GLADMAN

Cadair Idris is more-or-less dead centre horizon.

Although Carnfachbugeilyn’s cairn is not in the same league as many of Pumlumon’s other monuments... that is more a reflection of the overwhelming quality of the latter.

The Bugeilyn gets a cameo far top right.

Toward Pen Pumlumon-Arwystli from the satellite cairn at SN8297590045. The small matter of the birthplace of the Afon Hafren (the mighty River Severn) lies in between.

Towards the Pumlumon Cwmbiga cemetery’s two main cairns from the site to approx north-west at SN8297590045. According to Coflein, there is an adjacent, clearly much less obvious cairn which I did not clock at the time. Coflein says: “A sub rectangular cairn, with some evidence of structure to it, on a local knoll just off a summit. It measured 5m north-south by 3m and was 0.50m high, with a stone “tail” downslope to the south, curving round to the east. On the northern side of the cairn there appeared to be a kerb. No quartz was observed in the cairn although there is a lot of surface quartz around generally. J.J. Hall, Trysor, 9 September 2006”

Reprising the 1995 image........ The main summits of Pumlumon rise beyond the southern cairn, crowned by multiple massive cairns.... in between, upon the ridge to right, lies the source of the Afon Hafren (Severn). Incidentally, the River Wye rises beyond Pen Pumlumon-Arwystli, the nearest of the high summits to camera, the Rheidol below Pen Pumlumon-Fawr, far right skyline. That’s three major rivers sourced on one mountain massif, with every summit populated by significant Bronze Age cairns. Strange, that.

Looking across the southern cairn to the northern.

A quartzite block surmounting the northern cairn... a nice touch. Hopefully, it is still there?

The northern cairn viewed from the great southern monument..

Looking approx north-west towards Carnfachbugeilyn, just visible upon the left-hand skyline. The stone pile seen centre-left mid-ground would appear to be the cairn cited by Coflein at SN8297590045. I wasn’t aware of its apparent sister site at the time of my visit.

The sight approaching from approx east signifying the end of the brutal struggle through the Hafren Forest... this is a superb pair of upland cairns.

Looking down the ridge toward the cairn at SN95666204, perfectly positioned to be just visible beneath another of Mother Nature’s awesome displays....

SN95666204

Toward distant Rhayader... for a Citizen Cairn’d walking the uplands of Wales these hills of the Elenydd are perhaps second only to Pumlumon herself for vibe.

The cairn at SN95666204.... I didn’t have the stamina to see the third, but this was enough.

The second cairn – at SN95666204 – under a pretty epic sky.

A’top the cairn at SN95666204

The cairn at SN9532617. And some sky.....

The cairn at SN95326171

[Note – this and subsequent images dating from 17th Sept 2012 previously thought lost until re-discovered upon a memory stick buried within a drawer] This is the cairn at SN95326171

The massive summit cairn looms to the approx south......

Returning the compliment... the eastern cairn from the western of the two.

Western cairn from the eastern monument.

The eastern, northern cairn.

[Note – this and subsequent images dating from 17th Sept 2012 previously thought lost until re-discovered upon a memory stick buried within a drawer]. The western of the northern pair from the west. Or something like that.

As often seems to be the case, the monument appears to have been positioned to give a fine arc of distant hills as opposed to the cwm floor... an amphitheatre, perhaps?

Looking approx north towards two more great cairns.

I reckon that must be Gorllwyn rising beyond... again crowned by Bronze Age cairns, albeit not of this magnitude. Still a fine, fine walk.

The shelter constructed within... as opposed to upon... the cairn, such is the size of the monument. This appeared to me to be for the use of sheep, as opposed to the more basic type of walker.

[Note – this and subsequent images dating from 17th Sept 2012 previously thought lost until re-discovered upon a memory stick buried within a drawer]. This is the massive summit cairn.... but the first of at least a half dozen crowning this wondrous mini-mountain.

The trio of large cairns upon Pen Pumlumon-Arwystli (top right) are obscured for a time.

The seriously be-cairned... and seriously endowed with river fountainheads... main ridge of Pumlumon rises above the Afon Hyddgen.

The fine southern cairn

Looking north towards Snowdonia as the sun breaks through at last...