Taf Fechan and Taff Trail

very enjoyable walk weather was stunning easy walk

This is definitely not flat. Gradual climbs and descents along the walk until you come off of the Taff Trail. From there the path climbs steeply for around 4-5km with a number of false peaks reaching around 1700ft. When you reach the highest point the walk then plateaus over the Roman Road leading to the drop down through woodland into Dol-y-gaer. Worth mentioning that at the crossing of Lower Neuadd Reservoir there is a new pathway and bridge meaning it’s very accessible.

Map is fairy straight forward to follow. Lovely hike with stunning views of the mountains and lakes. Mostly flat. Good run for the dogs but some of the trail is along the roads. Would definitely recommend

We walked this with some alterations. Namely at the early point below the small reservoir, instead of following the trail back down the valley we climbed all the way up to to Beacon's Way and followed it down to rejoin the path at the Taff Trail section. I would thoroughly recommend this as it offers gorgeous views and a much more isolated walking experience. After the switchback up near Tolybont reservoir the hike takes you over some beautiful sheep and horse fields and was absolutely magnificent. Again, very isolated and some great places to stop to eat depending on the wind. The second alteration was towards the end when you reach the valley heading towards Pentwyn Reservoir we chose to stay up on the fire road rather than descend into the valley and cross the water. This means we avoided walking on the road and for to enjoy the last hour of sunshine that lit up the valley as we walked. I would really recommend this hike if you're getting into it and you want something a little more challenging with some good ascents. It was also great for me as it was my first time using a map and really helped me get to grips with using landmarks and contours to understand where I was. Take plenty of water, there weren't any sources or taps that I could see.