Pen Gloch-y-pibwr

The walk up Pen Gloch-y-pibwr rewards you with views that stretch across the Black Mountains and beyond - proper panoramic stuff if the weather cooperates. It's a straightforward climb from near Crickhowell, taking the better part of an hour depending on your pace and how often you stop to catch your breath.

This is very much a walker's hill rather than a tourist attraction with facilities. There's no visitor centre, no café at the top, no interpretive boards telling you what you're looking at. You get the mountain, the wind, and the Brecon Beacons spread out below you. That's genuinely part of its appeal. The path is well-trodden enough to follow without difficulty, though it's steep enough to have you working for it.

Families with older children will manage fine here. Younger kids might lose interest once the novelty of huffing uphill wears off, and there's nothing to occupy them at the summit itself. For serious walkers and landscape photographers, though, this is exactly the kind of unpretentious peak that makes sense alongside a stay at nearby Cwmdu Campsite - you're staying in proper hiking country.

Time it for late afternoon if you can, when the light softens and you've got a better chance of clear views rather than cloud cover. Allow two to three hours door-to-door including the climb back down. Entry is free - it's just a mountain.