Asking a walker to choose their favourite walk in the Brecon Beacons National Park is like letting a kid loose in a candy store and asking them to select their favourite sweetie! You could spend years coming back, and never complete them all.
Whatever you look for on a walk, from being at one with nature to challenging your heart rate, you’ll find them all here. Perhaps you want to walk through waterfalls or climb to an ancient hill fort. It might be that a gentle climb, stopping on a bench to eat your picnic and look at birds is more for you; you can choose that too.
Your walk in the Brecon Beacons is going to be one of the reasons you keep coming back, so plan it in advance.
Choosing your walk in this area is as much about why you’re visiting as where you choose to eat or sleep during your time away from home. It’s worth planning in advance, and looking at all the options for every type of weather. And you may want to travel light, but remember that some walkers gear is essential here.
To help you plan for your walk in the Brecon Beacons, there are our top tips before your stay:
- Look at the brilliant Walk Grading System, compiled by the team at The Brecon Beacons National Park. It’s a very simple system that helps you choose walks based on personal ability and experience, time taken and several other factors. You can view the system and several suggested walks here.
- Consider your tech, and non-tech options. We are surrounded by trees and hills here, so GPS maps on your phone may not be sufficient. The good news is, choosing some non-tech options like a good quality OS map of the area, getting a Rambler’s compass and even taking a quick refresh on how to read a six grid map reference, are all worthwhile.
- Welsh weather is legendary for a reason! a walk in the Brecon Beacons means, whatever the season, you could experience significant changes in weather. We advise guests to pack for all eventualities from sun to hail, drought to snow and most importantly, to plan on wearing layers. Good walking shoes or boots are a must. And be sure to pack waterproofs even in August. You can thank me later.
- Write out a schedule of the walks you are planning to take and give a copy to someone who isn’t travelling with you. It’s also a good idea to let us (or your hosts) know where you’re walking each day and how long you expect to be. We want to keep you safe and knowing where you are is vital if you loose your way or need assistance in an emergency.
- Pack a flask for soup and box to put sandwiches in. You’ll find weather impacts your appetite and you don’t want to be half way up Pen y Fan only to be stopped by hunger. We offer our guests a Walker’s packed luch which can be ordered in advance of your stay. Please also remember to bring any rubbish from your packed lunch back with you to dispose of it properly.
Many of our guests come back to ‘do the walks we didn’t get round to last time.’
Of course, no matter how careful you are with your planning, once you get here the time passes too fast and you discover a slower pace. Many of our guests come back to ‘do the walks we didn’t get round to last time.’ There is so much to explore and the views are breathtaking, so let yourself embrace that. It’s part of the experience.
Whatever you’re planning for your walk in the Brecon Beacons, we’d love you to make The Charcoal Hut your base. We’ve put walkers at the heart of our design so you will find lots of thoughtful touches when you return from a long walk. The hot tub, the foot packs and even the hot water bottles are all there to help you recover so you can do it all again the next day!
Why not give Dinah a call and check availablility. We’d love to welcome you.
