The impressive Black Mountains sit right on the Eastern edge of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. Stretching across parts of three different counties including Powys, Monmouthshire and the Welsh-English border into Herefordshire. These scenic peeks attract far less visitors than Pen y Fan, meaning you can have these incredible Welsh mountain summits pretty much all to yourself, without a single queue in sight. Which for me, instantly makes The Black Mountains in South Wales worth visiting.
There are many different walks throughout this mountainous area, but today I’m here to tell you about taking the Dragons Back to Waun Fach. With a height of 811 meters, this happens to be the highest peak in the Black Mountains!
The scenery and endless views along this hike are breath-taking, you can actually spot the iconic Pen y Fan and the central Brecon Beacons on the horizon in the distance.
Even the name of this Welsh hike sounds epic don’t you think? Photo’s don’t show it quite as clearly, but in real life the ridgeline of these mountains actually resembles a curled up dragon.
If you fancy giving the Dragons Back to Waun Fach hike a go, then here’s everything you need to know.
In this article...
How long does the hike along Dragons Back to Waun Fach take?
This mountain walk took us just over 5 hours in total, but that did include stopping to admire the views, rest stops and a well deserved lunch break at the summit.
Total walking time was just under 4.5 hours and on average you should be able to do this walk in 4-5 hours at an average walking pace.
Where to park for the Dragons Back walk
There is a small carpark called ‘Dragons Back carpark’ which actually belongs to the pub named Dinas Castle Inn (which used to be called The Dragons Back) They have two carparks, and you need to make sure you park in the correct one. The one opposite the pub is for pub/accommodation guests only, whilst the other car park next to the pub is for the walkers.
You can park here all day for £2, remember to bring some change as this is paid into an honesty box. This carpark is only small (roughly 15-20 cars) and does fill up quickly during peak season so you’ll need to arrive early. Or if possible, come on a week day for better chance of easily bagging yourself a parking space here.
We drove to Wales from Somerset in England, which meant we didn’t get here until 10:30, and it was no surprise that the Dragons Back carpark was already chocka-block.
Luckily we found a small layby just a short way up the A479 with enough room for 3-4 cars. It did involve a touch of parallel parking, but we managed to bag ourselves the last space.
This parking space actually worked out perfectly as there is a super convenient bridal path back down to the Dragons Back carpark. Which saved us from having to walk along the fairly busy main road and only added on an extra 5 minutes of walking.
Just make sure you get in as close to the wall as possible and tuck your wing mirror right in. This is a busy road and cars do drive quite fast. The last thing you want after a long hike is to find your wing mirror dangling from the side of your car!
Is Dragons Back to Waun Fach a loop?
Circular walks are my favourite type of walks. It means you keep discovering new views and places throughout the entire hike, without having to repeat any sections which can make walks a little less interesting sometimes.
Thankfully the Dragons Back to Waun Fach hike completes a full loop, starting and finishing at the Dragons Back carpark.
How high is Waun Fach?
Waun Fach is 811 meters tall, making it the third highest peak in the Brecon Beacons and Southern Britain.
Just below Pen y Fan (886m) which is twin-topped with Corn Du (873m)
How hard is this hike up Waun Fach?
This walk isn’t at all technical, there’s zero scrambling involved and it’s fairly straight forward to navigate. So in that sense this hike is easy. However, it does have plenty of steep inclines which start pretty much from the get go with 650 meters of elevation gain in total.
The blessing is; this walk ebbs and flows all the way along the dragons back, providing you with snippets of respite between each peak.
Overall, I would class this walk as moderate. Purely for the multiple steep inclines you will encounter and because of the length of this walk.
So long as you’re relatively fit (in the sense that you can easily walk for a few hours) then you’ll be able to do it.
What should you wear
We went up the Dragons Back and Waun Fach on a surprisingly warm Septembers day, so we did keep adding and removing layers along the way.
Ultimately it gets windier the higher and more exposed you become. You’ll definitely need walking boots and a windproof/waterproof coat. Even during the summer, i would keep one in your rucksack just in case.
Check the weather forecast before you head up, to make sure you dress accordingly. And always check the Mountain Weather Forecast too. As this will tell you things like wind speeds and visibility warnings.
Should you go clockwise or anti-clockwise
You can choose to do this walk in either direction. However the last section is pretty uninspiring and it’s downhill the entire way, so I’m glad that was our return route (even though the steep decline was making my toes sore!) I think walking up that way would have felt like an everlasting slog!
We went clockwise, along the dragons back to reach Wuan Fach at the end. That’s the way I would personally recommend you do it too. I will say though, we saw lots of other walkers doing it anti-clockwise.
Things youll see along the way
Other then the stupendous mountain views you’ll enjoy for 90% of this hike, you’ll also come to Dinas Castle. At 450m above sea level, this was once the highest castle in all of England and Wales. There isn’t much remaining, it’s mostly grassy mounds and a few remnants of crumbled stone walls. It’s still cool nonetheless and a great place to stop and soak in the 360 degree views.
You’ll also meet lots of wild horses who call this place home and you’ll cross through a little ford on the way back to the carpark.
How to start the Dragons Back to Waun Fach walk
If you start in the Dragons Back carpark, you will see some steps taking you down in to the bridal path below. From there, head right and a few meters away you will see a couple wooden steps and a stile on the left taking you into a field. You’ll probably be able to see a trodden path, but keep to the left of the field.
Next you’ll see another stile and some chunky stepping stones helping you to cross a small stream. Head up the first steep hill and you may even see some friendly sheep in the field next door.
You’ll come to another gate, and then follow the trodden path up that hill, which takes you over to the right hand side of this field. Once you’ve made it to the top, you’ll already have incredible mountain views and you’ll be at the Dinas castle ruins. We had incredible cloud inversion on our hike, so this looked extra special.
Cross the castle grounds (or walk around it) then drop down the side of the hill. You’ll arrive at a 5-bar gate and stile, hop over that, then follow the path up the ridge in front of you. You’ll see trodden steps which actually help a little!
We found a little stone wind shelter up here. Then you simply follow the up and downs all the way along the wide open ridge of the Dragons back. As you get higher, you’ll be able to see Pen y Fan pop into view. The land turns a little more boggy in places on the plateaus and the incline gradient is less savage.
You will eventually find a gravel track where you will turn right and continue along the ridge. We saw a glider plane fly over us too.
Eventually you’ll arrive at the small and almost missable trig marker of Waun Fach! The summit is a wide open space which doesn’t have the same grandeur as some other peaks do, like Snowdon’s summit for example. However, the 360 panoramic views make up for the downfall of the underwhelming trig point!
Turn right, and follow the path back down. There were some steps here, which is where we stopped for lunch whilst watching a harem of wild horses.
You’ll notice the National Trust have carried out some repair work up here. Due to fire damage caused in the 1970’s, they have been covering over the exposed peat to help trap it’s harmful carbon dioxide emissions.
You’ll see Sugar Loaf mountain in the distance and a little rocky outcrop. Drop down until you reach this pile of stones, and then turn right at the stone marker. Cut your way along the side of the mountain.
As you continue to decline along the trodden path, the Brecon Beacons will disappear from your view . Cross a tiny trickling stream of water. Then just follow along the side of the mountain and follow the track down.
You’ll come to a gate, and then take the stony track. Be careful, this is loose scree and its easy to slip! I did, in the most slow motion fall ever which provided a good laugh for myself and James. This track had excess rain water running down from the mountain and was very muddy.
The track will come to and end. Turn right and head along the narrow quiet country road. You’ll follow the tight corner up and around, heading past a backpackers on the bend.
Continue on, then on the bend you will see a dirt track cutting into a woodland area. You’ll need to cross the road and head in there.
Cross the small stream, there are a couple rocks in there to help you. Then just follow this bridal path all the way back up to the carpark.
Follow my route on Alltrails
Here is my Alltrails route if you would like to follow along the exact route I took.
Places to stay Dragons Back & Waun Fach
We stayed at the most romantic shepherds hut which is situated in the foothill of the Black Mountains, only a short 10 minute drive away. If you’re looking to treat your special someone, then I can’t recommend this place more!
The Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks has three unique shepherds huts in the field, each with their own style and layout. We stayed in Dafad Du which comes with a free standing copper bath in the bedroom. It’s a great place to enjoy a spot of stargazing too, as this is right on the edge of the Brecon Beacons Official Dark Sky Reserve.
I have a full article on Dafad Du, which I’ll leave linked here if you want to check this place out.
A little closer to Pen y Fan is The Hay Loft which is much bigger and super lovely. I’ll leave that one linked here too if you fancy a look!
If neither of those take your fancy, there are loads of other accommodation options near the Black Mountains. Take a look at what’s available on Booking.com
Conclusion
We both thoroughly enjoyed this hike along Dragons Back to Waun Fach. It was challenging at times but the natural ebb and flow of this route provided enough respite for both of us.
It was fun getting to explore the ruins of Dinas Castle along the route to experience where England and Wales’s highest castle once stood. I also loved how much solitude you could find up here, vastly different to Pen y Fan and Snowdon which are always busy with tourists.
The summit marker itself was rather underwhelming and low-key. Especially seeing as this is the third highest mountain in Southern Britain. However, don’t let that prevent you from doing this hike, as the views were seriously stunning! Dragons Back and Waun Fach was a great place to breathe in that fresh mountain air, undergo a bit of a challenge, and help gain a clear mind.
Without a doubt, we will be crossing the border back into Wales to explore more of the Black Mountains.
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