thesweetcheat

Seen across Traeth y Mwnt.

Ceredigion in Spring. The rampart is where the darker line of vegetation can be seen on the slope above the church.

The instantly recognisable conical promontory, seen from Pen yr Hwbyn to the west.

The western side of the summit cairn.

The western side of the summit cairn, where scree and monument blend into one another. It was rather unpleasant on this side of the wall.

The southern side of the summit cairn. The beginnings of a stupid shelter may be in evidence.

Detail of the base of the main summit cairn on its northern side.

Postie provides scale for the denuded summit cairn. The footprint is still visible (even if nothing else is today).

Surrounded by a brooding landscape of jagged rock, beneath hanging cloud.

Long zoom from Raglan Castle. The Mynydd Pen-y-Fal ridge, where the cairns are, can be seen immediately to the left of the iconic summit.

Flanked by Blorenge (left) and Ysgyryd Fawr (right), the Sugarloaf seen from Raglan Castle in Monmouthshire.

Part of the base of the cairn is so eroded that the old red sandstone bedrock beneath has been exposed.

The striking beehive built on the site of the cairn. It does prevent the building of stupid walkers shelters from the material.

Sadly the extensive views are missing, but the cairn is worth a revisit anyway.

The footprint of the prehistoric cairn is much bigger than the beehive construction.

A sense of relief as the cairn appeared out of the fog.

Not the ideal conditions to visit perhaps. The cairn is on the escarpment above this ridge (seen from Allt Llwyd).

The bank of the western enclosure, picked out by the snow.

The smaller western enclosure, with Allt Llwyd rising over the trees.

Looking northeast along the bank of the eastern enclosure towards Talybont reservoir and Tor y Foel. The wooded hill on the far left is the location of the Tump Wood Camp sites.

The bank of the eastern enclosure heads off into the trees. Unfortunately the majority of the site is now hidden under densely planted conifer forest that doesn’t invite exploration.

The low bank of the eastern enclosure, with the ground dropping sharply away to the cwm below.

Approaching the eastern enclosure, the bank of which is visible above the tumbled drystone, with the spiky vegetation on it. Waun Rydd rises almost invisible through the hill fog beyond.

The bright green moss-coloured lumps are small blocks of sandstone, indicating a stone construction to the bank.

The southern bank.

Quarrying on the southeastern side of the site. A number of large sandstone slabs are scattered here too.

The site’s interior is nicely clear of undergrowth. Looks like a good place for a Spring visit.

The eastern bank.

The northwestern corner of the site.

The western rampart, the best-preserved section now.

The western cairn is quite low, despite its wonderful cist. The main path running up the western ridge of The Sugarloaf passes close by (and can be seen behind the cairn in shot).

Looking across the Usk Valley from the western cairn. Mynydd Llangatwg is the limestone escarpment opposite, where half a dozen substantial Bronze Age cairns can be found.

The fine cist in the western cairn.

Pen Cerrig-calch brilliantly illuminated, seen from Mynydd Pen-y-Fal.

Mynydd Pen-y-Fal is the ridge in the centre of shot. The eastern cairn is on brow of the ridge, the better western cairn is over the brow and therefore out of sight from the summit.

Snowy Pen y Gadair Fawr rises centre, above the sunspot. Just to the left of the sunspot, at the apex of the forest, is the wonderful Maen Llwyd standing stone. The viewpoint is the Sugarloaf.

Approximate positions of some of the many Black Mountains monuments visible from the Sugarloaf.

Side profile of Ysgyryd Fawr, seen from the neighbouring Sugarloaf/Y Fal.

Snowy Blorenge from the north.

Landscape context from Hatterrall Hill. The cairn is on the light green ridge to the right of centre.

The cairn is on a relatively narrow ridge, below Rhiw Arw (“Rough Slope”) itself.

Looking into England.

Looking into Wales.

It’s easy to miss the cairn, despite it being right next to the path.

Landscape context from the south. The cairn is on the wide ridge, Black Darren cairn is beyond.

Into England.

Looking across the hollowed centre of the cairn towards snow-covered Chwarel y Fan.