All walks › Rhondda and the Western Valleys
Rhondda and the Western ValleysThe Rhigos Escarpment
High road viewpoint on the edge of the coalfield, with escarpment walking north and the whole of the Vale of Neath below.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 30
- Ascent
- 200 m
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- Shape
- There and back
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
From the viewpoint, tracks follow the escarpment edge in both directions across open moor. Out and back and turn round when you have had enough.
Worth knowing
- The viewpoint layby is on a well-known driving road and gets busy on fine evenings.
- The escarpment drops sharply; keep back from the edge in wind.
- Craig y Llyn behind is the highest point in the historic county of Glamorgan, at 600 metres.
What you’ll see
The Vale of Neath below, Llyn Fawr and Llyn Fach in their cwms, and the Bannau north.
Background
Craig y Llyn’s north-facing cwms hold two lakes scooped by ice, the southernmost glacial cwms in Wales.