Including Sgwd Clun Gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun Gwyn, Sgwd y Pannwr, Sgwd yr Eira, Cilhepste Falls (and optionally The Sheep Dip and Ogof Tarddiant Hepste for experienced visitors).
From Cardiff, take the A470 to the end of Merthyr Tydfil. From Merthyr Tydfil, take the A465 to Hirwaun, follow it over the hill, and down to the next roundabout. Take the second exit to the next roundabout. Take third exit, to reach Penderyn. From Penderyn, drive north through it along the A4059 until there are some lay-bys in an open area, usually with an ice-cream van in summer. Turn left along a road sign-posted to Ystradfellte. Follow it until the road forks - turn left. There is a signed "waterfalls" car park in the forestry on the left, but it's best to take the next proper road on the left to a small pay & display Cwm Porth car park in the bottom of the valley. SN 9278 1239.
Follow the path on the opposite side of the road (not the one a little further up the road, which takes a much more boring route), which eventually joins the Mellte River. Follow it (quite a long way) to the first waterfall (Sgwd Clun Gwyn). Choose either the easy or not-so-easy routes, depending on your ability. Children may also be capable of following either route, depending on their abilities, but will need to be carefully supervised no matter which route is taken. The two routes are usually combined to create a loop route, using the not-so-easy route on the way out, and returning along the easy route.
The easy route is to go back up to a major path above the waterfall, and follow signs to "Sgwd yr Eira", staying at the top edge of the gorge all the way until steps offer a way down to it. There is a way that doubles back down to the right at one point to reach the other two waterfalls seen on the not-so-easy route.
The not-so-easy route is to stay at the same height as the viewing platform - about half way down the gorge, and follow the path around a long bend in the river. It's a bit exposed. The path scrambles down to the next waterfall (Sgwd Isaf Clun Gwyn, which is actually several waterfalls, all in one place). Follow the path at the bottom down the river to the next waterfall (Sgwd y Pannwr). Just before it is a path on the left, leading quite a way back up to the easy route. Turn right.
The easy route takes you to a sign pointing down a long set of steps to the right, to Sgwd yr Eira, which you can walk behind in order to cross the Hepste River. Also to the right at the bottom of the steps are a cascade and 4 more waterfalls (Cilhepste Falls) - the last two require a short scramble to get down to them. This path is also a little exposed. (To get to The Sheep Dip waterfall, follow the river downstream to its junction with the Mellte, then head upstream along the Mellte to The Sheep Dip. The river needs to be forded a couple of times to get to the junction. As a result, this small waterfall is usually ignored.)
The path on the other side of Sgwd yr Eira can also be followed (passing a closed path on the left) up to a junction, where left leads to Penderyn, and right leads after a very long way to Pontneddfechan - some people use that path to do a long loop including the Elidir Trail, or to do this walk in reverse. The loop is too far for most people to do in one day.
The path to Penderyn (which is not correctly shown on Explorer maps) also contains another waterfall, at the point where the path reaches the corner of a fenced field after about 500 metres. From there, the way to the waterfall is to cross the field diagonally over to the upper part of the gorge (take extreme care to avoid the taller parts of the gorge), and locate a point to descend to the short segment of dry valley below the Ogof Tarddiant Hepste waterfall. This area requires skill and experience in exploring gorges, and should not be attempted by inexperienced visitors. Return to the path to continue to Penderyn or to return to the earlier waterfalls. Avoid the deteriorating path running directly along the top of the gorge, as it is now closed at the lower end.
If heading to Pontneddfechan, just follow the path through a long, patchy forest until it reaches the Dinas Rock - identifiable as the point where the Sychryd Gorge nearly meets the left side of the path, while the main river remains on the right. Here, a major path doubling back to the left is the way into the Sychryd Gorge, where there are further waterfalls, which are covered in the Sychryd Gorge route guide. The main path continues over to the far-right side of the Dinas Rock, then descends down to the car park. From there, the road crosses the main rivers into Pontneddfechan. Follow it to a Y-junction, continuing ahead to arrive at the Angel pub, and the start of the Elidir Trail.
Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of this description, neither the author nor his fellow walkers can accept responsibility for loss or injury arising from any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in this description. You follow this description at your own risk.