March isn’t the ideal time of year to be jumping in the rivers of North Wales. With snow on the hills still and persistent light drizzle, the water temperature is 4-6°C and the air only fractionally above that.
However, Dave from Boulder Adventures called and said he had a new gorge to explore and would I like to tag along. Jumping, swimming, climbing and sliding, all mixed up with a little adventure, of course I would!
Multiple layers of wetsuit warded off the worst of the cold as the four of us waded into the Afon Cynfal. The slow seep of frigid water in through the zips and up the cuffs caused occasional curses but, once moving, the temperature was bearable, if not comfortable.
As we headed downstream, the river quickly gorged up, with a series of waterfalls from the knee high to well overhead. Each one took careful inspection, both for safety and the extraction of maximum fun. Some provided jumps into deep pools, others slides or mini rollercoaster rides through a series of waves and drops.
It was great to be out and about, functioning as a team and exercising judgment in the stunning but hazardous environment. For two hours only two things mattered, the safety of the group and having fun.
The sides of the gorge began to steepen and narrow. We scrambled up onto one side and peered down ahead of us. The river plunged over a spectacular 40ft waterfall and then disappeared through a slot less than 3 ft wide. Glad we’d exercised caution we continued downstream.
A small foot bridge crossed the gorge and provided an ideal platform for scouting ahead. The river once again narrowed and disappeared from view. A trip along the cliff edge 100ft above the river showed a series of increasingly large and impassable waterfalls. We scrambled on until a 50ft waterfall into a pool less that 8ft wide convinced us that our exploration was at an end. As Dave put it, this river changes quickly from “gentle to mental”.
Photo: Dave Crombie, Boulder Adventures
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