Halloween Overnight Shuffle in the Brecon Beacons

Optional pub dinner, then a 10 minute drive to the walk start. We will go up through a very steep meadow to the path of the Breakneck and Murder railway, then follow the railway route to the bent 666 yard long  Torpantau Tunnel. Another steep ascent to the summit of Craig y Fan Ddu (683 metres).  If the weather is good, with no risk of lightning, we’ll sleep high up, otherwise drop to a more sheltered area to sleep, then past a series of waterfalls to the car park. We will then go by car to explore the cave entrances on the Llangattock escarpment.

Unless you are experienced and comfortable summiting 800 metre mountains, this event is not suitable for you. If you are experienced and comfortable summiting 800 metre mountains, this is the ideal opportunity for a first attempt at walking at night and walking in poor weather and carrying a heavy pack and wild camping – we’re only going up one mountain and we’re only hiking a short distance and if the weather becomes severe, we can shelter in the railway tunnel.

This event is in a challenging mountain environment at night, in late Autumn, participants must be prepared to walk and sleep in cold, wet and windy conditions. If the weather is severe, the event will happen, but at lower altitude, in more sheltered areas. You will need suitable equipment and enough food and drink, PLEASE READ THE “WHAT TO BRING” AND “FOOD AND DRINK SECTIONS”.

Those participating in the pub dinner should arrive at the White Hart Inn in time to order food at 18:30 (please say in the comments section at the end of this post, that you will be participating in the dinner).

We will meet up with the non-diners (who need to have recently eaten a substantial meal) to depart in convoy from the White Hart at 19:30 to get to the low car park beyond Talybont reservoir at 19:45 and start walking by 20:00.

We will go up through a very steep meadow to the path of the Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway (known locally as the Breakneck and Murder railway, owing to a tendency to have serious accidents, caused by the steep gradients to the highest railway tunnel in Britain). We then follow the railway route to the bent 666 yard long  Torpantau Tunnel (where we will have a snack whilst while searching for the paranormal).  Another steep ascent to the summit of Craig y Fan Ddu (683) metres. If the weather is good, with no risk of lightning, we’ll sleep high up, otherwise drop to a more sheltered area. We’ll get up no later than 7:00am, then past a series of waterfalls to the car park. We will then breakfast and go by car to explore the cave entrances on the Llangattock escarpment.