All walks › Bannau Brycheiniog: Central Beacons
Bannau Brycheiniog: Central BeaconsTaff Trail: Merthyr to Talybont
The mountain section of the Taff Trail, climbing out of the valleys over the Bannau on old railway and tramroad to the Usk.
- Distance
- 8.7 mi / 14 km
- Time
- 4 hr 30
- Ascent
- 350 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
The trail climbs north from Merthyr past the reservoirs and over the Torpantau pass, dropping to Talybont. Long but on good surfaces.
Worth knowing
- The Torpantau tunnel is closed but the trail goes over the top of it.
- The climb is long and steady rather than steep, being on railway gradients.
- Talybont at the far end has good pubs and the canal.
What you’ll see
The Taf Fawr reservoirs, forestry, the pass at Torpantau, and the Usk valley beyond.
Background
The Brecon and Merthyr Railway crossed here on some of the steepest gradients in Britain, and the trail follows its formation.