A difficult route in Berwyns. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Roadside parking before Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall (SJ 075 294), or alternative paid parking at waterfall (SJ 073 922)
Terrain: Good path initially, path fades then disappears, very wild walking (no path), uphill through boggy ground, peat hags, thick grass and heather, faint path on ridge (disappears near top), 5ft tall bracken section, easier ground after summit, quite boggy in places, good track, footpath.
This is an outstanding but extremely challenging very wild walk requiring excellent navigation skills and undertaken only by experienced mountain walkers. The walk begins with a steep climb to the spectacular Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall, one of the Seven Wonders of Wales, where the Afon Disgynfa falls in three stages over a 240-foot cliff-face with the tallest stage approximately 40 metres - a marvellous spectacle after rain. The middle path at the three-way junction follows the river as it fades into wild walking territory. We drifted too close to the river and had to make our way back uphill - the sheepfolds provide a better target. The walk becomes very wild with no path, following the river ever deeper into the valley before crossing to tackle hard going uphill through boggy ground, peat hags, thick grass, and heather requiring careful navigation throughout. A faint path at the ridge guides toward Post Gwyn Hewitt but disappears near the top. The wild walking continues from the summit on easier ground with more visible routes, though boggy sections around the fence required us to veer right to avoid the worst. A critical warning: there is a long section through very tall 5ft bracken, making this walk strongly recommended for earlier in the year before growth obscures paths. The return via good tracks and footpaths leads back to the magnificent waterfall and its Local Legend of Gwybr of Llanrhaeadr. Refreshments available at the car park. An exceptional adventure for skilled navigators seeking true wild walking in stunning Welsh scenery.