Activities in Brecon Beacons
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Beacon Park Boats
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal runs along the foot of the Blorenge mountain, southwest of town. You can take to the water with Beacon Park Boats which rents out electric-powered boats (up to six persons). In a day, you can cruise south to Goytre Wharf, or north to Llangattock and back.
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Blorenge
Abergavenny sits amid three glacially sculpted hills - Ysgyryd Fawr (Skirrid; 486m) to the northeast; Sugar Loaf (596m) to the northwest; and the Blorenge (559m) to the southwest. Each has rewarding walks and fine views of the Usk Valley and the Black Mountains. Although the summit of the Blorenge is closer to town than Sugar Loaf - the round trip is only 5 miles - it is a much steeper and more strenuous outing, and good walking boots are recommended.
Cross the bridge over the Usk on Merthyr Rd and immediately turn right and follow the lane past the cemetery and under the main road. Cross the B4269 road in Llanfoist and follow the lane beside the church until it bends lef…
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Sugar Loaf
Abergavenny sits amid three glacially sculpted hills - Ysgyryd Fawr (Skirrid; 486m) to the northeast; Sugar Loaf (596m) to the northwest; and the Blorenge (559m) to the southwest. Each has rewarding walks and fine views of the Usk Valley and the Black Mountains. Easiest of the three is the cone-shaped Sugar Loaf, which offers a 9-mile return trip from the centre of town to the summit via heath, woodland and the superb viewpoint of Mynydd Llanwenarth.
You can cheat by driving to a car park about halfway up on Mynydd Llanwenarth; from here it's a 4-mile round trip. Head west on the A40, and at the edge of town turn right for Sugar Loaf Vineyards, then go left at the next tw…
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Gap Road
There are lots of opportunities for both on-road cycle-touring and off-road mountain-biking around Brecon; the National Park Visitor Centre at Libanus has information on routes, some of which begin at the centre itself.
The classic off-road route in the Brecon Beacons is the Gap Road, a 24-mile loop from Brecon that takes in a high pass through the hills close to Pen-y-Fan, a descent through Talybont-on-Usk and a final easy return stretch along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Ask for details at Brecon tourist office or the National Park Visitor Centre.
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Welsh Airsports
The Blorenge, rising above Abergavenny to the southwest, is one of Britain's finest paragliding and hang-gliding sites. In fact, it is so important that the Southeast Wales Hang-Gliding and Paragliding Club purchased the mountain in 1998. Several records have been set from here, and the mountain regularly hosts competition events. Welsh Airsports offers instruction in paragliding seven days a week, weather permitting.
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Black Mountain Activities
In Glasbury, 4.5 miles southwest of Hay, Black Mountain Activities offers other activities such as climbing, caving and mountain biking with prices from around £55 per person per day. They do hire out mountain bikes (half/full day around £15/around £25) as well as canoes (half/full day £20/£30).
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Pen-y-Crug
The conical hill of 331m Pen-y-Crug, capped by an Iron Age hill fort, rises to the northwest of the town, and makes a good objective for a short hike (2.5 miles round trip). There's a superb view of the Brecon Beacons from the summit.
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Hill Education & Conference Centre
Franco Taruschio (who founded the Walnut Tree Inn) and Lindy Wildsmith run one-/two-day cookery courses at the Hill Education & Conference Centre teaching Italian cooking with Welsh ingredients. Courses run once or twice a month.
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Paddles & Pedals
Take to the Wye waters at Hay and get collected further downstream.
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Dragonfly Cruises
Dragonfly Cruises runs 2½-hour canal boat trips; there are departures once or twice daily on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday (plus Thursday in July, plus Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in August).
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Brecon Boats
Brecon Boats hires out boats by the hour. They're at Talybont-on-Usk, southeast of Brecon (about 6 miles by road or 8.5 miles along the towpath).
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Bikes & Hikes
Bikes & Hikes offers bike rental per half-/full day; it also runs guided trips.
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Bi-Ped Cycles
Bi-Ped Cycles offers rental per half-/full day; it can also arrange guided rides.
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