Mynydd Mallaen

A vast, wild plateau rising above the Cothi Valley, Mynydd Mallaen is less of a mountain and more of a giant, heather-clad landing strip for confused clouds. It offers profound solitude, Bronze Age archaeology, and enough squelchy peat bog to swallow a hiker's dignity whole.

• •The plateau is home to several significant Bronze Age cairns, most notably Crugiau Merched, or the 'Cairns of the Daughters.' These ancient burial mounds suggest the area was a significant ceremonial landscape some four millennia ago.
• •The Romans were famously active nearby at the Dolaucothi Gold Mines. While they were busy extracting wealth from the earth, they likely used these high ridges to monitor the movements of the Silures tribe in the valleys below.
• •The historic 'Bishop's Road' traverses the moorland, a route once used by the Bishops of St Davids traveling between their regional palaces. It remains one of the most atmospheric, if occasionally soggy, ancient tracks in Central Wales.
• •The area is a stronghold for the Red Kite, Wales's national bird of prey. They provide excellent company for the lonely hiker, though their effortless soaring tends to make your heavy-booted trudge through the heather feel remarkably ungainly.
• •Navigating the summit plateau in mist is a masterclass in humility, as the lack of distinct features makes every sheep path look like a major highway. You haven't truly experienced Mallaen until you've spent twenty minutes stalking a 'mysterious monolith' that turns out to be a discarded salt lick.