Fan Gyhirych

Standing as a prominent sentinel in the Fforest Fawr, this bulky sandstone massif offers a more rugged character than many of its eastern neighbours. Its dramatic eastern face drops steeply into the head of the Tawe Valley, providing a sharp contrast to the broad, boggy plateau that stretches westward toward the Cray Reservoir.

• •The name is derived from the Welsh 'Fan', meaning peak or beacon, and 'Gyhirych', which likely refers to 'cyhir' (muscle or tendon), descriptive of the hill's sinewy, ribbed ridges.
• •The summit provides an exceptional perspective of the central Brecon Beacons to the east, specifically the sharp profiles of Corn Du and Pen y Fan, which look surprisingly distant from this quieter western vantage point.
• •To the west, the hill overlooks the blue expanse of the Cray Reservoir, a Victorian engineering project completed in 1907 to supply water to the city of Swansea.
• •The northern slopes contain the remains of an old quarry and the traces of a long-abandoned tramroad, evidence of the historical extraction of limestone from the mountain’s flanks.
• •Despite its status as a Marilyn and a Hewitt, Fan Gyhirych is often overlooked by hikers heading for the more popular peaks, meaning you are far more likely to share the summit with a Red Kite than another person.