“Often the best plan is simply to not have a plan at all.” Someone said that once, very wise of them. This was certainly the approach that Tim, Dave and myself took as we headed out of Manchester and across to North Wales on Saturday.
The rivers were low but the weather was nice. good for photos, bad for paddling. We managed a standard low water day in North Wales, with a quick run down the Fairy Glen followed by fun and games on Swallow Falls and Pont Cyfing.
A low, but fun Fairy Glen (Photo: Tim Burne)
Swallow Falls (Photo: Tim Burne)
After an entertaining night at Plas Y Brenin (cheers to Andy Gardner for the accommodation) we had an early start and a long drive to South Wales on a tip off that that there was rain expected. There was rain. It became clear on the drive down the A470, that there was indeed rainfall, epic amounts and everything was on the rise. We arrived at the Nedd Fechan to find it looking big and brown, fantastic. After some obligatory faff and sorting a shuttle, the river was bigger, browner, and still visibly rising. Unfortunately both Tim and I were too precious to take our cameras out in the heavy rain so there are no photos, but what a river. I had a slightly scary extended surf in a large hole, a swim at this level would have been unthinkable, so I didn’t. It sounds as if others in the area had similarly epic levels, with broken teeth and scary levels.
The swollen Nedd Fechan at the take out, having gone up several feet in a few hours
