I started this walk by summiting Pant y Creigiau, a 565m hill just South of the start of the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe walk – if you are doing it counter-clockwise. Bryniau Gleision is a 538m hill on the same ridgeway slightly further South and East of Pant y Creigiau. You can continue on the ridgeway to Tor y Foel if you want, but I did that independently as I didn’t fancy the long walk back along the ridgeway.
Views are impressive, when weather is good, and the hills are worth walking, you will also find them much quieter than the main Beacons as they are not mountains. Tracks are good, but also show significant wear and tear from motorbikes, something you don’t tend to get on the actual Beacons Mountains.
You can park at the end of the ridgeway and you could loop back on the walk via various footpaths lower down if you wish, I took the shortest route there and back to tick off these two hills.
Bryniau Gleision has no summit mark or trig point, but from the OS map it seems the highest point is a very distinct point, a little nipple of grass. There is a point a few metres away that looks just as high, but it is really hard to tell. Either way, views are good – and would be even better on a clear day.
I was able to look back to Pant y Creigiau along the ridgeway and down to Talybont reservoir and Tor y Foel, but the main Beacons were obscured in cloud. It is a good ridgeway walk and on a day with a good sky I think it would offer some great photos of the Beacons.