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Hiking trails & Routes

Pen y Fan, Cribyn & Fan y Big loop from Storey Arms — Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Pen y Fan, Cribyn & Fan y Big loop from Storey Arms — Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park

Hard

4.8

(332)

1,930

hikers

Pen y Fan, Cribyn & Fan y Big loop from Storey Arms — Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park

08:16

25.0km

1,110m

Hiking

Embark on a challenging 15.5-mile (25.0 km) hike through the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, tackling the iconic peaks of Pen y Fan, Cribyn, and Fan y Big. This difficult route involves a significant 3658 feet (1115 metres) of elevation gain, with rocky paths and multiple steep climbs and…

Last updated: April 23, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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80 m

Storey Arms – Start of the Pen y Fan Trail

Highlight • Rest Area

People don't realise how special this location is. This is the start of the famed Fan Dance. A load-bearing 24km, non-navigational, endurance test. The SAS pioneered it as part of …

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1.47 km

Rhyd-y-Defaid Stepping Stones

Highlight • Bridge

It descends to cross the Blaen Taf Fawr, where you have to ford the stream using stepping stones. This is one of the earliest forms of crossing bodies of water …

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3.61 km

Pen y Fan

Highlight • Summit

Chief of the Brecon Beacons and the highest summit in south Wales, Pen y Fan is a hugely popular peak with routes to the top to suit everyone from first …

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5.02 km

Cribyn Summit

Highlight • Summit

At 2,608 feet (795 m), the summit of Cribyn boasts bold and dramatic views over Pen-y-Fan, looking towards the steep cliff that forms its eastern flank. When the weather is …

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6.83 km

Fan y Bîg Summit and Diving Board

Highlight • Summit

The Diving Board on Fan y Big is one of the most photographed locations in the Brecon Beacons. The views over towards Cribyn and Pen Y Fan are super good, …

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9.90 km

Bwlch y Ddwyallt

Highlight • Viewpoint

Bwlch y Ddwyallt is a nondescript peak marked by a small cairn. Don't confuse it with another larger cairn nearby. However the views from this escarpment looking across towards Fan …

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11.8 km

Caerfanell Waterfall

Highlight • Waterfall

Nice spot for a break before the descent to the larger waterfalls by Blaen y Glyn Uchaf

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19.3 km

View of Pen y Fan

Highlight • Trail

One of the best views if the saddle between the two tops.

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25.0 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

9.62 km

8.48 km

5.92 km

616 m

324 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

14.7 km

2.77 km

2.49 km

2.24 km

2.13 km

615 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (850 m)

Lowest point (390 m)

Weather

Monday 13 July

26°C

11°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

September 24, 2022,Extended Brecon Beacons Horseshoe - Corn Du, Pen y Fan, Cribyn etc..

Please ignore time/speed - Komoot has incorrectly imported this data. Overall time for this hike was 8hrs 29mins

October 9, 2021,Pen y Fan – Walking above the clouds Loop from Torpantau

Battery ran out so recording finished! To finish the walk we went over the waterfall by the infinity pool,, and followed the road for Taff Trail,, this led up straight back to the car park

October 8, 2023,[ Wales | South Powys ] The ✪ Pen y Fan ✪ Horseshoe Ridge | ✪ Brecon Beacons ✪ National Park

The ✪ WalesTales continued.

Da waren wir also wieder. Im ✪ Land der Kelten, im kleinsten Landesteil der Insel ✪ Großbritannien. Dort wo weniger Menschen als in Berlin leben und dort wo weit über ✪ 10 Millionen Schafe dafür sorgen, dass die schier endlos erscheinende ✪ Bilderbuchlandschaft stets lockige, weiße Flecken hat.

August 9, 2024,The classic four peaks in Brecon Beacons

Phenomenally beautiful walk in the heart of the Brecon Beacons: the classic 4-peaks walk. Over the Corn Du, Pen y Fan, Crybin and Fan y Big. The route runs over at least 4 more peaks, but they seem to be less important in this story and apparently count for less 😏. The walk is also called the horseshoe walk. The …

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June 15, 2022,My Favourite Hike: The Big Beacons Horseshoe

“I simply love coming home to the Brecon Beacons,” says Craig Taylor. “It doesn’t matter where I’ve been or how long I’ve been away, the beauty of the place continues to surprise me. The diversity of the landscape and the breathtaking views make for an unforgettable day – every time I come back.”