Dragon’s Back Walk: Waun Fach Circular from Pengenffordd

Region: Black Mountains, Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, Wales

Places To Stay: Base yourself in Hay-on-Wye or Brecon for bookshops, pubs and easy access to the Bannau Brycheiniog, or stay in Talgarth if you want a short drive to the start (plus you’ve got cafés, history and Talgarth Mill at the finish). Looking for more Welsh walks? Head to my ‘Wales Hiking Guides‘ page to see all regions and routes.

The Dragon’s Back and Waun Fach Circular is one of my favourite mountain walks in South Wales, combining a brilliant undulating ridge, an Iron Age hillfort, wild open moorland and some of the best views anywhere in the Black Mountains.

The Dragon’s Back gets its name from the succession of steep rises and dips you cross on the way towards Waun Fach, which from a distance resemble the spine of a sleeping dragon. At 811 metres, Waun Fach is the highest mountain in the Black Mountains and one of the major summits of the Bannau Brycheiniog.

But this isn’t simply a walk where everything is about reaching the highest point.

Almost immediately you’re climbing towards Castell Dinas, an Iron Age hillfort later occupied by a medieval castle, before following the Dragon’s Back itself towards increasingly wild and open mountain terrain.

I’ve walked plenty of mountains across South Wales, but the views from this route are still some of my favourites. On a clear day the combination of the Rhiangoll Valley, surrounding Black Mountains and ridges stretching away into the distance is spectacular.

There are often ponies grazing on the open mountain as well, and when the wind comes racing through these valleys, the Dragon’s Back can feel far wilder than its relatively accessible starting point might suggest.

Exploring more of the Black Mountains? This isn’t the only way to climb Waun Fach. For a longer and more remote day in the mountains, try my 16 km Waun Fach Circular from Mynydd Du, which approaches the summit via Chwarel y Fan, Rhos Dirion and Pen y Manllwyn. You can also explore my complete Black Mountains Hiking Guide or discover more routes in my 10 Best Walks in the Bannau Brycheiniog guide.

Staying overnight? Check my guide to the Best Places To Stay in the Brecon Beacons

Below are a few ideas for day tours around the Brecon Beacons / Black Mountains area. GetYourGuide makes it easy to book + see more here.

For a bigger selection of Brecon Beacons accommodation, Booking.com has plenty of cottages, lodges and hotels to browse.

Getting There: Directions, GPX and Map

• Start/Finish: This hike has a designated car park, and has pub right next to it called the Dinas Castle Inn’, which by the way is the highest pub in the Brecon Beacons! – Google Maps pin.
• Postcode: LD3 0EP
• Parking: The route starts beside the Dinas Castle Inn at Pengenffordd. Parking arrangements and charges can change, so check the current instructions when you arrive rather than relying on older information.
• GPX: Download the GPX file here.
• You can also view and follow this route on Outdooractive and Komoot profiles.
• Avoid the early start: find accommodation in Brecon.

Travel Data: I use eSIMs to stay connected — quick setup and no roaming faff when I’m heading further afield. Sim Local has been solid in Europe with good prices and coverage.

The starting point is considerably more rural than many of my walks, so travelling by car is the easiest option. Whichever way you arrive, make sure you have the route downloaded before setting off because mobile reception cannot be relied upon in the mountains.

Hike Profile

• Distance: ~11 km (7 miles) circular
• Duration: 3–4 hours
• Highest point: Waun Fach – 811 m / 2,661 ft
• Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
• Start / Finish: Pengenffordd
• Terrain: Steep grassy climbs, ridge paths, open moorland, improved stone paths, farmland and lanes
• Main Highlights: Castell Dinas, Dragon’s Back and Waun Fach
• Best For: Mountain views, history, ridge walking and Black Mountains scenery
• Navigation: Straightforward in good visibility; map/GPX strongly recommended
• Route Type: Circular

Route Overview

Section	From → To	Terrain	Approx. Distance	Notes
1	Pengenffordd → Castell Dinas	Field and steep hillside paths	~1 km	A steep start towards the remains of the hillfort and castle.
2	Castell Dinas → Dragon’s Back	Ridge path	~2 km	Begin crossing the distinctive succession of rises and dips.
3	Dragon’s Back → Waun Fach	Mountain and moorland paths	~2.5 km	Longer climb onto increasingly open terrain towards the 811 m summit.
4	Waun Fach → descent cairn	High moorland	2 km	Leave the summit and begin descending with huge valley views.
5	Cairn → Rhiangoll Valley	Steep mountain path	~1.5 km	Sharp turn and descent towards the valley.
6	Rhiangoll Valley → Pengenffordd	Farm tracks and lanes	2 km	Gentler finish through farmland back to the start.

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Hike Description

The walk begins at Pengenffordd, beside the Dinas Castle Inn. Don’t expect much of a warm-up because this route gets down to business almost immediately. From the parking area, I like to start directly behind the car park, dropping down towards the stile before crossing into the field and beginning the climb.

Castell Dinas – A Mountain with Thousands of Years of History

This is one of the things I love about the Dragon’s Back route. Before you’ve even reached the main ridge, you’re walking through thousands of years of Welsh history. The remains sit dramatically above the Rhiangoll Valley, occupying exactly the sort of commanding position you’d choose if you wanted to watch movement through the surrounding landscape.

The site began as an Iron Age hillfort, with substantial defensive earthworks surrounding the summit. During the medieval period, a stone castle was subsequently constructed within the earlier fortifications. There isn’t a complete castle waiting for you at the top today. What remains is much more subtle, traces of stonework, banks, ditches and earthworks spread across the hillside.

But in some ways that makes it more interesting. You have to look at the shape of the ground and imagine what once stood here, all while the Black Mountains are opening up around you.

From Castell Dinas, continue climbing towards the feature that gives this walk its name.

Walking the Dragon’s Back

This is where the route really comes alive. Ahead is a succession of grassy humps rising and falling along the ridge, creating the unmistakable appearance of a dragon’s spine. And you don’t simply walk alongside them.

You go up one, down the other side, then up again.

It makes this section surprisingly physical because you repeatedly gain height only to lose some of it again, but it’s also what makes the Dragon’s Back such a fun route.

More importantly, the views become better with almost every climb.

Looking back towards Pengenffordd, Castell Dinas gradually becomes smaller beneath you, while the Rhiangoll Valley stretches away alongside the ridge.

This is the point where I usually end up stopping because the views are genuinely some of my favourites anywhere in South Wales.

Into the High Black Mountains

Beyond the most obvious humps of the Dragon’s Back, the character of the landscape begins to change. The greener slopes gradually give way to the broader, rougher moorland surrounding Waun Fach. This is proper Black Mountains terrain.

The landscape becomes increasingly open, trees disappear completely and on a poor-weather day there can be very little between you and whatever is coming across the mountains.

Historically, this area also had a reputation for being extremely boggy.

Anyone who walked Waun Fach years ago will probably remember the summit as much for disappearing into peat as for the view. Path restoration has improved some of the worst sections considerably, but this is still upland moorland and wet conditions should always be expected.

You may also encounter ponies grazing across the open mountain, something that adds even more character to this section.

Waun Fach – 811 Metres

At 811 metres / 2,661 feet, Waun Fach is the highest summit in the Black Mountains. But if you’re expecting a sharp rocky summit like Tryfan, this isn’t it.

Waun Fach is broad, open and distinctly moorland-like, in fact, its Welsh name translates roughly as “small moor”. The summit itself can almost feel understated compared with the drama of the route you’ve taken to reach it.

For me, though, the Dragon’s Back isn’t really a walk where everything depends on the summit. The journey up here is the attraction.

Castell Dinas, the rolling ridge, the Rhiangoll Valley and the constantly changing views are what make this route special.

And now you get to see the landscape from another angle.

Descending from Waun Fach

From Waun Fach, begin heading away from the summit and gradually angle across the mountain to start the return.

After the broad summit terrain, those huge views begin appearing again as you lose height. This was also where, on one of my walks here, we discovered just how powerful the wind can become.

As it funnelled through the Grwyne Fechan valley, the wind suddenly hit us with far more force than we’d experienced earlier in the walk. I’ve included the video from that day above because the sound probably demonstrates the conditions better than I ever could in words.

It caught all of us by surprise. But strangely, it also made the walk more memorable. That’s the Black Mountains for you.

You can start beneath blue skies in a sheltered valley and a couple of hours later find yourself leaning into the wind on an exposed mountainside.

Down into the Rhiangoll Valley

Continue descending until you reach the large cairn marking an important change of direction. Here, make the sharp right turn and begin dropping towards the Rhiangoll Valley.

After hours spent on open ridges and moorland, the change feels quite dramatic. The mountains begin rising around you rather than sitting beneath you, vegetation becomes greener and eventually you reach the lanes and farmland around Cwmforest.

The final section follows the quieter working landscape beneath the mountains, passing through farmland and following the various twists and turns back towards Pengenffordd. And this final section gives you one last perspective on the Dragon’s Back.

Looking back towards the ridge, it’s surprising how far away Waun Fach suddenly seems. Eventually you’ll arrive back beside the Dinas Castle Inn and the starting point.

If the pub is open, I always think it’s a nice gesture to call in for a drink or something to eat after using an area like this for a day’s walking. More importantly, you’ve just completed what I still consider one of the best mountain circuits in South Wales.

It’s got a bit of everything: Iron Age history, a ruined medieval castle, wild ponies, steep climbs, a brilliant ridge, the highest mountain in the Black Mountains and some absolutely spectacular views.

Places to Stay in Hay-on-Wye & Talgarth

For a bigger selection of Brecon Beacons accommodation, Booking.com has plenty of cottages, lodges and hotels to browse.

Recommended Stays

Staying overnight? Check my guide to the Best Places To Stay in the Brecon Beacons

Practicalities

• Difficulty: Moderate to difficult. There isn’t any technical scrambling, but the repeated climbs over the Dragon’s Back make this considerably more strenuous than the distance alone suggests.
• Weather: Take the exposed nature of this route seriously. Wind across Waun Fach and the surrounding ridges can be extremely strong.
• Navigation: Relatively straightforward in clear conditions, but Waun Fach is broad and featureless in poor visibility. Carry a map and have the GPX downloaded offline.
• Footwear: Proper walking boots or good waterproof trail shoes are recommended. Moorland sections can remain wet even after improvements to the paths.
• Food & Water: Carry enough for a half-day mountain walk. There are no facilities once you’re on the mountain.
• Parking: Check the current arrangements at Pengenffordd when you arrive rather than assuming previous charges or payment methods still apply.
• Dogs: Dogs can enjoy the route, but keep them under close control around livestock and ponies.
• Wild Ponies: Give them space and don’t feed them.
• Winter: Short daylight, ice, snow, boggy ground and strong winds can transform the difficulty of this walk.
• Best Season: Spring through autumn provides the easiest conditions, although a clear winter day in the Black Mountains can be spectacular.
• Good For: Mountain scenery, Welsh history, ridge walking, photography and anyone wanting an alternative to the busier central Bannau Brycheiniog summits.

Dragon’s Back Circular FAQs

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