Waterfalls
Where water ... you know ... falls.
Pandy Falls (sometimes called Penmachno Falls) beside the Penmachno Woolen Mill, near Penmachno, at the end of Fairy Glen. It is best seen in winter from the nearby road bridge (the road leading to Pandy Mill from the B4406).
Remains of the 17th century Rhyd y Gynnen Roman Bridge.
Just a little downstream are the Machno Falls. There is a path to see them just downstream of a private plot at the old Pandy Mill.
Cascade at Machno Falls. Just downstream, it joins the River Conwy.
Sadly, like too many waterfalls in the northern half of Wales, you have to pay to reach this natural spectacle; Conwy Falls. Worse, due to an accident in 2007 where a child drowned in the river, the site managers were forced to put up fencing. So this is as close as regular mortals can get, with the view badly obscured. Apparently there had not been enough warning signs or fences - it's a river, with a waterfall. Common sense should be expected to be employed. This is an example of nanny state gone too far, and it sucks. So what do outdoorsy-type people do?
Wonder how I got this picture... Right side of Conwy Falls.
A scrambling traverse around the gorge wall gains this view of the powerful left side of Conwy Falls. There is also a tourist viewpoint over the top, but waterfalls never look as good from the top.
Some way downstream, it is joined by the Afon Llugwy at Betws-y-Coed, where the Pont-y-Pair Falls now look a lot more tame than they were last time I was here, when the water completely covered all of the rocks in this picture.
Fun-runners taking a break by the falls. Look familiar?
Rhaeadr Ogwen in flood.
Lower steps of Rhaeadr Ogwen (in normal flow).
Churning cascades.
White water as the Afon Ogwen heads into the Nant Ffrancon valley.
The Afon Rhaeadr Fawr valley at the north edge of the Carneddau range.
Ponies in the valley. This is partially enclosed, so these could be privately owned. However, there are wild Carneddau Ponies (small Welsh Mountain Ponies) living in this range, and these could be some of them.
Carneddau foal.
The highlight of the valley is Aber Falls (known in Welsh as Rhaeadr Fawr - the big waterfall - how original). According to their 2006 leaflet, the total height of the combined falls is 100 metres.
The tallest single section is just under 37 metres (converted to metric from 120 feet), and is one of the tallest waterfalls in Wales.
The next stream over produces its own set of waterfalls; Rhaeadr Fach (the OS maps call this Rhaeadr-bach, but in this situation, the correct name would use the mutated form "Fach" - can't expect Ordnance Survey to know the rules of Welsh, after all).
Lower section of Rhaeadr Fach.
Rhaeadr Y Carreg Wen waterfalls on Nant y Graig-wen on Glasgwm (780 metres). The main sets of waterfalls are about 70 and 60 metres in total height respectively, with a single drop of around 45 metres (taken from pictures, satellite images and OS maps), sometimes quoted as just 21 metres. These are nicely visible from the A470 at the southern end of the national park, as it passes between the Aranau and Cadair Idris ranges. This was taken on the way up, since on the way back, there was so much rain here that the waterfall could not be seen.
Dylife Gorge in the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales. At over 200 metres deep, it's quite impressive, and has some extremely difficult terrain. The viewpoint and path that drops into the downstream end of the gorge are as much as most people can visit. Note the bracken covered ledge below the fence in the bottom-centre of the photo.
From the viewpoint, there is a pathetically obscured view of a very big waterfall.
From the edge of the bracken-covered ledge, there is a great view of the waterfall; Ffrwd Fawr. At just under 40 metres high (converted to metric from 130 feet), this is also one of the tallest waterfalls in Wales, and unlike Aber Falls, it drops quite cleanly. Its height is approximately the same as the tallest single drop of Pistyll Rhaeadr.
From the bracken ledge, there is a dangerously steep slope down to the river. I will take this moment to warn would-be visitors; if you get the wrong slope, you will fall off a cliff. If you get it right, you will be on a path so steep, even the sheep do not use it. You will need to be as sure-footed as a mountain goat - if you doubt your abilities, stay away.
The slope ends at a cascade, which needs to be skirted upstream, some distance above the river.
This leads to the base of the waterfall. We attempted to reach the actual base to see if it might be possible to traverse behind the waterfall. The rock is sharp and extremely slimy, and it was quite clear that it would not be possible to get behind the waterfall, as the water hits the rock at all heights. Given how slippery the surface is here, you'd have to be nuts to try to reach it anyway.
Fording the river to get to the more gentle side. The poles were essential, even for the normally sure-footed Peter, to make up for the slippery rock. Perhaps wellies would have been a good idea...
A very hairy traverse along a sheep track on friable slopes reaches the next impressive waterfall. The waterfall is around 12 metres tall, see the human at the top for scale. It's best to view these pictures, and do not attempt to reach this waterfall - it is far too risky.
A smaller cascade below it marks the end of the waterfalls.
Pandy Falls (sometimes called Penmachno Falls) beside the Penmachno Woolen Mill, near Penmachno, at the end of Fairy Glen. It is best seen in winter from the nearby road bridge (the road leading to Pandy Mill from the B4406).
Remains of the 17th century Rhyd y Gynnen Roman Bridge.
Just a little downstream are the Machno Falls. There is a path to see them just downstream of a private plot at the old Pandy Mill.
Cascade at Machno Falls. Just downstream, it joins the River Conwy.
Sadly, like too many waterfalls in the northern half of Wales, you have to pay to reach this natural spectacle; Conwy Falls. Worse, due to an accident in 2007 where a child drowned in the river, the site managers were forced to put up fencing. So this is as close as regular mortals can get, with the view badly obscured. Apparently there had not been enough warning signs or fences - it's a river, with a waterfall. Common sense should be expected to be employed. This is an example of nanny state gone too far, and it sucks. So what do outdoorsy-type people do?
Wonder how I got this picture... Right side of Conwy Falls.
A scrambling traverse around the gorge wall gains this view of the powerful left side of Conwy Falls. There is also a tourist viewpoint over the top, but waterfalls never look as good from the top.
Some way downstream, it is joined by the Afon Llugwy at Betws-y-Coed, where the Pont-y-Pair Falls now look a lot more tame than they were last time I was here, when the water completely covered all of the rocks in this picture.
Fun-runners taking a break by the falls. Look familiar?
Rhaeadr Ogwen in flood.
Lower steps of Rhaeadr Ogwen (in normal flow).
Churning cascades.
White water as the Afon Ogwen heads into the Nant Ffrancon valley.
The Afon Rhaeadr Fawr valley at the north edge of the Carneddau range.
Ponies in the valley. This is partially enclosed, so these could be privately owned. However, there are wild Carneddau Ponies (small Welsh Mountain Ponies) living in this range, and these could be some of them.
Carneddau foal.
The highlight of the valley is Aber Falls (known in Welsh as Rhaeadr Fawr - the big waterfall - how original). According to their 2006 leaflet, the total height of the combined falls is 100 metres.
The tallest single section is just under 37 metres (converted to metric from 120 feet), and is one of the tallest waterfalls in Wales.
The next stream over produces its own set of waterfalls; Rhaeadr Fach (the OS maps call this Rhaeadr-bach, but in this situation, the correct name would use the mutated form "Fach" - can't expect Ordnance Survey to know the rules of Welsh, after all).
Lower section of Rhaeadr Fach.
Rhaeadr Y Carreg Wen waterfalls on Nant y Graig-wen on Glasgwm (780 metres). The main sets of waterfalls are about 70 and 60 metres in total height respectively, with a single drop of around 45 metres (taken from pictures, satellite images and OS maps), sometimes quoted as just 21 metres. These are nicely visible from the A470 at the southern end of the national park, as it passes between the Aranau and Cadair Idris ranges. This was taken on the way up, since on the way back, there was so much rain here that the waterfall could not be seen.
Dylife Gorge in the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales. At over 200 metres deep, it's quite impressive, and has some extremely difficult terrain. The viewpoint and path that drops into the downstream end of the gorge are as much as most people can visit. Note the bracken covered ledge below the fence in the bottom-centre of the photo.
From the viewpoint, there is a pathetically obscured view of a very big waterfall.
From the edge of the bracken-covered ledge, there is a great view of the waterfall; Ffrwd Fawr. At just under 40 metres high (converted to metric from 130 feet), this is also one of the tallest waterfalls in Wales, and unlike Aber Falls, it drops quite cleanly. Its height is approximately the same as the tallest single drop of Pistyll Rhaeadr.
From the bracken ledge, there is a dangerously steep slope down to the river. I will take this moment to warn would-be visitors; if you get the wrong slope, you will fall off a cliff. If you get it right, you will be on a path so steep, even the sheep do not use it. You will need to be as sure-footed as a mountain goat - if you doubt your abilities, stay away.
The slope ends at a cascade, which needs to be skirted upstream, some distance above the river.
This leads to the base of the waterfall. We attempted to reach the actual base to see if it might be possible to traverse behind the waterfall. The rock is sharp and extremely slimy, and it was quite clear that it would not be possible to get behind the waterfall, as the water hits the rock at all heights. Given how slippery the surface is here, you'd have to be nuts to try to reach it anyway.
Fording the river to get to the more gentle side. The poles were essential, even for the normally sure-footed Peter, to make up for the slippery rock. Perhaps wellies would have been a good idea...
A very hairy traverse along a sheep track on friable slopes reaches the next impressive waterfall. The waterfall is around 12 metres tall, see the human at the top for scale. It's best to view these pictures, and do not attempt to reach this waterfall - it is far too risky.
A smaller cascade below it marks the end of the waterfalls.