Moelfryn Mawr

The walk up Moelfryn Mawr rewards you with proper views across the Elan Valley - the sort of vista that makes you understand why people bother with hills in the first place. It's a straightforward climb from Rhayader, nothing that demands technical kit, though your legs will know about it. The summit itself is modest in height but the exposure feels greater than the numbers suggest, with the landscape rolling away in all directions. On a clear day you can pick out the reservoirs glinting below, and the moorland stretches far enough that you lose sight of civilisation entirely. Most walkers tackle it in under two hours round trip, so it's ideal if you're based at one of the nearby parks - Elan Oaks is barely a mile away - and want something that doesn't swallow your whole afternoon. Families with older kids will manage fine; younger ones might find the descent tedious. The terrain is moorland and bracken rather than technical scrambling, though it can get boggy after rain. Worth doing on a settled day when the weather's cooperating, because in cloud it becomes a fairly featureless trudge. Go early if you can - the car parking situation at the trailhead is tight, and by mid-morning at weekends you might find yourself circling. Combine it with the Elan Valley reservoirs circuit if you want to make a proper day of it. Free to access, naturally - it's a Welsh hill.