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Pen y Gadair Fawr
800m (2625ft)

The Black Mountains, The Brecon Beacons, Powys, Wales


Record Pen y Gadair Fawr as Bagged, Climbed & Conquered


Welsh Mountain Icon

Welsh Mountain
35th highest in Wales,
79th in England & Wales

Welsh Nuttall Icon

Welsh Nuttall
45th highest in Wales,
95th in England & Wales

Walk Pen y Gadair Fawr walking UK Mountains in The Black Mountains The Brecon Beacons National Park Powys, Wales

Pen y Gadair Fawr Summit

Photo: Michael Owen

You can find Pen y Gadair Fawr & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)

The Brecon Beacons National Park


1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):

OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area


1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):

161 Abergavenny & The Black Mountains


See Pen y Gadair Fawr and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:

See Pen y Gadair Fawr and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Map:


Not familiar with Pen y Gadair Fawr?

See the location of Pen y Gadair Fawr and both walks that climb it on an interactive Google Map


You can walk to the top of Pen y Gadair Fawr by using either of these 2 easy‑to‑follow route maps:
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Walk po129 The Grwyne Fechan Round

Fine high mountain views

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 12ml (19km)
Ascent:2,637ft (804m)
Time:7 hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 7 Icon (Hard)
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Walk po153 Pen Cerrig-calch and Waun Fach from Nuadd-fawr

Fine views in all directions

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 13.5ml (21.5km)
Ascent:3,175ft (968m)
Time:8 hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 8 Icon (Hard)

Other walkers who hiked, climbed, bagged and summited Pen y Gadair Fawr Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Pen y Gadair Fawr

Melfyn Parry walked up Pen y Gadair Fawr on July 16th, 2024 [from/via/route] Followed go4awalk route PO153 - Pen Cerrig Calch & Waun Fach from Neuadd Fawr. Once on the ridge the walk is relatively easy, good paths. There are some areas that are quite boggy, so be prepared if following this route after lots of rain. The first peak was hard going, lots of tall bracken & bilberry bushes to fight your way through, I was so glad to reach the top of Pen Cerrig Calch. The final path from the cairn to the minor road leading back to the car park was also overgrown with bracken & the public footpath part was seriously neglected from a maintenance perspective, although the stiles looked almost new the path itself was overgrown with nettle, bramble & even more bracken making the last leg of the walk hard work. [with] On my own [weather] Sunny spells & generally dry. For a mid July walk it was quite cool at times. - Best to avoid this walk when the bracken is in season. If you have to walk in the summer months & especially after rain, waterproofs are a must as the grasses & bracken don't dry out at their base & you can get seriously wet even though you think it's a dry day.

Donovan Suddell climbed Pen y Gadair Fawr on April 23rd, 2023 [from/via/route] Gospel Pass [with] Wife [weather] Sunny until 16:00 then cloudy, rain at the very end - Very long circuit including traversing two steep valleys

Sion Britton bagged Pen y Gadair Fawr on April 11th, 2021 [from/via/route] O Llanbedr. Horseshoe Route. [with] Solo [weather] Braf/ Cymylog

Simon Burgess hiked Pen y Gadair Fawr on August 23rd, 2020 [from/via/route] Pen Twyn Glas Pen Trumau Waun Fach Pen Y Gadair Fawr Pen Twyn Mawr [with] Solo [weather] Overnight

Dale Tyler summited Pen y Gadair Fawr on August 30th, 2017 [from/via/route] 6th peak on the Waun Fach horseshoe from Cwmdu to Crickhowell [weather] Mostly glorious, two short sharp showers at the beginning of the walk-enough convince me to reproof my jacket! - 19 mile walk followed by a well deserved pint & meal in Crickhowell. Sticky toffee pudding, mmmmm!

Robert Shaw conquered Pen y Gadair Fawr on May 13th, 2017 [from/via/route] From Llanthony whilst doing the Black Mountain Challenge. [with] Alcester Gents Sports Club [weather] Wet & misty

Glenn Radford scaled Pen y Gadair Fawr on October 29th, 2015 [from/via/route] walk po105 [with] William [weather] Mist Cloud low AM Clear windy PM

Alan Smith walked up Pen y Gadair Fawr on July 2nd, 2015 [with] Barry

Christina Lander climbed Pen y Gadair Fawr on March 10th, 2015 [from/via/route] Pen Carrig-calch - Pen Allt-mawr - Pen Twyn Glas - Mynydd Llysiau - Pen Trumau - Waun Fach - Pen y Gadair Fawr - Pen Twyn Mawr [with] Dick [weather] Beautiful day, warm & sunny

Tim Buckley bagged Pen y Gadair Fawr on September 28th, 2014 [from/via/route] po 153 from Neuadd Fawr just north of Llanbedr [with] Solo walk, set off 8.30 am arrived here at 1.21pm [weather] Hot & clear, views to the distance - Pen Y Fan etc........ - Better top than Waun Fach, only 11m lower. It looks far more impressive from across the valley - not unlike Pen Y Fan & Corn Ddu

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Not familiar with Pen y Gadair Fawr?

See the location of Pen y Gadair Fawr and both walks that climb it on an interactive Google Map


More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Pen y Gadair Fawr

Waun Fach from the summit cairn on Pen y Gadair Fawr

Waun Fach from the summit cairn on Pen y Gadair Fawr

Photo: Sidney Jackson (13)

Descending in to the Grwyne Fawr Valley from Pen y Gadair Fawr in The Black Mountains

Descending in to the Grwyne Fawr Valley from Pen y Gadair Fawr in The Black Mountains

Photo: Rosemary Janes (1)

*Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr from the Pen Twyn Mawr ridge

*Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr from the Pen Twyn Mawr ridge

Photo: Sidney Jackson (7)

The Pen y Gadair Fawr ridge

The Pen y Gadair Fawr ridge

Photo: Sidney Jackson (12)

Pen y Gadair Fawr from the Pen Twyn Mawr ridge

Pen y Gadair Fawr from the Pen Twyn Mawr ridge

Photo: Sidney Jackson (6)

The summit of Pen y Gadair Fawr

The summit of Pen y Gadair Fawr

Photo: Paul Quinn (1)

*270° Panorama featuring Pengenfford, Pen Trumau, Waun Fach, Pen y Gadair Fawr, Pen Twyn Mawr, Crug Mawr and the The Grwyne Fechan valley from Mynydd Llysiau

*270° Panorama featuring Pengenfford, Pen Trumau, Waun Fach, Pen y Gadair Fawr, Pen Twyn Mawr, Crug Mawr and the The Grwyne Fechan valley from Mynydd Llysiau

Photo: Jon Rimmer (7)

Waun Fach from Pen y Gadair Fawr

Waun Fach from Pen y Gadair Fawr

Photo: Michael Owen (1)

Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr from Crug Mawr

Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr from Crug Mawr

Photo: Sidney Jackson (2)


Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Pen y Gadair Fawr

If you would like to add your walk photographs and pictures featuring views from, on or of Pen y Gadair Fawr to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:



and we shall do our best to publish them.

(Guide Resolution = 300dpi. At least = 660pixels (wide) x 440 pixels (high).)

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Not familiar with Pen y Gadair Fawr?

See the location of Pen y Gadair Fawr and both walks that climb it on an interactive Google Map





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