Blaen y Glyn Waterfalls, Brecon Beacons.
28th November 2022
Large amounts of rain has fallen throughout November in the Brecon Beacons and this has thankfully raised reservoir levels again. This was much needed rain after a very dry summer but some people have inevitably suffered from flooding. Trees have also been blown down by very strong winds – saturated ground and these winds are a deadly combination. This week is forecasted to be reasonably dry and this is welcome because the land is really sodden and difficult for local farmers. Near to where I live is the village of Talybont on Usk which is a very popular holiday destination for people who are visiting the Brecon Beacons.
The River Usk a well-known river flows past the village and one of its tributaries the River Caerfanell, which flows down a valley which is called ‘The Glyn’ by locals, meets the River Usk here. Glyn is just welsh for valley. In the higher reaches of the Caerfanell there are a series of picturesque waterfalls and these are quite attractive because there is a significant drop in elevation from right up on the mountainside down to the valley floor. It is infinitely more peacful at this location compared to the vastly over-crowded Ystradfellte waterfalls. Adnittedly they are more spectacular but they have been ruined by hordes of people descending on them from all over the country in a similar fashion to the rest of the Beacons.
Today I drove the five or so miles up the valley to where the river passes under a bridge and where you can park a vehicle, from there it’s about a 500 yd. walk up river to the falls. Wellingtons are essential here especially after the recent inclement weather. There was no one around, just as I like it and the river as I expected was in full flow.
A light drizzle fell as I walked up and I saw very little autumn colour left on the now quite bare trees. It was difficult to imagine that this river in its present state totally dries up in the summer during most years.
Compositions are limited here in these conditions because it can be quite dangerous to get right down to river level and experiment with different shots. This is because if you slipped and fell in it would be quite difficult to get out because the falls are quite steep and even the strongest swimmer would be hurled against the large boulders by the power of the water.
I managed a few shots in between sheltering my kit from quite nasty little showers but it was quite a pleasant hour watching the power of nature thunder down the hillside.
The River Usk a well-known river flows past the village and one of its tributaries the River Caerfanell, which flows down a valley which is called ‘The Glyn’ by locals, meets the River Usk here. Glyn is just welsh for valley. In the higher reaches of the Caerfanell there are a series of picturesque waterfalls and these are quite attractive because there is a significant drop in elevation from right up on the mountainside down to the valley floor. It is infinitely more peacful at this location compared to the vastly over-crowded Ystradfellte waterfalls. Adnittedly they are more spectacular but they have been ruined by hordes of people descending on them from all over the country in a similar fashion to the rest of the Beacons.
Today I drove the five or so miles up the valley to where the river passes under a bridge and where you can park a vehicle, from there it’s about a 500 yd. walk up river to the falls. Wellingtons are essential here especially after the recent inclement weather. There was no one around, just as I like it and the river as I expected was in full flow.
A light drizzle fell as I walked up and I saw very little autumn colour left on the now quite bare trees. It was difficult to imagine that this river in its present state totally dries up in the summer during most years.
Compositions are limited here in these conditions because it can be quite dangerous to get right down to river level and experiment with different shots. This is because if you slipped and fell in it would be quite difficult to get out because the falls are quite steep and even the strongest swimmer would be hurled against the large boulders by the power of the water.
I managed a few shots in between sheltering my kit from quite nasty little showers but it was quite a pleasant hour watching the power of nature thunder down the hillside.