Pen y Fan same noun "ban", in its plural form "bannau", is found in the Welsh name for the Brecon Beacons: "Bannau Brycheiniog". There is no one standard translation of "Pen y Fan", but 'the mountain's peak' or 'the beacon's summit' are both possible translations. Pen y Fan is formed from various units of the Old Red Sandstone which were laid down during the Devonian period. The lower slopes of the mountain are formed from the sandstones and mudstones of the Senni Formation whilst the upper slopes are formed from those of the Brownstones Formation. The very summit, like that of neighbouring Corn
Pen-y-Pass Pen-y-Pass first. Previously, the miners had had to move the ore over the Snowdon summit and down to Beddgelert, which is located at around a third the height of Snowdon. The Llanberis pass road extends beyond Pen-y-Pass to join the Beddgelert-to-Capel Curig road at the Pen-y-Gwryd hotel. That notable climbing hotel was used as a base by Sir John Hunt, Baron Hunt and his team whilst training for the successful 1953 expedition to Mount Everest and equipment and autographs from that and other expeditions may be seen in the Everest Room. The former Gorphwysfa Hotel at Pen-y-Pass is now a