Foel Lluestbadlon

Rising above the remote Claerwen Reservoir, this grassy summit embodies the wild, trackless character of the Cambrian Mountains. It is a hill of peat and moorland, offering a solitary experience in the heart of Mid-Wales. The top provides expansive views across the rolling, uninhabited plateaus often called the Great Desert of Wales.

• •The name combines the Welsh 'Foel' (bare hill) and 'Lluest' (a shieling or shepherd’s hut), suggesting its historical importance for seasonal upland grazing.
• •From the summit, walkers can look down upon the massive Claerwen Dam, a Victorian-style gravity dam that was actually completed in 1952 to double the Elan Valley's water capacity.
• •The hill is a prime vantage point for viewing the higher dome of Drygarn Fawr to the south-west, one of the most remote points in the country.
• •The surrounding terrain is part of a vast area famously devoid of roads; in these peat-heavy moorlands, a compass and waterproof gaiters are more essential than a fast pace.