Wales
Allt Forgan
512M
1681FT
About Allt Forgan
A modest outlier of the Brecon Beacons, Allt Forgan is the kind of hill that watches the crowds flock to Pen y Fan with a smug sense of quiet superiority. Rising steeply above the Talybont Reservoir, it offers superb views without the queue for a summit selfie.
Key Statistics
Rank
88th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
34.7m
Nearest Town
Powys
Geology
You’re trekking over the Brownstones Formation, which is made of alternating layers of hardy sandstone and softer, muddy rocks.
Find It
Latitude
51.8509°N
Longitude
3.3589°W
Did You Know?
- •The hill stands sentinel over the Talybont Reservoir, a 1930s engineering project that submerged several homesteads and a section of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway.
- •Its name is derived from the Welsh 'Allt' meaning a wooded slope or hillside, which accurately describes the punishing verticality you'll face before reaching the gentler summit plateau.
- •Geologically, it marks the edge of the Old Red Sandstone plateau, providing a stark aesthetic contrast to the limestone scarps found further south in the national park.
- •While the central peaks suffer from summit erosion due to heavy footfall, Allt Forgan remains largely wild, mostly because most hikers find the lower forestry tracks utterly baffling.
- •The summit cairn is so unassuming that you might accidentally walk past it while checking your map, leading to a confusing descent into a bog you never intended to visit.