Waun Fach

Waun Fach stands at the head of the Grwyne Fechan valley in the Black Mountains of south-eastern Wales. Its rounded summit reaches 811 metres, making it the highest point in this range and the third highest mountain south of Snowdonia. The ridge nearby includes Pen Trumau and Pen y Gadair Fawr, though these lower tops are more sharply defined. To the north, the view stretches over Rhos Fawr and the Radnor Forest. The mountain sits above the Grwyne Fawr reservoir, its slopes rising from the valley floor. The geology shows Early Devonian sandstones on the upper slopes and older Senni Formation sandstones beneath. Erosion of softer mudstone layers has carved stepped sections into the lower mountain. A thick peat layer covers the summit, built up since the last ice age but now thinning from wear. No bare rock appears at the top, only the dark peat surface under the sky. The contrast between the peat cap and the exposed sandstone sides shapes the mountain’s appearance. Walkers reach Waun Fach across open country under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has repaired paths from the north and west in recent years. Bridleways south of Pen Trumau allow mountain bikers and horseriders to reach the 617-metre col, but the summit itself remains accessible only on foot. The improved routes make the ascent gentler, though the final climb still tests endurance. From the top, the wide horizon shows the Black Mountains stretching away in every direction.