The South Wales Traverse is a long distance fell running challenge across the mountains of south Wales. It is a linear route of around taking in some 31 summits over high, providing around 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 . 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.Martin Stone, "Long Distance Round Up", The Fellrunner, Autumn 2020, 88-93.
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.
Route
Below is a list of the summits that must be visited starting at Pen Rhiw-Wen running west to East.
Summit Grid reference Altitude/m Pen Rhiw-wen - A4069SN 7301844951Garreg LwydSN 7401796162Garreg LasSN 7772036353Bannau Sir GaerSN 8112187494Fan BrycheiniogSN 8252188025Fan HirSN 830209761 Trecastell roadSN 853203369 A4067SN 8701953876Fan GyhirychSN 8801907257Fan NeddSN 913184663 Sarn Helen/minor road junctionSN 9251854008Fan LliaSN 9381866329Fan FrynychSN 95722762910Rhos Dringarth (Craig Cerrig-gleisiad)SN 96021762911Fan FawrSN 969193734 Storey ArmsSN 98320344512Y GyrnSN 98821561913DuwyntSO 00520782414Corn DuSO 00721387315Pen y FanSO 01221588616CribynSO 02321379517Waun RyddSO 06220576918Allt LwydSO 078189654 AbercynafonSO 08317721219Cefn yr YstradSO 086137607 PyrgadSO 101159260 Llangynidr - Red LionSO 155194127 Cwm-guSO 20020919020Pen Cerrig-calchSO 21722370121Pen Allt-mawrSO 20624371922Mynydd LlysiauSO 20727966323Waun FachSO 21529981124Pen y Gadair FawrSO 22928780025Pen Twyn MawrSO 242267658 Grwyne Fawr (minor road)SO 25228540726Chwarel y FanSO 25829467027Rhos DirionSO 21133471328TwmpaSO 224350690 Gospel PassSO 23535255029Hay BluffSO 24436667730Black MountainSO 25535070331Pen y Garn FawrSO 277311616 Llanthony PriorySO 287279241
Route profile
Below is a profile of the route, again starting at Pen Rhiw Wen, running west to East.
See also http://www.mdcwales.org.uk/Newsletter/Newsletter_2005/mdcnewsjuly2005.pdf - Mynyddwyr De Cymru newsletter article on a group traverse – page 4
References