Wales
Fan Gyhirych
726M
2382FT
About 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.
Key Statistics
Rank
16th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
282m
Nearest Town
Cray
Geology
Fan Gyhirych is built from alternating layers of sandstone and muddy stone. These durable rocks form the solid foundation beneath your boots as you climb.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SN880191
Latitude
51.8592°N
Longitude
3.6278°W
Did You Know?
- •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.