Our second biggest hike in Wales – following our memorable trek to Yr Wyddfa in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park – was summiting Pen y Fan, the highest peak in Brecon Beacons National Park.

The forecast was not looking good for our days in Brecon Beacons but after our wet and windy hike in Snowdonia, we were prepared to weather whatever storms came our way.

I was thrilled when the dark and foreboding clouds overhead during our early morning drive to the trailhead transformed into wispy white streaks across a blue sky as we hit the trail. There was a great deal of construction underway at the parking area but it looks like when it’s done there will be even more parking and a center with actual amenities.

We opted to do the Pen y Fan and Corn Du circular walk counter-clockwise, beginning from the parking area, crossing over a river, and then hiking steadily up a well-maintained trail toward our destination.

In addition to pausing to take in the gorgeous views as we climbed, we occasionally stopped to see the sheep! They were somewhat friendly, keeping their distance but wandering around relatively close to the trail.

I especially enjoyed spotting the cute little lambs that were darting around and sneak-attacking their moms in an attempt to secure a bite to eat.

As soon as we crested the immediate hill we were climbing we were hit with a blast of wind that did not cease the entire time we completed our climb to the summit.

We’ve hiked in many different mountain ranges and this was by far the windiest summit experience I’ve ever had – which was shocking to me as we weren’t that high up!

As we wound along one of the hills on the exposed trail, we came to an open section over a ridge to the actual summit. Just as Brian started hollering that he couldn’t believe his sunglass clip-ons were still adhering to his glasses, I heard him give an abrupt shout – the wind had caught them just right, hurtling them over the side of the mountain!

We spent a few minutes looking to see if they had gotten caught in a rock pile, but neither of us wanted to get too close to the drop offs on either side of us given the wind gusts. We could literally lean into the wind and be held upright.

Completely disheveled, we appreciated one of the women who was also exploring the summit offering to take our picture when we finally reached the marker. We had made it!

As we began our descent, we noticed many more people making their way up to the summit via the clockwise route. We had a few interesting moments navigating the rocky scrambles to allow others around us as we worked to get back on the actual trail.

Once we were over the false summit, it served as a wind barrier and we could straighten ourselves out and quit shouting to each other! In spite of all the hullabaloo at the summit, the views were breathtaking and it was certainly a memorable experience.

We continued to pass more people – and sheep! – during our descent, and after a final river crossing we were back to the main road and only a short walk to the car.

For all the excitement, it was a relatively short hike at 4.94 miles and 1,568 feet of gain. It definitely goes down as my windiest hike to date and a memorable introduction to Brecon Beacons National Park!