South Wales Traverse

Brecon Beacons National ParkFell running challengesGeography of PowysSport in Wales

The South Wales Traverse is a long distance fell running challenge across the mountains of south Wales. It is a linear route of around 120 kilometres (75 mi) taking in some 31 summits over 610 metres (2,000 ft) high, providing around 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) of ascent. The aim is for challengers to complete the route on foot within 24 hours. The route takes in the mountain ranges of the Black Mountain, Carmarthenshire Fans, Fforest Fawr, Central Brecon Beacons, and the Black Mountains, across most of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The selection of summits that must be visited is simply all peaks standing at over 610 metres (2,000 ft). Arguably, some of the peaks are points along the ridges rather than true summits in their own right but some consider this to add to the theme of a linear long distance challenge. Challengers may start at either end, but traditionally it is run from west to east so that both the prevailing wind can be from behind and 60% of the ascent can be completed in the first half. The Traverse is considered by many who have completed it to be the Southern Britain equivalent of rounds like the Bob Graham. However, it has seen far fewer successful completions than these rounds (around 40 finishers by October 2020), due to the relatively low numbers of challengers who attempt it each year. The fastest men's time for the Traverse is 14 hours 13 minutes by Damian Hall on 15 October 2020. The women's record is held by Helen Brown with a time of 18 hours 48 minutes set on 26 September 2020.The challenge is used to be referred to as the "Brecon Beacons Traverse", but this only cites the relatively short section from Storey Arms to Talybont over the Central Beacons failing to recognise the wider significance of the challenge.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article South Wales Traverse (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

South Wales Traverse
A4069,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude	Longitude
N 51.85 °	E -3.845 °

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Address

A4069
SA19 9PA , Llangadog
Wales, United Kingdom
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Nearby Places

Cwm Llwyd Fault

The Cwm Llwyd Fault is a fault in the west of the Black Mountain of South Wales. It runs north, parallel to the A4069 road, for over 4 km from near Brynaman to meet the Carreg Cennen Disturbance near Brest Cwm Llwyd. It moved as a sinistral (left lateral) strike-slip fault during the Variscan Orogeny. Together with the Llwyn Celyn Fault it formed a left-stepping offset that created a pull apart structure, which preserved the Cwm Llwyd Outlier of Namurian rocks.

West Glamorgan

West Glamorgan (Welsh: Gorllewin Morgannwg) is a former administrative county in South Wales. It is now a preserved county. West Glamorgan was one of the divisions of the ancient county of Glamorgan. It was created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 from the county borough of Swansea, the municipal boroughs of Neath and Port Talbot, the urban districts of Glyncorrwg and Llwchwr, Gower Rural District, Pontardawe Rural District, and all of Neath Rural District except the parish of Rhigos. From 1982, the main offices of West Glamorgan County Council were located in County Hall, Swansea. West Glamorgan had four districts, as follows: Swansea – Swansea CB and Gower RD Lliw Valley – Llwchwr and Pontardawe RD Neath – Neath and Neath RD Port Talbot – Port Talbot and GlyncorrwgFollowing the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, West Glamorgan and its component districts were abolished on 1 April 1996, the area being divided into the two unitary authorities of Swansea and Neath and Port Talbot (later changed to "Neath Port Talbot"). Lliw Valley was partitioned between the two authorities. A West Glamorgan preserved county was created for the limited functions of Lieutenancy and High Shrievalty.

Quarter Bach

Quarter Bach (Welsh: Cwarter Bach) is a community located in the east of Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Gwynfe

Gwynfe () or Capel Gwynfe is a small village inside the portion of Brecon Beacons National Park that is in Carmarthenshire, a county of southwestern Wales. This village is situated between Trichrug and the western slopes of the Black Mountain, to the west of the A4069 road about halfway between Llangadog and Brynamman. The village comprises a scattered collection of mostly nineteenth and twentieth-century housing that developed around several chapels. The area around the village is mainly farmland and the village was 2004 'Village of the Year for Carmarthenshire'. The village has a grade-two listed phone box now used as an information centre and a modern community hall built in 2001. The community association have erected 2 large woodcarvings of three red kites.

Caeau Heol y Llidiart-coch

Caeau Heol y Llidiart-coch is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The site is of special interest for its marshy grassland, fen meadow, and areas of species-rich grasslands. The site lies within Brecon Beacons National Park.

Brynamman

Brynamman (Welsh: Brynaman) is a village on the south side of the Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du), part of the Brecon Beacons National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog). The village is split into Upper Brynamman and Lower Brynamman by the River Amman, which is also the boundary between the counties of Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot (in the old county of Glamorganshire). Ruins of stone dwellings (possibly prehistoric), an early type of lime kiln and rectangular medieval buildings found on the mountain show that people have lived in this area for a long time. The population of Brynamman was 2,608 as of 2011; the urban area including Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen was 5,692.Brynamman was previously known as Y Gwter Fawr (Welsh: "The Big Gutter"); The name was changed when the railway from Ammanford reached the village. George Borrow describes aspects of Gwter Fawr in the mid-19th century in his book Wild Wales published 1862. The current name is derived from "Brynamman House", the home of John Jones, builder of the railway.Brynamman Golf Club (now defunct) first appeared in the mid-1920s. It continued into the 1930s. A feasibility study is being conducted into the reopening of Brynamman Lido, which opened in 1934 and closed in 2010.

Brynamman East railway station

Brynamman East railway station served the village of Brynamman, in the historical county of Glamorganshire, Wales, from 1868 to 1964 on the Swansea Vale Railway.

Brynamman West railway station

Brynamman West railway station served the village of Brynamman, in the historical county of Glamorganshire, Wales, from 1865 to 1964 on the Llanelly Railway.

Trichrug

Trichrug (also referred to as Pen-y-bicws) is a hill four miles east of Llandeilo and 3 miles south of Llangadog in the county of Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales. It lies within the Brecon Beacons National Park and Fforest Fawr Geopark. Its summit at a height of 415m above sea level is marked by a trig point. It is a Marilyn with a prominence of 191 metres.

Cwmllynfell railway station

Cwmllynfell railway station served the village of Cwmllynfell, in the historical county of Glamorganshire, Wales, from 1896 to 1964 on the Swansea Vale Railway.

Lower Brynamman

Lower Brynamman is an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough in Brynamman, Wales.