Mountain rank by height: 154 out of 188
Height: 2,073ft | 632m
Region: Brecon Beacons
Grid Ref: SN938186

Fan Llia is a really nice walk along the Beacons Way from Storey Arms car park. You can easily tick off Craig Cerrig-gleisiad on the way, with only a slight detour to tick off Fan Frynych as well. A gradual climb from Storey Arms gives way to open moorland walking that is flat or gently sloping, with occasional boggy patches and scarred water ways that are only active in heavy rain.

Fan Llia
Fan Llia is on the left, the wide open path gently descends to a watery bottom, before you ascend gently left towards the summit. Tamron Adaptall SP 24-48 @ 24mm, f8.

The walk is very open with vast views in every direction and it feels really gentle with soft ground underfoot and no steep ascents or descents for the middle part. It is also a very quiet route, despite all of the car parks at Storey Arms being full – along with the verges – I only saw 8 people on the entire four mountain route. Whilst all of the crowds are heading up Pen y Fan this is a very peaceful alternative.

Fan Llia
Gentle slopes. Tamron Adaptall SP 24-48 @ 24mm, f8.
Fan Llia
Approaching the summit the terrain gets more varied. Hidden in this valley is Ystradfellte Reservoir. Tamron Adaptall SP 24-48 @ 24mm, f8.
Fan Llia
Fan Llia summit stones looking towards Pen y Fan. You can also see Fan Fawr – right, Craig Cerrig-gleisiad, middle left and Fan Frynych far left. Tamron Adaptall SP 24-48 @ 24mm, f8.

The actual summit is marked by a small pile of rocks, but at the end of the ridgeway there is a substantial cairn, offering amazing views South.

Fan Llia
The smooth walk from the summit to the cairn. Tamron Adaptall SP 24-48mm @ 24mm, f8.
Fan Llia
The cairn. Tamron Adaptall SP 24-48 @ 24mm, f8.

You can choose to retrace your steps back to Storey Arms from this cairn, or you can head left – there are a couple of faint tracks – down to Ystradfellte Reservoir, crossing over the damn and heading up the steep opposite side to head back to Storey Arms via Fan Fawr.

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