snack and some water. When the fellas came by I enquired as to their route: “to the top”?. They responded with a unequivocal “to the top!”, and we discussed conditions. I waited for them to get ready and made sure we set off together, we were after all the only people on the mountain at this hour. Finding our way across the carpark, we reached the gate, and with our headtorches lighting the way, crossed the bridge into the mountain.
Wet steps low on Pen Y Fan (886m).
Real 0 visibility in the heavy cloud.
Visibility was good as we gained the first few meters, with the road below illuminated by passing cars. Above us and beyond the limited range of our torches, however, lay an abyssal darkness. Yet, with the company of my two new friends Daniel and Ben, this fact was soon forgotten as pleasant conversation kept us in good spirits. As we ascended, we did so into a dense cloud and progressively lost nearly all visibility. Under the annoying British winter drizzle we couldn’t see more than 5-10m ahead at any given time. Daniel turned off his headlamp to save on charge, I had a bite of my Snickers bar, we pushed on.
Signage at the lower Corn Du pass.
Back into the cloud on the Pen Y Fan (886m) summit ridge.
Before long - about 25 minutes on wide and well laid T1 track - we reached 700m, a critical elevation because above it there are no higher peaks to the South. We expected strong winds (>80kph), and had briefed and layered up about 100 vertical meters below. Breaking above 740m, clean past Fan Fawr (734m) the wind was somewhat underwhelming, but its new force was not lost on us. This short section left us clueless as we plodded towards the lower pass, looking to avoid the windy upper reaches of Corn Du (873m). Within the mist we spotted the large stone sign marking its location. As we did so, a pair of glowing red eyes peered at me from the darkness of the slope below; I was scared by a couple of sheep!
At the highest point of South Wales, Pen Y Fan (886m)!
Skirting the base of Corn Du (873m) into the wind-protected side offered a pleasant break from the weather, now having deteriorated, we dove back into our conversation. A small snack break was had again, since we were in a safe spot, and not long after we reached the ‘switchbacks’ to the summit. The summit cone of Pen Y Fan (886m) is both surprisingly flat and homogenous, making it a nightmare to navigate in these conditions. Alas we continued on, with the aid of GPS to avoid the crest, and reached the summit at 06:30 just as conditions worsened. It had taken us 1 hour from Pont ar Daf, and myself 2 hours from the YHA! Successful, we swiftly retreated towards Corn Du (873m), and having made the mistake of taking the upper path, found just enough shelter from the wind and rain on the peaks’ East steps. We took our summit break there, just under 15 minutes, enough to refuel sufficiently and enjoy our limited surroundings.
Making our way to the plateau above, we found a group of younger guys, rather ill-equipped heading for the summit. One wanders how they managed without even a single waterproof jacket. As we all walked onto the summit of Corn Du (873m) the clouds parted momentarily and we caught a glimpse of the lights of Brecon, far below us. It was time to go down.
A few seconds of clarity on Corn Du.
While continuing along the unmarked South Ridge of Corn Du the wind and rain strengthened immensely reducing visibility and making GPS navigation difficult. I did the best I could and we soon found ourselves above the “steps”. Looking down the steep mudstone in complete darkness made me do a double take. After GPS confirmation I led down the first step, only to be hit by the hardest gust of wind I’ve ever experienced. Nearly lifting me up against my downclimbing action and trying to throw me off to the East. Focusing on the task at hand I slowed my pace, stayed firm against the wind, and kept checking in with Daniel & Ben. By the time we reached flat ground by the pass I couldn’t I could barely see; meanwhile our gear had just began saturating.
Daniel & Ben about to descend the steps.
Hikers ascending the route in heavy rain.
As we joined the Via Normale trail back to Pont ar Daf, the rain kept getting stronger, and with the wind now against us, each droplet was driven into our jackets and trousers. The visibility still left a lot to be desired, but the first signs of ascending headlamps helped lift the mood. Our bubble was not broken meeting the other pre-dawn hikers at the summits, but now, with every “Good Morning” we felt all more concerned with the rest of our day. After all, the guys had to be at work in Bristol by 10:00! As the soft light of dawn made its first appearance among the clouds, more and more people passed us on their ascent, some wearing Christmas lights, and others with their dogs. This did little to distract us from the fact that our clothes were now fully saturated and the rain continued.
Blaen Taf Fawr by Pont ar Daf at dawn
Blaen Taf Fawr looking South.
It let off at 500m, only a couple of minutes from the bridge (Pont ar Daf) which led to the parking lot, but by then we had long concluded that the weather was playing a sick joke on us. We literally plodded and dripped into the busy lot as hundreds of people were getting ready to enjoy what was forecasted as a pleasant Friday. Instead, I joined the boys in their car and we drove down to the YHA where they could dry before heading off back to Bristol. I must also thank them for helping me make it back in time to enjoy a scrumptious breakfast!
Summit team selfie back at the YHA!
Torrent by the YHA in the morning.
Read more about our morning at the YHA Brecon Beacons, their great breakfast, and our return trek, as well as other adventures during our visit to Wales via the relevant Trip Report “Wales Christmas 2025”.
Interactive Map
Logistics
This was the first summit of our 2025 Christmas in Wales Trip during which we travelled to South Wales and enjoyed some easy peakbagging in the surrounding area. Pen Y Fan (886m) was my main objective for the trip, and as such additional logistical details follow. To read more about the trip itself please read the following Trip Report.
📰 Trip Report: Wales Christmas 2025
Our ascent of Pen Y Fan (886m) essentially begun in Newport as we succeeded in making the eco-point journey from the city to our hostel, just by using public transport. This required connecting through Cardiff and then catching a bus to Brecon.
YHA Brecon Beacons
During our one (1) night in the Brecon Beacons we decided to book a stay at the YHA Hostel which is continently located right by the A-470 and accessible by bus. The price was quite good and most nearby hotels accessible without a car were not much to write home about.
Instead the YHA was quite a pleasant stay, with friendly staff, lovely common areas, a massive mess hall, drinks and food service, as well as a scrumptious breakfast! The room was also nice, although not much more than a dorm-room with a full ensuite, and a pleasantly comfy and warm bed. The room was also kept warm throughout, but sadly our specific room had rather poor Wi-Fi coverage. Would certainly stay again if the opportunity arose!
Nearby Peaks
The following is a list of significant nearby peaks.
📰 Pen Y Fan (886m) [P-672]
📰 Corn Du (873m) [P-28]
Nearby Peaks Information
Peaks summited as part of the post are always shown on top (📰). If a nearby peak has not been summited, a peak emoji (🏔️) is displayed, and the link leads to the relevant Peakbagger.org entry - if available. Instead, if a peak has been summited, a check emoji (✅) is displayed, and the link leads to my specific Peak Report. These lists are periodically updated with checks and links.
Last Updated: 7 January 2025