Part two?!?! Part two you say? Why on Earth would you have a part two after the excursion you had
the day before? Well, socks dry and boots do too (after you’ve dumped the litre
of water out of them…) and besides, my mate promised no paddling today.
We started this misadventure by going to the wrong car park
(my mate made a “Lynette left turn”** and we ended up on the path less travelled)
but as luck would have it we found an even better place to park the car.
Unfortunately, Gwaun Hepste car park is a Pay & Display and the dodgy
machine ate our £4 without giving us a ticket to park. But lucky we were again
as a kind, young man who was leaving the park, gave us his ticket so all was
well in the forest once again.
We managed to see all the waterfalls in
just 4 and 1/2 hours well within the recommended time of 4-5 hours (including our time for
picture taking). We were on The Four Falls Trail (shown in red in the map
below):
The start of this trailhead can be a wee bit boring as it is 20 minute walk down an old logging road before you even get
on the falls trail. Oh and be sure to visit the loo before getting to this car park/trail
as there are NO toilets for miles (I learned this the hard way). The other car
park Cwm Porth has a toilet facility (see map). This is the one we were looking
for before someone took a wrong turn…
Generally you would follow the red trail in a loop to reach
all the falls, however due to the beetle-kill problem much like the one in the
Colorado Rockies, many trees are being harvested throughout the forest by
loggers and the trail has been closed for safety reasons whilst logging. Do not
panic. You can still see all four waterfalls on this red trail; you just have to
go back the way you came instead of completing the red trail loop. The short
green trails will link you to the waterfalls not directly on the red trail. The
waterfalls here are best seen from a distance as it is very difficult to play
in the water near these. Having said that, you still might be able to jump in
front of a few for a photo moment (when the water is low enough and if you are
wearing proper water proof shoes, and if you are one of those daring, mental
types *points to self*).
This trail is much more demanding and less water interactive
than the Elidir trail (see Part 1). Very strenuous and rocky so wear good shoes
and only hike if you can handle a difficult trail.
There is a place
nearby called Dinas Rock. I believe this to be a wheelchair friendly path if you own
a very robust wheelchair and it hasn’t rained too much causing mud. Some of the
trails on the Four Falls Trail have over 170 steps to take up and down to reach
the falls, so be sure you are up for the trek. Sgwd y Pannwr and Sgwd Isaf
Cun-Gwyn have very steep paths to reach them but they are certainly worth the
trip.
 |
| summer 2020 |
The first set of
falls you will come to are called Sdwd Clun-Gwyn. These roaring falls can be
heard well before you reach them. None
of the waterfalls can be seen from the red trail so take the green link trail
(5 minute hike) to view this one and head back to the red trail to carry on to
the rest.
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| Sgwd Clun-Gwyn |
Next, you head down a steep path on another green link trail
to reach the Sgwd yr Eira falls. These falls are the tallest, widest and you can actually slip behind them and walk to the other side. Scenes from the movie The Last of the Mohicans come to mind here. There is plenty of room behind the waterfalls for people to wander around but I would't recommend hanging about too long. PS. You are going to get wet -like Niagara. (No mum, I don't remember being at Niagara so it doesn't count as actually being there)...
 |
| Sgwd yr Eira |
Catch the red trail again at the top of the mountain and
head toward the last green link path (#25 on the map shown). Be very careful
hiking at your own risk. Mobile service (cell for the Americans) is near non-existent so let someone
know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Also, you’ll have to
wait until you are back in the village to upload your selfies.
Once at Sdwd y Pannwr you can get closer for a better view. Be
mindful of the slippery rocks and enjoy the gorgeous sights. After your long climb back to car, you'll be wanting a drink. Why not pop into the Penderyn Distillery in town? Go on, you earned a glass of Welsh whiskey by now! If you still need an excuse to visit the distillery, consider that their main ingredient- water - comes from these very falls!
**For those of you wondering what a Lynette left turn is,
well that’s another tale for another time. I sure do love the capers my friends
get into. Such great times!
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