The Brecon Fans trip report

Sometimes in the nadir of midsummer photography inspiration a weather forecast is served up that is compelling enough to motivate me to go forth.

MetOffice weather forecast

With an azimuth of sunset to the north of west, the Brecon Fans were the destination of choice and the prospect of photographing the headwalls of glaciated Cwms in late low sunlight was an enticing one and the basis of a plan.

Imbricated angular boulders in Nant Gwdi

Parking up at the NT car park in Cwm Gwdi and there were a surprising number of cars and a number of sweaty walkers who were hastily unsuiting and debooting to avoid the miasma of flies drawn in by sweaty clothing and flesh. The NT have produced a waymarked walk the Cwm Llwch Horseshoe and the reason for the bedraggled appearance of the walkers was probably the last few kilometres walking on hot tarmac! I am guessing the walk was devised by someone responsible for path maintenance, rather than a hill walker.

Thyme and Yellow Rockrose = Lime rich soil

A quick exit from the carpark and up onto the open hillside. With height gained it was soon apparent that incoming altostratus cloud was spread across the western horizon and would curtail photographic ambitions of the big views for sunset, sigh. Plan A was abandoned and the spurs, slopes and cwms investigated instead. Most of the geology is acidic, but where where the underlying geology was calcretes or calcerous mudstones: celciophile flora was present.

Woolly fringe-moss colony on mineral spoil @~540m asl 

Quarrying activity was evident where sandstone beds had been exploited for stone roof tiles, whilst at other sites I wonder if an archaeological dig might throw up a surprise.

Brecon Fans

A break in the cloud sheet allowed some sunlight through and a blue sky as a partial backdrop to the Fans, before the cloud sheet again dominated the sky, the light was still too harsh though. The best that can said of the trip was a walk around less frequented areas of the Brecon Fans and surprisingly high numbers of sheep grazing.