Hill Driving and Waterfall Walking

Hill walking is a popular pastime in Wales (and the rest of the UK as well)...but it is really something for the more seriously inclined so we decided to just go "hill driving" instead. It was a gloriously sunny morning when we set out...first stop was the Brecon Beacons National Park Visitors Centre. From here we then set off on a drive to Heol Senni and then up and over the Fforest Fawr section of the Brecons to Ystradfellte on a road was narrow and fortunately little used. It gave us some fantastic views from the Devil's Elbow on the way up and brought us to an ancient standing stone at the top of the climb.

 

Views of the Brecon Beacons

Devil's Elbow

Looking back from where we had come...Devil's Elbow

An ancient standing stone

Our drive brought us out in Pontneddfechan where we found the Waterfalls Visitors Centre. This inspired us to take an afternoon walk up the valley of Nedd Fechan to see the falls...after we had lunch in The Angel. The walk started quite easily along what I later realised was the track bed of an industrial railway...at one point the flagstones the rails had been pinned to were still visible in the path. We first visited the Sgwd Gwladus (Lady's Falls) a short way up a tributary to the Nedd Fechan.

Sgwd Gwladus

After clambering around Sgwd Gwladus, it was back to the Nedd Fechan and onwards upstream to Sgwd y Bedol (Horseshoe Falls) and Sgwd Ddwli Isaf (Lower Gushing Falls). There was one very noticeable difference between the park areas here and those back in Australia...the lack of any explanatory or directional signs...it is as if you are expected to carry maps and guide books. We weren't and got caught out by this...we turned back too soon and missed seeing the Sgwd Ddwli Uchf (Upper Gushing Falls).

Sgwd y Bedol

 

Sgwd Ddwli Isaf

By the time we made it back to our car, we were rather tired and it was getting late so we dove back along a slightly less adventurous route through Abercraf, Glyntawe and Cral.