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Llyn y Fan Fawr: The Black Mountain
Our journey begins at Tafarn-y-Garreg, a small inn tucked away in the Swansea Valley, standing at the edge of one of Wales' most breathtaking landscapes — Y Mynydd Du (the Black Mountain). From here, we step into a world shaped by fire, ice, and time itself. The vast sandstone escarpment ahead, part of the Old Red Sandstone formations that define much of the Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons, tells the story of a landscape that was once a scorching floodplain over 350 million years ago. Over time, glaciers sculpted these sheer cliffs and deep cwms, leaving behind a dramatic wilderness of craggy ridges, glacial lakes, and sweeping moorland.
We begin by following the lower trail, where the towering rock faces of Fan Hir loom to our left. As we move along the valley floor, wild ponies graze on the open slopes, their hardy ancestors having roamed these hills for centuries. In spring and summer, the air is alive with the calls of skylarks, their spiraling songs filling the wide sky above us. Among the tufts of moorland grass, we might catch a flash of movement—a wheatear flitting between rocks or a meadow pipit hopping through the heather.
Before us lies Llyn y Fan Fawr - literally "the lake of the large summit” which is referring to Fan Brycheiniog, the peak that towers above it. Fan Brycheiniog is the highest peak in the Black Mountain range, named after the legendary 5th-century prince Brychan who ruled this region and to who’s kingdom we still refer today when we talk about the Bannau Brycheiniog - Brychan’s Mountains. Llyn y Fan Fawr is a vast glacial lake cradled beneath these cliffs, its dark waters reflecting the shifting sky. This is a place of stillness, where the wind whispers through the grass and the water laps gently at the shore. In summer, bog cotton dances in the breeze, and if we’re lucky, we may glimpse a dipper bobbing along the shoreline, searching for food beneath the water’s surface.
We continue on lower ground, skirting beneath the cliffs until we reach the foot of Fan Foel (the bald summit), where we beginn to climb up steadily. A Bronze Age burial cairn welcomes us to the summit —a quiet monument to the people who once roamed these hills some 4,000 years ago. Standing at this ancient site, it’s easy to imagine how these peaks might have been seen as sacred, their towering presence dominating the surrounding lands.
To the west we can see the shimmering dark of a second glacial lake in the distance: Llyn y Fan Fach - literally “the lake of the small summit” - which is the smaller of the two lakes, but even more famous due to the ancient legends connected with it: some say Llyn y Fan Fach was home to the Lady of the Lake, a fairy who in ancient times emerged from its waters to marry a local shepherd, giving rise to one of Wales' most loved folk tales. Her children were said to become the great physicians of Myddfai, known for their herbal wisdom, some of which is still referenced in Welsh traditions today.
From here we begin our ascent onto the high ridge, climbing steadily toward Fan Brycheiniog. The landscape here feels ancient and untouched—wide, open skies, windswept ridges, and a sense of isolation that makes this part of Wales truly special. The path follows the ridge over Fan Hir (the long summit), where we tread carefully among patches of bilberry and cloudberry, both thriving in these high-altitude conditions. On quieter days, we may hear the haunting call of a golden plover echoing across the moors, a bird that thrives in these upland habitats.The path follows the crest of the escarpment, where the sheer drop of Fan Hir falls away beside us, a thrilling and exposed ridge walk. Often we may spot red kites, ravens or peregrine falcons below us, riding the thermals along the escarpment edge.
Our final descent leads us back down toward Tafarn y Garreg, where the inviting warmth or the sunny beer garden of the pub awaits. After a day among prehistoric landscapes, soaring birds, and wild, untamed beauty, there’s no better way to end than with a well-earned drink, reflecting on the timeless magic of the Black Mountain.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Tafarn-y-Garreg, Mold, United Kingdom
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