As a Software Engineer with a demanding role in the Finance Industry, the majority of my week is spent inside an office building focusing on multiple screens for long hours each day. Inside of work this is to be expected, but the screen usage doesn’t stop there. A screen is rarely more than an arm’s length away, and it dominates modern life, be it when commuting, when at work, or when at home, a large portion of my time is spent staring at some form of screen. This may be an odd thing to read coming from a genuine tech enthusiast, but I’m suffering from a case of screen fatigue.
Disconnecting from technology when it is so abundant and omnipresent is a real challenge. In my efforts to reclaim time from the screen, I have found a powerful antidote in the form of small adventures in the outdoors, be it a short walk, a long multi-day hike, or an overnight wild-camp on a peak, an escape into the outdoors is a perfect way to break with the monotony of routine and provides space to disengage from the 24-hour news cycle, notifications, and always on connectivity. With this in mind and a long weekend fast approaching, I was determined to put the free time to good use and conduct my very first solo wild camp, completing an overnight stay in the barren landscape of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Truth be told, the prospect of spending a night alone on a peak for the first time was daunting. Still, it was an experience I was determined to have. I was looking forward to the challenge, the solitude, having a novel experience, and ultimately switching off and disconnecting, even if only for an evening.
I began researching suitable locations in the Brecon Beacons to camp. Seeking to keep the crowds at bay, I focused on areas that would be relatively obscure and quiet. I settled on an area known as the Black Mountain, located in the west of the National Park (not to be confused with the Black Mountains in the east). It is home to a range of peaks, valleys, and lakes shaped by glacial erosion during the last Ice Age. With a broad location selected, I refined my route by opening up OS Maps and plotted a hike that would take me directly to the summit of Fan Brycheiniog (802m). Here I intended to pitch my tent on a ridgeline overlooking the valley below for the night. Reaching the summit from the car park would be a short but steep 2.5 mile hike rising around 1700ft in elevation, taking approximately two hours to complete. Planning to arrive in the early evening, I felt this would provide a sufficient challenge while still being achievable by sun down.
Parking at Llyn y Fan Fach Car Park#
I parked my car at the Llyn y Fan Fach Car Park (SA19 9UN). This is a small gravel car park that permits overnight parking and is free to use. Located just 2.5 miles from the summit of Fan Brycheiniog, it provides a convenient starting point from which you can explore the Black Mountain on foot.
The drive to the car park demands your full attention as it takes you through narrow country lanes with limited visibility and just enough width for a single car. I made my approach in the early evening when the day-hikers were heading home in the opposite direction. Meeting these cars head-on I found myself performing a number of awkward manoeuvers in tight spaces to allow the other drivers to pass.
After six long hours in the car and 240 miles travelled from London, I was glad to finally arrive at the car park. Being a bank holiday weekend with fantastic weather I was expecting to have trouble finding a spot to park, to my relief there was ample space and I had no trouble parking. After the unnerving drive through the country lanes I felt I had just completed the first challenge of the adventure. With the sun already low in the sky, I was excited to begin the hike. I swapped my driving trainers for boots, loaded the route on my Garmin, put the rucksack over my shoulders, and began walking.
Hiking to Fan Brycheiniog#
Following the gravel track out of the car park I progressed steadily upwards, reaching a small water reservoir around half a mile in. A short distance on from the reservoir, a less defined grass path deviates from the main gravel track. Following this path takes you directly towards the domineering peaks of Fan Foel and Picws Du, the second and third highest peaks in the Black Mountain. The path deviation isn’t obvious, and having not yet mastered the art of navigation via my new Garmin Instinct, I continued walking the gravel path, blissfully unaware I was now heading in the wrong direction towards Llyn y Fan Fach. A vibration on my wrist prompted me to glance down to see my watch informing me that I was now off course, I walked back on myself towards the correct path, another buzz on my wrist confirmed I was back on track.
Hiking in the midst of a heatwave with temperatures reaching 35°C in parts of the country, I found the going surprisingly difficult. I always enjoy how the peaks can provide an ego check. The difficulty was amplified by the fact I was carrying additional water weight, and was walking a relatively steep 10–15 degree incline at a quick pace without breaks due to the dwindling levels of sunlight.
Concerned about the remaining level of sunlight, I contemplated postponing the hike towards the summit of Fan Brycheiniog until the morning, and considered pitching by a narrow stream passing on the left of the path. However, figuring I had plenty of time to come back down if necessary, I continued on, reaching a narrow path that winds sharply upwards and divides the peaks of Picws Du and Fan Foel. This section of the trail is a short but steep 0.2 miles that takes you up 160ft in elevation to 2160ft. Mid-way up I stopped for a short water break and took a moment to admire the view of the valley below and of Fan Foel directly opposite.
Completing the walk to the top of the ridgeline, the summit of Fan Brycheiniog now lay half a mile directly east. This last section of the trail is another steep incline that takes you a further 400ft higher before levelling off. Tapping the top of the white trig point emblazoned with the Welsh dragon marked my arrival at the summit at 802 metres.
Wild Camping at Twr y Fan Foel#
With the hike complete and sunlight fading, I found a suitable location to camp just left of the summit point at Twr y Fan Foel. The location provided a great view overlooking the forested valley. Seeing trees below provided contrast with the bleak moorland I had just been walking. Setting up the tent and arranging my sleeping equipment inside, I felt I could now relax for the evening.
Planning to enjoy some hot food and a cup of tea while taking in the views below, I took my hexi-stove and non-hexamine-based solid fuel tablets out from my rucksack (hexamine is now regulated in the UK, with ownership punishable by two years in prison, rather more time than I would like to serve for making dinner). Setting up the stove and mess tins, my plan for hot food was fumbled by the absence of my lighters, both of which I had forgotten to pack and left in London. Luckily for me, and unluckily for my taste buds, Wayfarer Chilli and Rice can be eaten cold, so I settled for that and washed it down with a complementary cold cup of black tea (milk also forgotten). The cold tea was surprisingly refreshing after the steep walk in the heat.
Feeling well-fed and hydrated, I took the opportunity to use the last of the sunlight to take some aerial footage of my surroundings. Sending the DJI Mini 4K drone into the air I captured some shots of my pitch location as the sun began to set. Shortly after I retired to the tent for the night. As the sun set the wind began to pick up considerably. High on the ridgeline there was no shelter from the wind and overnight the sides of my tent were constantly rattled which made for a poor night of sleep.
Sunrise at Twr y Fan Foel#
One of my favourite parts of wild camping is getting to wake up naturally when the sunlight fills the inside of the tent. Despite the morning report on my Garmin informing me I had just 2.5 hours of sleep, the absence of a loud alarm clock, a stunning sunrise and already warming temperatures made for a very pleasant morning. I felt alert and awake; it always surprises me just how refreshed I feel when I’m allowed to gradually wake up with the sun’s growing intensity.
Waking up early as the sun was still rising, I captured some fantastic footage of the sunrise over the peaks on my drone. I then took a quick picture next to my tent before I began to pack away, placing everything back into my backpack and leaving the area just as I found it. Rather disgustingly, while packing away my ground sheet I found a couple of squashed ticks underneath, a reminder that when outdoors you need to take the appropriate precautions. I always perform a quick tick check in the evening before sleeping and spray my clothes with Permethrin before any outdoor trip.
Descending to the Car Park#
With everything packed away I put down my foam sit pad and overlooked the valley while having a (cold) breakfast of chocolate oats and nuts. By 0700 I was ready to work my way back to the car park. From my pitch location at Twr y Fan Foel I followed the ridge line around to the summit of Fan Foel at 780m, passing a small pool of water where a pair of sheep were stopped to have a drink. Working my way to the opposite side of the peak revealed a stunning view of Picws Du and Llyn y Fan Fach below it. This may have been an even more dramatic location to pitch, although it was a little too close to the main trail for my liking.
From this point the route descends back down the same path used on the hike up; a steady decline down from the peaks and back across the grass trail onto the gravel path. This time moving downhill sure felt easier than the hike up. I decided to take the same route down, it was the most direct route and I had other plans over the bank holiday weekend, as such I wanted to return to my car in good time. Had more time been available I would have taken a different route down to add variety, continuing up and over the summit of Picws Du, looping around the ridgeline and back to the gravel path leading into Llyn y Fan Fach, but that will have to be an adventure for another day.
Early in the morning the temperature was already rising. Arriving at the reservoir, I stopped for a brief water break. The water looked very inviting and if I had packed swim trunks I may well have taken a quick dip to refresh.
Continuing down the path I passed the reservoir building and two stone walls covering a short drop into the stream below. Approaching the car park with the crunch of gravel below the feet and the sounds of birdsong in the air I felt very content that I had successfully completed my very first solo wild camp.
Doing It Alone#
While I’ve been on a few camping adventures, both at traditional campsites and random locations chosen when wild camping, I’ve never had the confidence to go alone, choosing instead to live vicariously through the content of others online. At some stage you just have to bite the bullet and try it for yourself, and I’m really glad I did. Even though it was only for a single evening, it pushed me outside of my comfort zone and was a confidence builder that will set the foundation for future solo adventures, bigger in scale and further afield. And for a brief time at least, with nothing but the rucksack on my back I was fully disconnected from the complexities of modern life.
If you’re interested in re-creating this adventure for yourself the route I took is available below. You can easily make the route down more varied by continuing on past Picws Du and descending down to Llyn y Fan Fach, where you can pick up the gravel track back to the car park. The full breakdown of my kit list for this trip is available here. Thanks for reading!
