Esgair Penygarreg

Overlooking the deep blue waters of the Elan Valley, this broad moorland ridge offers a grandstand view of the Pen y Garreg Reservoir and its wooded shores. It is a quintessential Mid-Wales hill, featuring quiet, pathless slopes and expansive views stretching toward the distant, rugged crown of Drygarn Fawr.

• •The name is Welsh, with Esgair meaning a long ridge or 'shank', and Pen y Garreg translating to 'head of the rock', likely referring to the craggy outcrops that break through the grass above the reservoir.
• •From the eastern slopes, you can look directly down on the Pen y Garreg Dam; during periods of high rainfall, the sight of water thundering over the central masonry is one of the Elan Valley's most impressive spectacles.
• •The summit is often visited as part of a longer circuit exploring the 'Lakeland of Wales', providing a wilder, more solitary perspective of the valley than the popular lower-level walks near Rhayader.
• •In a valley famous for its massive Victorian engineering projects, this hill remains one of the few features here that wasn't designed by a committee of Birmingham water board officials.