Bryn-Y-Fan

The walk up Bryn-Y-Fan from Llanidloes is one of those properly rewarding slogs that leaves you wondering why you don't do this sort of thing more often. It's a modest peak by Welsh standards - nothing that'll have your legs screaming - but the views across Powys are genuinely worth the effort, especially on a clear day when you can see for miles across the moorland.

You're looking at roughly an hour up, maybe 45 minutes back down if your knees are cooperating. It's free, obviously - you just turn up and start walking. The route's straightforward enough, though it can get boggy in places, so proper boots matter. Best tackled in the morning when the light's good and before the cloud rolls in, which it often does up here even when the lowlands look fine.

This isn't a destination for the restless or young children, to be honest. It's a walker's outing, the kind of thing that appeals to people who like getting out of breath and earning their tea. The payoff is that quiet satisfaction you get from reaching the top and realizing you've properly exerted yourself.

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks dotted around Llanidloes - Red Kite or Clywedog Riverside are close by - Bryn-Y-Fan works well as a morning or afternoon activity. Pair it with a proper lunch back in town and you've got a solid day. The peak gives you genuine perspective on why people choose to holiday out here rather than on the coast.