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Breacon Beacons Wild Camping Routes

Brecon Beacons

Brecon Beacons wild camping and walking routes

The Brecon Beacons is one of my favourite places for wild camping and hill walking. It’s my nearest National Park, so I tend to go there frequently. From my base in the Cotswolds I can be in the easterly Black Mountains within two hours. And if I go a little further, I can take in the challenge of Pen y Fan, the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons, or the wild drama of the westerly Black Mountain (probably my favourite area in the national park).

Though technically not legal, wild camping is very much tolerated in the Brecon Beacons. The trip reports below are a sampler of my favourite walks and wild camping spots in the Brecon Beacons. I hope you find them useful. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Grwyne Fawr Bothy, Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, Wales

“The Horrible Bothy”, Grwyne Fawr, Brecon Beacons

A tale of Type 2 fun and many, many learning moments, told from the cozy Grwyne Fawr bothy in the Brecon Beacons. Following a few very successful bothy trips, including Scotland’s four star Magoo’s, the remote Tarf Hotel, and Nant Syddion bothy in mid-Wales, I’d caught the bug. There aren’t many bothy bagging opportunities this …

“The Horrible Bothy”, Grwyne Fawr, Brecon BeaconsRead More

Llanbedr Horseshoe, Black Mountains

The Llanbedr Horseshoe is a classic ridge walk in the Black Mountains, the easternmost hill range in the Brecon Beacons. With over 16 miles in length and almost 1000 meters of ascent, this walk makes for an exhilarating day out and a highly rewarding challenge, particularly on a beautiful day. After a steep climb at …

Llanbedr Horseshoe, Black MountainsRead More

Pen Cerrig-calch trig point

Pen Cerrig-calch and Table Mountain

A few highlights from a February walk around Pen Cerrig-calch and Table Mountain inspired by the Cicerone guide’s Walking on the Brecon Beacons book (Walk 40). A little outing for some micro-navigation practice and a bit of rock study turned quickly into a day of mostly Type II fun. Cold weather and heavy wind made …

Pen Cerrig-calch and Table MountainRead More

Black Mountains Wild Camping: Top Tips and Beautiful Spots

The Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons are a terrific place for wild camping. These are not to be confused with the Black Mountain (singular) on the easternmost side of the National Park (you can read my other post on wild camping on the Black Mountain for that). The Black Mountains form the northeastern part …

Black Mountains Wild Camping: Top Tips and Beautiful SpotsRead More

Fan y Big Circular from Blaen-y-Glyn

This post highlights a circular walk via Fan y Big, including a wild camping option. Starting point: Blaen y Glyn Uchaf free car park. Distance: 7 miles (11km). Height gain: 420 meters (1380 feet). OS Maps: Explorer OL12 or Landranger 160. Download Route Summary. Fan y Big may not be the highest peak in the Brecon …

Fan y Big Circular from Blaen-y-GlynRead More

Cycle touring in Wales

Tips for Cycle Touring in Wales

I’ve just returned from an incredible (and way too short) cycle tour of Wales. In four days I covered just over 100 miles from Chepstow to the Elan Valley following various branches of the wonderful National Cycle Route the whole way. The distance is a testament to the challenge – there are hills a plenty …

Tips for Cycle Touring in WalesRead More

Llyn Fan Fawr, Black Mountain, Brecon Beacons, Wales

Wild Camping on the Black Mountain

This post includes highlights and route details from a sensational walking and wild camping trip around the Black Mountain range in the Brecon Beacons. PLEASE NOTE: this post is about the Black Mountain near Carmarthen on the far western side of the Brecon Beacons National Park, NOT the easterly Black Mountains south of Hay on …

Wild Camping on the Black MountainRead More

Camping in the Brecon Beacons

I went to Wales last weekend to do some camping and walking in Brecon Beacons National Park. Camping and walking I did, as well as a bit of thinking, but not about life, the future, and other deep things I thought I’d have headspace for. Instead, I kept my head in the trip, looking at …

Camping in the Brecon BeaconsRead More

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Though I love the mountains I think at my heart I’m a woods person. (Must have been all those childhood camping trips to Wisconsin!) Kept it super local this weekend with walks out my back door including this little birch wood with a pipsqueak of a hill that feels a bit like another planet compared to the surrounding meadows. A nice little spot to listen the birds and indulge in some deep thoughts…. 
“…I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.”
- Robert Frost
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#trees #birch #birchtrees #woods #forest #robertfrost #poetry #birdsong #cotswolds #wiltshire #lowermoorfarm #wiltswildlife #wildlife #naturelover #nature #countryside #countrysidewalks #britishcountryside #wiltshirelife #wiltshirecountryside #britishcountryside #ukhikers #hikersuk #hikersbritain #hikersofinstagram #hikemoreworryless
Sunset at the homestead. A little let down by the Sunset at the homestead. A little let down by the tent. Why on earth the Terra Nova Laser Competition “2” doesn’t come with guy ropes by design is a mystery to me! Fortunately this is not my tent. 😂
A couple van updates. Kind of boring, but pre-requ A couple van updates. Kind of boring, but pre-requisites to something exciting: walls! I’m going for a rustic cabin look with wooden cladding. However, with absolutely zero straight edges in the FTC there’s no getting away from some exposed metal bits. So I’m covering these with gray 4-way stretch automotive carpet. I’m also working on a coffee-inspired shallow shelving area in one of the recesses - not totally sure I’ll pull it off but I’m compelled to try… this van is super small so every inch of space counts! Other things: added extra insulation to the van cavities; started wiring up lights and switches (still need to figure out what leisure battery I need); enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Tomorrow should see some walls going in!
Never forget your roots. I was a late bloomer to w Never forget your roots. I was a late bloomer to wild camping. Wasn’t a thing in the USA. At least where I lived. So here in hideously inappropriate clothing I found myself thanks to basically being lazy on the coast to coast walk. circa 2006. And life has never been the same! #coasttocoast #wildcampinguk🏕🏞🔦🇬🇧
Bothies on the brain! But this one's a slightly di Bothies on the brain! But this one's a slightly different story, etched in my mind as "The Horrible Bothy". This is a tale of Type 3 fun in the Black Mountains, an ill-fated night that defied all romantic tales I read about in books. Told from the smallest bothy in the MBA, Grwyne Fawr. I think I would have slept more comfortably in a coffin. If you feel like reading it, you can find the link in my profile (see "Latest Blog Posts") or head over to https://eatsleepwild.com/blog/ ⠀
Excerpt: ⠀
"I generally find bothies a bit spooky on my own. And even with a friend, that latent fear of meeting other people is off-putting. Apparently some people actually enjoy the social element of bothies which is the exact opposite of why I go to these wild remote places in the first place. But I digress again.⠀
Another lesson…⠀
Tents are best. And in poor or very cold weather, making bothy times at home with candles and whisky is pretty damn good, too."⠀
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#blackmountains #breconbeacons #wales #visitwales #wildcamping #wildcampinguk #wildcampingwales #bothy #bothylife #bothyvibes #bothystories #bothybagging #nationalparksuk #osmaps #ordnancesurvey #getoutside #grwynefawr #grwynefawrbothy #grwynefawrreservoire #reservoire #views #hillwalking #wilderness #wildplaces #nature #outdoors #hiking #hikersuk #ukhikers
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