Waterfall Country (Pontneddfechan Circular) walk

8 out of 10, with 6 ½ hours walking time (longer if including stops for photos and amazement).

This route, entirely in the Fforest Fawr Geopark area of the Brecon Beacons National Park, is the ultimate waterfalls experience, and possibly not just in the UK, packed up in a moderately strenuous walk, with more strenuous options possible. It leads through the wooded gorges of the Upper River Nedd and its tributaries Pyrddin, Mellte, Hepste and Sychryd above Pontneddfechan, often referred to as the Celtic Rainforest, as they pass through a millstone grit and limestone plateau, and along Moel Penderyn (hill) to the east.

The rivers have eroded deep, narrow valleys in the plateau, which lies some 300m above sea level, with caves, wooded mossy gorges, river cliffs, block scree, rapids, cascades and waterfalls in what is the greatest concentration of them in the UK.
The route passes a total of 13 named falls or cascades (2 of those on extensions), including all 8 of the most famous ones in the area, plus countless other unnamed falls, cascades and rapids, as well as one of the largest cave entrances in the UK.
Some sections are easy to walk as you follow disused tramroads to former silica mines (some entrances can still be seen), others go over more demanding terrain, at times rough, rocky and slippery and/or exposed. En route to lunch, you rise out of the Nedd Fechan valley up to the limestone upland with fine views to the mountains in the Fforest Fawr, source of the rivers passed on the route, and across to the Central Beacons.
The return to Pontneddfechan is along a scenic and lofty route high above the wooded Mellte and Hepste gorges, topped near the end with another excursion to some more falls and stunning rock features.
A longer walk via Penderyn with surround views in all directions, loops around the slopes of Moel Penderyn.

The paths in the core sections deep in the gorges rarely see the sun. They are somewhat mud-prone at most times. A lot of those paths are also serrated by tree roots and/or full of rocks and boulders.
All versions of the walk require you to walk behind the water curtain at the Sgwd yr Eira fall. At low water levels, this can be done while staying dry. At higher water levels, the swirling water will get you somewhat wet though. The path behind the Sgwd yr Eira water curtain is always wet, slippery and somewhat treacherous. The roar of the falling water can be un-nerving.
Some of the optional routes are dangerous due to any of these factors: narrowness of path combined with exposure, danger of rockfall or landslides, fallen trees, scrambling sections, river crossings across slippery and unstable boulders. The relevant dangers are listed at the start of the respective text segments.
The sections from Pontneddfechan to the Sgwd Gwladus and the ones between the northerly car parks and the Sgwd yr Eira are very popular at all times and far from quiet.
Some audio trails accompany parts of the route, posts with an audio trail marker are mentioned in the text. The files can be downloaded at https://www.breconbeacons.org/things-to-do/walking/audio-trails.
The initial set of photos on the page was taken at the end of one of the driest summers on record, i.e. at low water levels.

Several car parks are shown on the route map, on or close to the route, enabling starts from other spots.

The route includes several out-and-backs to waterfalls or caves, as well as an instance of a walk to a viewpoint of a fall followed by another one to the fall itself. All of those are by nature optional.
A short but strenuous extension is described to the Sgwd Einion Gam waterfall. This requires at least two river crossings and is only safe to do at low water levels.
Shortcut I: cut the whole northerly part of the route, further up the Nedd Fechan River and over the limestone upland to the pub in Ystradfellte and the Porth y Ogof caves (cut 5.1 km and 117m ascent, 5/10). An Extension off this shortcut from a viewpoint overlooking the Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn, leads via a scramble down a rock face to the fall itself. A rough forest path leads back onto route.
Shortcut II: cut just the most northerly part of the route over the limestone upland to the pub in Ystradfellte (cut 3.4 km and 118m ascent/descent, 6/10).
An exposed and somewhat dangerous path between the Sgwd Uchaf Clun-Gwyn and the Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn (two of the main waterfalls), cuts 1.35 km and 20m ascent.
An Extension in the afternoon (add 3.2 km and 99m ascent/descent, 8/10) loops around the grass and heather-filled slopes of Moel Penderyn to Penderyn, with surround views in all directions. Penderyn provides for a good food pub (plus another pub off route), the eponymous distillery (off route, steeply downhill), and bus stops for services to Pont Walby/Glynneath, near the start of the walk route (hourly Monday-Saturday).
A variation near the end leads down to the site of former Gunpowder Works on the Mellte River with the Loonies Leap, and from there into Pontneddfechan. This cuts out the Pwll Berw and Skydau Sychryd.

OS Landranger Map: 160 (Brecon Beacons)
OS Explorer Map: OL12 (Brecon Beacons National Park)
Harvey Superwalker XT25: Breacon Beacons West/Bannau Brycheiniog Gorllewin
Harvey British Mountain Map: Breacon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog

Pontneddfechan, Angel Inn Bus Stop, map reference SN 900 076, is 18 km north east of Neath/Castell Nedd, 241 km west north west of Charing Cross, 79m above sea level and in Neath - Port Talbot, Wales. It is served by lines 161, 162 and 55 (Neath or Glynneath – Pontneddfechan/ Min yr Awel), with – between them – 4 buses a day Mon-Fri and 2 on Sun. Line 162 connects with lines X7 & X5 (Swansea – Neath – Glynneath - Pontwalby Bridge), with an hourly service Mon-Sat. The Pont Walby, Halfway Inn stop is a 1.7 km walk away from the start of the route.
On summer weekends, there is a free Glynneath – Pontneddfechan shuttle bus (check visitwales.com).
A start is also possible from one of many car parks along or a little off the route. See the route map for details.

Saturday Walkers’ Club: This walk is doable as a daywalk from London if you have motorised transport, or if starting the walk from Pont Walby. Accommodation is available in Pontneddfechan and in Neath.

The New Inn Ystradfellte, Aberdare, Powys CF44 9JE (01639 721 014). The New Inn is located 10.0 km/6.2 mi into the walk.

Porth yr Ogof (Main Walk and Shortcut II)
The Burger Pod Cwm Porth Car Park, Ystradfellte, Powys CF44 9JF (07968 093 535). The Pod is located 11.5 km/7.1 mi into the walk. Open all day Wed-Sun.

Penderyn (extended walk)
The Lamb Hotel Chapel Road, Penderyn, RCT CF44 9JX (01685 811 357). 230m off route, near a bus stop.
The Red Lion Inn Church Road, Penderyn, RCT CF44 9JR (01685 811 914). Located 5.7 km from the end of the walk. Pizza sold Wed-Sun from a trailer in the car park.
Penderyn Distillery Visitor Centre & Shop Pontpren, Penderyn, RCT CF44 0SX (01685 811 914). 1 km off route steeply downhill, by a bus stop.

Pontneddfechan
The Old White Horse Inn 12 High Street, Pontneddfechan, Powys SA11 5NP (01639 721 173).
The Angel Inn Pontneddfechan Road, Pontneddfechan, Glyn-Neath, Neath-Port Talbot SA11 5NR (01639 722 013).
The Sgwd Gwladys Bar & Lodge Pontneddfechan Road, Pontneddfechan, Glyn-Neath, Neath-Port Talbot SA11 5NR (01639 721 519).

All passed on this walk (two of those on extensions):

Pump Pwll/Five Pools – a wide cascade across the Pyrddin with five separate drops
Sgwd Gwladus/Lady’s Falls – 7m drop; Gwladus is a personal name, falsely anglicised
Sgwd Einion Gam/The Fall of the Crooked Anvil – 21m drop into a plunge pool + 3m
Sgwd-y-Bedol/Horseshoe Falls – three falls in quick succession
Sgwd Ddwli Isaf/The Lower Gushing Falls – two drops: 10m + 3m
Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf/The Upper Gushing Falls – 7m drop
Sgwd Uchaf Clun-Gwyn/The Upper Fall of the White Meadow – 9m drop
Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn/The Lower Fall of the White Meadow – 30m drop in 4-5 stages
Sgwd y Pannwr/The Waterfall of the Fuller – i.e.: a wool washing pool – 8m drop
Sgwd yr Eira/The Waterfall of Snow – falls behind which you can walk – 10m drop
Loonies Leap – not really a waterfall, but a former weir in the gunpower works
Pwll Berw/The Boiling Pool – two drops
Sgydau Sychryd/Sychryd Cascades – 8m tumble down a steep rock-filled gorge

After the walk, please leave a comment, it really helps. Thanks!

You can also upload photos to the SWC Group on Flickr (upload your photos) and videos to Youtube. This walk's tags are:

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

May-23 Thomas G