Mynydd Troed Copa Deheuol

The walk up Mynydd Troed Copa Deheuol from Crickhowell is one of those routes that rewards you properly without demanding anything cruel in return. Starting from the town itself - which is charming without being twee, built around a proper little high street - you climb steadily through farmland and then onto open moorland until the summit reveals itself at around 500 metres. The views across the Black Mountains and down the Usk Valley are genuinely excellent, the kind that make you understand why people keep coming back to this part of Wales.

It's a moderate walk, probably two to three hours there and back depending on your pace and how long you linger at the top. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find it a bit wearing. The terrain is mostly good underfoot, though it can be boggy after rain, so proper boots are essential rather than optional.

What makes this particular peak worth the effort is its position - you're not battling the crowds you'd find on Pen y Ghent or Ingleborough, yet the payoff is comparable. On a clear day the visibility stretches for miles. Come early if you can, not for crowds exactly, but because the light's better before midday.

Stay at Cwmdu Campsite just down the road - 2.7 miles away and properly rated - and you can tackle this as part of a longer walking weekend exploring the Brecon Beacons foothills. Pencelli Castle and Bryndu offer alternatives if Cwmdu's full, both excellent bases for similar routes.