Brecon Beacons: Hiking Pen Y Fan with a Toddler!

Despite the pandemic, there was a gap last year when we were able to have a little adventure, a family trip to Wales. I’ve already told you all about our lovely farmstay, how we explored the pastel hues of Tenby and how we discovered the town of books that is Hay-On-Wye. But the biggest adventure we had on this trip was climbing a mountain in the Brecon Beacons!

It’s funny, I remember when I was pregnant, proudly declaring that I could still have adventures and do all the wonderful things I love to do once I had a child. Kids are small, they’re transportable, right? But then I actually had a baby and realised that lol being a parent in your own environment is really hard work without throwing travel into the mix.

But I’ve gradually learned how to do these things. Very gradually.

In Indi’s first year there’s no way I could possibly imagine hiking with a toddler. But here we are and we did it! All these things are possible, even if they don’t feel like it early on. So to kick this blog post off, I just wanted to say that. That if you’re in the early days of motherhood and these kind of adventures seem so far-off, don’t worry. Things change, you adapt, and you and your kid can do anything you want.

Ok soppy bit over, here’s everything you need to know about hiking a goddamn mountain in the Brecon Beacons with a small human.

Hiking the Brecon Beacons with a Toddler

I’d heard the Brecon Beacons were beautiful but I never imagined I’d be hiking this lush area of Wales with my small child. It’s only when we were looking for Airbnbs in Wales for a little downtime and I saw how close this area of natural beauty was that I started researching if we could do a hike with my daughter in tow.

I thought I’d try to find a “gentle” route, something easy. But I also didn’t want something that would take all day. With an 18 month old at the time, I wanted to take into consideration that she would need a nap and meals and nappy changes and I wasn’t quite ready to tackle all of that mid-hike just yet.

So when I realised the top dog, Pen Y Fan, aka the highest peak in South Wales, could be reached and returned from in 2.5 hours, I figured, why not?! Especially when my research told me the route up from the Pont ar Daf car park was “easy”. You see that in quotation marks right? K cool… I’ll get back to that.

What To Wear

First let’s cover what you need to wear for a hike up Pen Y Fan. We visited in summer, but all research told me that the weather can be very predictable up there and so layers are key. You can see from the photos I was wearing a questionable outfit! Purely because I was trying to prepare for all weathers! I’d say what you wanna go for is a tee, a hoody/cardi and a waterproof jacket. (I’ve since realised I really need to invest in decent waterproofs, not just the pac-a-mac I take to festivals – is this what adulting feels like?) Bring a decent-sized rucksack so you can wear what you need and carry the rest. Oh and the number 1 must-have is decent walking shoes! I wore these KEEN hiking shoes I reviewed a few years ago.

Although it wasn’t a great ~lewk~, it was definietly the right combo. It was sort of mist-raining on the way up and sunny and hot on the way down, so all outfit combos were used.

For the toddler, it’s the same deal. I made sure Indi had a waterproof rain-suit and a cardi I could take off easily if she got too hot.

What To Bring

So how did we manage this hike with a toddler? By using a toddler/baby carrier backpack! This was our first outing with one and it really is awesome. We got ours for £20 on Facebook Marketplace and it did the trick.

The plan was to alternate carrying her in the backpack-like contraption but I was not doing well going up that hill (Josh is much fitter than I am) so he did all the hard work. I have used the carrier for other adventures though and have to emphasise that it works exactly like a backpack. You have to make sure you have the straps adjusted to fit you for the weight to be distributed correctly and for it to be comfortable.

So yeah, Josh had Indi on his back and I carried all of our supplies. Speaking of which, you need to make sure you pack LOTS of water. As well as some snacks. That was the main way I kept my girl entertained actually. Firstly by pointing out all of the sheep we were passing, but also with chocolate buttons.

When you throw in the general baby/toddler supplies, it’s actually quite a lot. I tried to be strict, but remember I had stuff for three of us. So I would just say to only bring what you really need. A small baby change pouch, a spare toddler outfit, then all the water and snacks. It’s why I ended up wrapping my hoody round my waist, there was no more room in the bag.

Was It Hard Work?

Umm… YES. I don’t know why this is classed as easy?! I mean, yes I am asthmatic and no I don’t go to the gym, so I may not be the best judge of what is difficult, but it felt like a pretty steep incline. I think hiking routes like this are described as easier because the path is wide and smooth, it’s not jumping over rocks, y’know? But we did have to stop a few times. Mainly because of my lungs lol.

Josh did so well with Indiana on his back though, and although he said it was tough at times, he just handled it so well! I was worried my girl would be bored or might get upset on the way up but she loved it. There was lots to see (and lots of chocolate buttons to eat) so she was a dream. And it made me realise kids LIKE new experiences like this. Turns out it was harder on me than it was on her…

Was It Worth It?

Absolutely worth it. The Brecon Beacons are so beautiful and this was the kind of experience Josh and I would have done pre-baby. So it felt nice to be able to do something like this and bring our daughter along for it. The view from the top of Pen Y Fan was gorgeous and the walk down in the sunshine was an absolute delight.

It 100% encouraged me to do more with Indi. Like I said at the start of this post, it’s a slow transition from the newborn days when you’re scared to leave the house with your kid, to having adventures like this with them. And I’m excited to see what else we can do together as a family.

Want to read more about my Wales adventures? Head over here for all the inspo on Wales destinations, from Cardiff to Portmerion!