Old Trecastle Road to Llyn-y-Fan Fawr.
Take a car from Dan-yr-Ogof to the starting Point 1, On the Old Trecastle road.
Map. Ref. SN 853 203.
Cross the river called Tawe where applicable, and then follow Nant-y-Llyn passing some lovely waterfalls. The stream flows over the old red sandstone.
Continue with the stream until reaching the lake formed during the Ice Age. The lake is called Llyn-y-Fan Fawr.
The distance walked from the starting point to the lake will be 2.98km (1.86 miles) with an ascent of 270 meters (885ft).
The estimated time to reach the lake will be approximately 1 hour.
The views on a clear day from the lake are quite spectacular.
Having reached the lake, and if feeling energetic, a walk up the shepherds track to Bwlch-y-Giedd and Fan-Brycheiniog at Point 3 will behold even more dramatic views. North into central Wales, and to the south, views across South Wales and the Severn into Somerset and Devon.
This will add 1.66km (1.04 ml) onto your journey, with an added ascent of 233 meters (765ft), plus 40 minutes onto your time.
A knowledge of map & compass is essential on this mountain, and appropriate clothing should be carried at all times due to the changeable weather conditions on this terrain.
A Circular Route from Dan-yr-Ogof and back via Llyn-y-Fan Fawr.
Start this walk at Dan-yr-Ogof Point 1.
Then continue in a north easterly direction along the A4067 to Tafarn-y-Garreg.
Map Ref. SN 849 171.
Having reached Tafarn-y-Garreg, turn left onto an old track leading to a wooden bridge across the Tawe River. Having crossed the bridge, continue up alongside the river until reaching a gate on your left that will be waymarked.
Pass through this gate and follow along the sunken path until reaching the sheep pens.
Enter the mountain alongside the pens, then turn right and continue along the base of the mountain. There will be no visible paths to follow, only sheep tracks.
Follow the tracks to the base of the escarpment. Wynford Vaughan Thomas called this escarpment, "The Great Escarpment".
Continue with the base of this escarpment until reaching Point 2. There you can see a Protalus Rampart or Lateral Glacial Morainic Ridge, 1km (0.666 miles) in length. Continue along the moraine until eventually reaching Llyn-y-Fan Fawr.
This will be an obvious spot to have a break.
From the lake continue up the shepherds track to the pass called Bwlchy-Giedd.
From there follow in a southerly direction along the back of Cefn-Rhudd between the River Haffes on your left and the Giedd River on your right.
Follow this long, upland moor, until reaching Point 3. This part of the mountain is a fascinating area called Waun-Fignen-Felen. This black peaty boggy area is a third of a mile in diameter and has been designated an S.S.S.I. (a Site of Special Scientific Interest).
It used to be a post-glacial Lake, and in all probability was visited by humans as far back as 9,000 years ago. The Mesolithic people certainly made use of this area when it was a lake.
It might be hard to ascertain as to when its water drained into the Dan-yr-Ogof cave complex. It takes thousands of years for a substantial thickness of peat to form, and there is a lot of peat there.
Continue the walk by skirting the eastern side of Waun-Fignen-Felen in a southerly direction until reaching the bridleway at SN 826 173.
Follow this track in a south easterly direction and it will take you all the way back to Dan-yr-Ogof.
The length of this walk is 16.3km (10.25miles). Height ascended 662m (2,172 ft) with an estimated time of 4 hrs.
A knowledge of map & compass is essential on this mountain, and appropriate clothing should be carried at all times due to the changeable weather conditions on this terrain.
A circular route from Dan-yr-Ogof to Sgwd-Ddu Waterfall, Sinc-y-Giedd, Wellington Bomber (remains of) and Cribarth's summit. Returning to Dan-yr-Ogof through Craig-y-Nos Country Park.
Leave Dan-yr-Ogof in the direction of the camp site and follow the way-marked path to the mountain gate below the sheep pens.
The first section of this walk will be a climb following a well defined bridleway into the motmtain. This circular route will mostly be over Limestone and Millstone Grit terrain - an important geological area.
Having reached the section of mountain called Twyn-Du you can notice the darker coloured boulders resting on the limestone outcrop. These boulders are red sandstone and have been deposited there by a glacier during the Ice-Age.
Having reached map ref. SN830170, leave the bridleway in a northerly direction with Twyn- Walter on your left, proceed until reaching Sgwd-Ddu waterfall, Ref Point 1.
This waterfall has been caused by the water of Afon-Haffes pouring over a plateau bed of Conglomerate that's underlain by the softer Brownstones.
Leaving Sgwd-Ddu, continue in a south westerly direction with Twyn-Walter on the left and the large peat bog called Waun-Fignen-Felen to your right.
Continue between both until re-joining the bridleway at SN82417S.
Follow this bridleway further into the mountain. The peat bog to your right is called Waun-Fignen-Felen and used to be a post-glacial lake. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (S.S.S.I).
Prior to reaching Pwll-y-Cig, you will be parting company with this bridleway for the remainder of the walk. Therefore, map & compass may be the order of the day (depending on weather conditions).
Continue to Ref Point 2. This is where the Afon-Giedd (river) disappears underground, captured by the Dan-yr-Ogof cave system to re-issue from the famous showcave complex at Dan-yr-Ogof. It is
then called Nant Llynfell.
Leaving Sinc-y-Giedd, skirt the lower western slope of Disgwylfa and proceed to Ref Point 3. This is a rocky Millstone Grit terrain with many large, deep shake poles. Care is paramount in this area at all times, especially during inclement weather. Then a high proficiency in map and compass appreciation is required.
On reaching Ref Point 3, the remains of Wellington Bomber MF 509 can be seen. It crashed there on November 20th 1944, killing all six of its French Canadian crew.
Leaving the Wellington, continue in a south easterly direction to Cribarth, Ref Point 4.
Between Point 3 & Point 4 is a geologist's dream, with rock formations, on the Millstone Grit.
On reaching the summit of Cribarth, you will notice that it has been extensively worked for limestone and silica sand - between 1794 and the 1890s there used to be 33 quarries, 18 tramway inclines, and 10.5 miles of tramway on The Cribarth.
From the summit, continue along the old tramway in a north easterly direction until reaching a large wooden stile crossing a limestone wall. This is a Permitted Path down from the mountain. Follow this path down until reaching the A4067 below Craig-y-Nos Castle at SN84151520 (beware of traffic whiIe crossing the road).
Having crossed the road, take the pleasant route through Craig-y-Nos Country Park. Cross the Tawe using the lower bridge behind the castle, or you can use the main wooden bridge from the park where
Nant Llynfen meets the Tawe.
Follow the Tawe upstream until reaching some stepping stones crossing the river. There is the option of using the bridge a little upstream.
A short distance after crossing the river, you reach the stream coming from Dan-yr-Ogof, it is called Nant Llynfell. A short distance downstream, an ancient mill called Melin-y-Blaenau (The Blaenau Mill) can be seen, Ref Point 5.
This was the Lords Mill, one of seven of its kind in Wales. Local farmers had to take their produce to this Mill (there is no access to this mill).
Continue along the path through the meadow with its pleasant little lake, then cross the stile in the hedge. Once again you have reached the A4067. Cross the road with caution, and over the opposite stile. Continue up through the field to Dan-yr-Ogof.
This walk is 18.3km (11.44 miles), height ascended is 680m (2,231ft) with
an estimated time of 4.5 hours.
A knowledge of map & compass is essential on this mountain, and appropriate clothing should be carried at all times due to the changeable weather conditions on this terrain.
Safety is your own responsibility while in the mountains, and the safety of others in the party has to be considered.
A Circular Route from Dan-yr-Ogof through Craig-y-Nos Country Park, up to the summit of Cribarth, returning to Dan-yr-Ogof via Carreg-ar-Gap.
Start this walk at Dan-yr-Ogof.
Half way down the road from the main car park you will notice a stile crossing into the field on your right. Cross this stile and continue through the field until reaching the A4067 at SN 842 161.
You will need to cross a stile each side of the main road to enter the meadow with its pleasant little lake. You are still on Dan-yr-Ogof land. Continue past the little lake using the wooden causeway. Shortly you will notice the stream on your right. The name of this stream is Nant Llynfell and not long issued from Dan-yr-Ogof, having been in the dark for several miles. Continue along this path until reaching the Tawe.
There is a footbridge crossing the river, also stepping stones when the water is low enough.
Having crossed the river, enter Craig-y-Nos Country Park and follow the path downstream until reaching another bridge. There is the option of using this bridge, but our walk continues downstream a short distance until reaching a much older footbridge crossing the river behind the
Castle.
Cross this bridge and immediately turn left downstream and continue until a lovely pavilion comes into view.
Walk to the pavilion and continue past on the right up the path through the trees until rejoining
the A4067 below the castle.
Cross a short distance down the road at SN 8415 1520. Pass through the gate and follow the winding permitted path to your right up the Cribarth. From this path you will have some classic views of the castle and Glyntawe.
Eventually this path will lead to a large stile crossing a dry stone wall. Crossing this stile will see you on the open hill.
Continue along the back of this mountain until reaching the summit of Cribarth, Point 1.
Apart from the fine views you, will notice that Cribarth has been extensively quarried. Between 1794 and the 1890s there were 33 quarries extracting limestone, silica sand and rottenstone, 18 tramway
inclines, and 10.5 miles of tramway on the Cribarth.
From the summit descend with care to the little valley with the fine wall running alongside. Please respect the wall. Continue down with the wall until reaching a stile at SN 824 139. The other side of the stile is a ruin of an old drovers inn called Pant-y-Ffyrch. Point 2.
Return over the stile and continue into the mountain until reaching the huge millstone grit boulder in the corner of another wall at SN 826 159. Point 3.
From Carreg-ar-Gap continue carefully over the millstone grit terrain until reaching the dry valley immediately above Dan-yr-Ogof. Point 4 at SN 835 161.
From there follow the track until joining the bridleway that leads back to 'Dan-yr-Ogof.
The length of this walk. 10.70km. (6.69miles), height ascended 494m (1.621ft).
Estimated time 2hrs 34min.
A knowledge of map & compass is essential on this mountain, and appropriate clothing should be carried at all times due to the changeable weather conditions on this terrain.
Safety is your own responsibility while in the mountains, and the safety of others in the party has to be considered.