Brecon Beacons National Park
The Mynydd Llangorse Walk is a fairly short but rigorous hike offering up some impressive views. Feast your eyes on Llangorse Lake to the west, the Brecon Beacons out to the south west and the Black Mountains and Usk Valley to the east
Mynydd Llangorse Walk – A Pleasant Surprise!
It was Easter Sunday and Didem and I had no intention of sitting around eating Easter eggs, so we decided to head up in the direction of the Brecon Beacons for a leisurely stroll.
We have been to the Brecon Beacons on numerous occasions so we decided to choose a destination that the two of us were yet to enjoy together.
As a 10-year-old, I remember staying at my best friend’s house in Llanfihangel-Tal-y-Llyn, just to the east of Brecon and a stone’s throw from the beautiful Llangorse Lake.
Having not returned to Llangorse Lake in 34 years, I felt that this would be a great choice for our Easter Sunday wander. We discovered the short, flat Llangorse Lake Trail which seemed just perfect!
Check out the location of Llangorse Lake on the map below:
Llangorse Lake Trail
The Llangorse Lake Trail is a 3.5 km trail that runs from near to the Lakeside Caravan Park reception, around the western side of the lake to Llangasty Village Hall on the lake’s south side.
As we started out we soon realised that the path around the lake was totally impassable due to flooding. We returned to the caravan park reception and asked if there was an alternative route around the lake. When told that the only option was to follow the roads around the lake, we decided that this was not something that we fancied.
A couple of alternative walks were suggested by the very helpful ladies at the Lakeside Caravan Park information desk. One of these was the Mynydd Llangorse Walk (Llangorse Mountain Walk). Although it was not going to be quite the leisurely stroll that we had planned, it seemed like a good alternative.
Mynydd Llangorse Walk – The Detail
We were told that a good place to park was the Llangorse Multi Activity Centre, a couple of kilometres outside Llangorse. Check out the exact location on the map below:
Our Route Up Mynydd Llangorse
From the car park at the Llangorse Multi Activity Centre, we climbed over the gate directly in front of the adjacent barn and headed east across fields in the direction of the high ground. The first few hundred metres of the Mynydd Llangorse Walk were very easy as the gradient was only gentle.
It was only when we reached the end of the second field that the gradient of the climb increased significantly. We opted for the track that passed to the left of the renovated stone shepherd’s cottage. We continued in an easterly direction for a few hundred metres until such time as the gradient steepened yet further.
At this point, we decided to head north following the contours of the mountain to make our climb slightly less arduous. In just a short time we had already climbed well above our starting point and were already being rewarded with beautiful views out to the west over the glistening Llangorse Lake and the Brecon Beacons beyond.
Along this section, the steep northerly slopes of Mynydd Troed come into sight off to the north east.
Before long we realised that at some point we were going to have to take a more direct route if we were planning to reach the top of the ridge in a reasonable time frame.
Once again we headed east and ploughed our way up the very steep incline until we reached the top. Naturally, the views out to the west were now even more dramatic but now we got to admire the beauty out to the east as well.
Not only could we see the summit of Waun Fach, the highest point in the Black Mountains to the northeast but also the sweeping Usk Valley to the south-east.
We then headed south, for about 10 minutes, along the ridge until we reached our goal – the Mynydd Llangorse trig point.
We returned to the Llangorse Multi Activity Centre using the same track.
Useful Information About the Mynydd Llangorse Walk
How long does the Mynydd Llangorse Walk take?
The return Mynydd Llangorse Walk route we chose took 2 hours. However, our route is not the ‘official’ Mynydd Llangorse Trail. We did not take the official trail as we were advised not to due to the poor state of the path following recent heavy rain.
How High is Mynydd Llangorse?
Mynydd Llangorse is 515 metres (1690 feet) above sea level.
How Difficult is the Mynydd Llangorse Walk?
The version of the walk that we chose is certainly fairly tough in places due to the steep gradient of the mountain’s western slopes. If you are not in at least reasonable physical shape, we would advise against attempting this one.
What is the address of the Llangorse Multi Activity Centre?
If like us, you would like to start your Mynydd Llangorse Walk from the Llangorse Multi Activity Centre, here is the address:
Gilfach Farm, Llangorse, Brecon LD3 7UH
One Special Takeaway From Our Mynydd Llangorse Walk
I mentioned earlier that we passed a renovated stone shepherd’s cottage on the way up. Well, on the way down we noticed a plaque in the cottage’s garden. The cottage had been renovated in the year 2000 to commemorate the lifetime of work that Kevin John Thomas had dedicated to conservation.
We were intrigued and wanted to find out more information about the life of Kevin John Thomas. Thankfully, in the cottage there was a more detailed plaque highlighting this man’s short but incredibly fulfilled life.
Some of the key points worth noting:
‘He travelled far and wide, crossing the centre of the Sahara Desert West/East in 1989/90, was a member of the joint British Chinese Taklamakan Desert crossing 1993, crossing through the Kunjarb Pass in mid-winter’.
‘One outstanding success story was the construction of the Indoor Climbing Centre with its extensive range of activities and his plans for its future development’.
‘The future for Kevin had no barriers: his ideas and plans would exhaust a normal person just by reading them. He did not want to reinvent the wheel, just replace it with something better’.
Sadly, Kevin died doing a job he loved and to which he devoted his life. He drowned while saving the life of one of a group of school children he was taking on an outdoor activity.
Reading about Kevin’s life really struck a chord with the two of us as it really made us realise what can be achieved if you just put your mind to it.
How many times to do hear people say: “I would love to do that but I haven’t got time” or “I’m just too busy”.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day; some people just make far better use of their 24 hours!
Mynydd Llangorse Walk – Our Thoughts
It is always a nice surprise when you plan something and when that something doesn’t materialise, the alternative proves to be even better!
This was definitely the case with our version of the Mynydd Llangorse Walk. Admittedly, we are still yet to enjoy the Llangorse Lake Trail but it is never going to offer up the challenge or the views that you get from climbing Mynydd Llangorse.
Finding out about Kevin John Thomas and his wonderful attitude towards life reminded us once more that time is so valuable and must not be wasted!
Have you climbed Mynydd Llangorse before? We would love to hear about your experience. Indeed, if you have any questions or comments about this or any of our other adventures we would love to hear them. Please just drop them in the comment box below.
If you are looking for other exciting things to do whilst in the area, why not check out our post: Things to do at Llangorse Lake.
Are You Interested in Other Hikes in Wales?
If so, you must check out 3 of our favourite walks to date: Sugarloaf Mountain, Four Waterfalls and Mount Snowdon.
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Really enjoyed reading this blog. Super pictures and everything is so well explained. So sad, the bit about Kevin John Thomas. How dreadful is that ! Anyway, looking forward to reading about your next adventure. Good work guys !
Hi Margaret, thanks for your kind words once again! We really enjoyed the Mynydd Llangorse Walk. Although not a long hike, was challenging in places and offered some cracking views. Finding out about Kevin John Thomas really made us think about whether we are really making use of the short time that we all have on earth during our lives. I think we all need a reality check from time to time!
Smart thinking ! Looking forward to the next walk…….today maybe ? I almost felt as though I was there with you. Lovely photos and so informative. Happy walking !!!