Running the Cambrian Mountains
Known in Welsh as Mynyddoedd Cambria, also searched as the Cambrians, Elenydd, the Desert of Wales, Elan Valley.
The great empty middle of the country. Few paths, fewer people, and terrain that demands genuine navigation - the closest thing Wales has to remote.
The Cambrian Mountains occupy the middle of Wales and are, by any practical measure, the emptiest ground in the country. Pumlumon Fawr (752m) is the high point, and the Elan Valley reservoirs sit at the southern end, but between them lies the Elenydd - a plateau of peat, tussock and moor sometimes called the Desert of Wales.
This is not a beginner's run
Say this plainly: the Cambrians are the one part of Wales where getting it wrong has consequences that no one will notice for a while. Paths are intermittent or absent. Peat hags break up any line you try to hold. Progress over rough ground here can drop below walking pace, and a route that looks like a two-hour run on the map can take four.
Carry a map and compass and be able to use them in cloud. Tell someone your route. Do not rely on phone signal.
The Elan Valley as a way in
The reservoir tracks around Elan and Claerwen give you fast, safe, waymarked mileage with big views, and they are the sensible introduction to the area. Use them to get a feel for the place before heading onto the open moor.
Why bother
Because you will not see anyone. In a country where the popular hills now have queues, that is worth a great deal.
Bases nearby: Rhayader · Llanidloes · Devil's Bridge · Tregaron
Nothing written up here yet. Browse the other regions in the meantime.