Walking in the Black Mountains Guidebook

by: Alastair Ross
The Black Mountains comprise mainly of five north-south ridges, the easternmost of which forms the physical border between Wales and England. Made chiefly of old red sandstone, they terminate in a spectacular escarpment in the north looking out across the Wye Valley to Mid Wales. At lower levels there is an abundance of vegetation. Natural woodland includes alder, beech, hazel, oak and birch. Wild flowers grow in profusion in hedgerows that are centuries old.

The slopes of the mountains are convex, rising steeply out of the valleys but gradually easing up to the long north-south ridges covered in heather, bilberry and bracken. Therefore, on most walks the steepest climbing comes first. The reward is often a long, gentle and uninterrupted ridge walk with spectacular views.

The twenty walks in this book are circular and mostly about 5 to 7 miles in length; several are a little longer up to 10 miles. The routes are designed to let you discover the best of the Black Mountains including its most beautiful sights and its fascinating and long history. Each walk chapter starts with a brief description and information about how to get to the start. The main detailed route description has numbered paragraphs and a sketch map with the paragraph numbers shown as location points is included.

The walk locations are:
Rhos Dirion from Rhos Fach - 5.5 miles
Capel-y-ffin, Darren Lwyd and Twmpa - 6 miles
Llanthony and the Vale of Eywas - 8.5 miles
Llanthony, Chwarel-y.Fan and Offa's Dyke - 9 miles
Pengenffordd, Y Grib and Waun Fach - 7 miles
Pont Cadwgan and Valley of Grwyne Fawr - 5 miles
Llanthony, Offa's Dyke and Beacons Way - 5 miles
Longtown and Offa's Dyke - 5 miles
Black Hill - 5 miles
Tretower, Cefn Moel and Cwm Clarach - 7 miles
Llwyn Du, Y Deri and The Sugar Loaf - 5.5 miles
Cwm Gwenffrwd and The Sugar Loaf - 5.5 miles
Llanfihangel Crucorney and Hatterrall Hill
Around Twyn-y-Gaer - 5 miles
Mynydd Llysiau and the Grwyne Fechan - 9.5 miles
Crickhowell, Table Mountain and Pen Cerrig-Calch - 6 miles
Mynydd Du and the Black Mountains heights - 9 miles
Hay-on-Wye, Cusop Dingle and Hay Bluff - 9 miles
Pengenffordd and Mynydd Troed - 3.75 miles
Blaen-sorgwm and Mynydd Llangorse - 4.25 miles

ISBN 9781902302928 Pages 41 (2011) 148mm x 210mm