Pen y Fan is the Brecon Beacons at their most elemental, a distinctive flat-topped sandstone summit at 886 metres, reached by a ridge that reveals increasingly dramatic views with every step. On clear days you can see all the way to the Bristol Channel. On any day, the escarpment walk along the top is one of the finest in Britain.
The main route from Storey Arms is well-trodden but never dull. Start early to avoid the crowds and, in summer, to catch the light on the northward face. It earns its reputation entirely.