Brecon Beacons National Park

Help us to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible by viewing our full programme of walks, activities and events online. There will be a booklet containing the full programme coming out later this month and if you would still like to receive a copy please email us with your details.

Guided Walks

Our expert guides are trained to a high standard to help you enjoy and understand more about Brecon Beacons National Park, with a wide range of walk lengths and grades to cater for all ages and interests.

APPROPRIATE CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
It can be cold and windy on the hills throughout the year so bring a waterproof jacket and if possible waterproof trousers too, even if the weather seems fine. Avoid jeans if at all possible, as once wet they become cold, uncomfortable and take a very long time to dry. In warmer weather suncream and a hat with a brim are needed,even on an overcast day. Bring a bottle of water or a flask, especially on longer walks and warm days.

ACCESS FOR ALL AND EASY WALKS
Wear comfortable clothes that enable you to move freely. Flat shoes or boots with grip on the soles should be worn. Remember that the ground may be wet or muddy.

MODERATE, ENERGETIC AND STRENUOUS WALKS
Strong shoes or boots with good grip are needed, with boots specifically designed for walking being recommended. On the harder walks you will need proper hiking boots with good support as the ground may be rough and steep.

IMPORTANT!
Walk grades are provided as general guidance only: if you have any doubt about your fitness for a particular walk please contact the organiser or leader in advance. Please also bear in mind the distance of the walk, varying conditions under foot and the possibility of bad weather, which can make a walk more difficult than planned. If you're unsure of your fitness level, try a short and easy walk first: it's much better to find a walk a little too slow and easy than to make yourself miserable and exhausted. Leaders may refuse to accept participants who, in their opinion, are inadequately equipped or unfit.

OUR LEADERS
Some of our leaders are National Park Authority staff, many are volunteers who give up their time to help share their knowledge and love of the area. The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is registered with AALA (Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, now the Adventure Activities Licensing Service) and our walks follow strict safety guidelines. Before a walk you will be asked to fill in a sheet with details of someone to contact in case of emergency - this is an important requirement of maintaining our license and we keep these records on file until our annual inspection has been completed after which they are destroyed. Our leaders are all experienced and have been fully trained in avigation,safety and first aid.

WHAT HAPPENS ON A GUIDED WALK?
Unless you have to book in advance just turn up at the meeting place a little before the start time. The leader should already be there. Once everybody has arrived the leader will tell you about the walk and check that everyone has the right clothing and footwear. During the walk everybody will stay together, at a suitable pace, no one will be left behind. As you walk, the leader will tell you about points of interest along the route and about the National Park. At the end of the walk the leader will hand out a form which asks what you thought of the walk. You can fill it in and hand it to the leader, complete it online or take it away and post it back. The leader will also ask you to help us maintain the National Park’s rights of way network by making a dontation towards their Upkeep.

DOGS
Dogs are welcome at many of the walks and events listed here. Where dogs are not allowed it is clearly shown. If you bring your dog it must be kept under close control at all times and only be allowed off the lead with the leader's permission. You have checked your fitness against the walk categories, but is your dog fit for the walk? If it is only used to a trot around the park it may struggle with steep hills or stiles! Never leave your dog in the car while you attend a walk or event - dogs can overheat even on cooler days.

Children's Events

OUR LEADERS
All of our children’s events are led by appropriately qualified National Park Authority staff who are First Aid trained and CRB checked to enable them to work with young people.

APPROPRIATE CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
It can be cold and windy outside at any time of the year, so bring your child’s waterproof jacket and if possible waterproof trousers too whenever the activities are planned for. If the weather is hot and sunny, bring a sunhat for your child and apply sunscreen before you set off to join us (did you know most sun creams are not effective for the first 20 minutes after you apply them?). Unfortunately, we cannot supply sun cream for your child, or apply cream for you if you bring it with you. Individual activities may require specific clothes - please check the event description for more details.

MEDICATION
Please bring any medication your child may need during the course of the activity. This includes asthma inhalers, epipens or any other regular medication that they take. Please note: these must be self-administered by the child, or administered by a parent; we cannot take responsibility for making sure children have their medication with them.

DOGS
Dogs are not usually permitted on our children’s events, although there are a few where dogs are welcome - please check the symbols next to each individual listing.

BOOKING AND AGE LIMITS
When you book a place on a National Park Authority event or activity, you will be asked to provide some information regarding your child and emergency contact details for a parent or guardian. This is so we can contact you in the unlikely event that something untoward happens during the event, so please remember - your home phone number won’t help if you’re here on holiday or out for the day! We specify age limits for each event based on the suitability of the activities involved. Please note that all children 7 years and under must be accompanied by an adult throughout the event. We reserve the right to turn away children who fall outside the age limits set for each activity if the leader considers that they are too young or old for the activities involved.

BEHAVIOUR
All children attending our events are expected to behave appropriately. You are welcome to stay with your child/children if they do not feel comfortable being left on their own. We reserve the right to exclude any children who behave inappropriately during the activities, for the safety and enjoyment of the other participants.