Elan Valley March 13

Emma was spending the weekend at her Dads house so we decided to visit a remote youth hostel called Dolgoch. It used to be run by the YHA but was bought up by Elenydd Wilderness Hostels Trust to save it for future generations. The hostels are looked after by volunteer wardens. The plan was to drive to the valley after to dropping Emma at school, to do a walk, stay overnight in the hostel and walk the following day then drive back home.

The drive from Bristol takes a while so we didn't arrive at our start point until 12.30pm. The parking was free in the village carpark, but you can leave a donation in the box by the toilets which are also maintained by volunteers (and were open at the start and end of our walks)

Are target of the day was Drygarn Fawr, we specifically chose to walk the two mountains as two separate walks having hear how gruelling the section between the two of them is. 

Our walk followed the river nearly all the way to the top. The first falls we stopped at was named on the map as Pwll Y March. 



The walk in was beautifully isolated, there was pool after pool of amazingly clear water just calling out to be swum in. 








There was no path on the map to take us up this section, but it was an easy scramble




At the top of the falls was another amazing pool - I really must return to this river in the summer




Our way on was pathless and tussocky. We got there in the end though, and thankfully all the boggy bits were like frozen tundra it was so cold outside


Top of Drygarn Fawr


We hadn't seen anyone all day, I did mistake a boundary stone for a person at one point, but after it hadn't moved for sometime I realised it wasn't human life after all!

We ate our lunch hiding behind one of the giant cairns. Once done it was onwards to it's twin top and other big cairn. It was very cold outside so we didn't waist any time in picking up the pace very briskly! I was flapping my arms wildly about trying to get the blood going back to my fingers!


We headed off to a top called Carreg Yr Ast on the bearing I had taken - it looked interesting on the map so we'd thought we go there. The moorland is so high and expansive I'd love to be up there on a clear day seeing across to all the other Welsh mountains.


Looking back at the twin tops of Drygarn Fawr


It was great to be walking on the frozen bogs, we'd heard such horror stories of the ground conditions in this area it felt like we were getting an easy ride!


We carried on to another minor top called Carnau which had a nice little rocky shelter on it



We then had the dilemma which route to head down - we could head down an easyish way or we could head off to another valley of waterfalls which looked a little craggy on the map. We did start to head down the easy way, but changed our minds as the sun had come out and it was turning into a nice evening.

We came upon a really nice high level path over to the falls, it's not on the map so not clear if it is the sheep path or not.It's nice to find these hidden places.


It wasn't too craggy getting down to the falls, another easy scramble - although would probably be more difficult in the wet.
It was worth the detour - the valley is marked as Chwarel Du and Cregiau Duon on the map















No photos after this point - from the bottom of the falls we skirted through some forestry - thankfully the path through was quite easy as allot of the forestry had been felled, having navigated some slightly complicated forestry tracks it was a simple case of a long walk out through footpaths. It got dark and we donned our head torches, can't recall the exact time back to the car but it was around 6.30. We then had the icy drive to Dolgoch to negotiate - a drive probably best done in daylight in winter conditions!

When we arrived there was a warden there who'd very kindly got the first lit and made us a cup of tea. Two amazing acts of kindness for two very tired walkers! We heated up out chilli and sat around the fire chatting until it was time for bed. There is no hearing in the hostel aside from the fire, and no lights upstairs. Downstairs they have LED lights and lanterns which can be borrowed. In the winter the water is off so you have to fetch water from the stop tap outside. As the water comes from the stream it has to be boiled before drinking. Buckets were filled with water for us to use for the loos. Aside from this we were very cosy at night and did not miss our home comforts. The kitchen was really well equipped (much better than the the YHA we last stayed in) and there were loads of good books to read.



The hostel is in a beautiful (sorry I will stop using that word soon..) isolated valley and you feel like you are the only people for miles around. After a good night sleep we woke up and our warden had lit a fire so we warmed ourselves with fire and porridge and procrastinated about going outside!



Views from the hostel




The road to the hostel


Our second walk was to take us to the top of a mountain called Gorllwyn. Our ascent to get high was a bit unexciting, we failed to see the standing stone marked on the map. This photo gives you an idea of the vastness of the open moorland.


Our route took us via some burial cairns near a hill top called Y Gamriw. We were lucky the ground was frozen, this area would be very boggy in the wet. 



More interesting cairns/useful shelters


We were able to follow stone boundary stones all the way to our intended summit


The novelty of standing in frozen bog never wore thin..


Llyn Y Ferlen was frozen solid too



Our top felt a really long way away crossing this desolate moorland. It never really became dull, it was just nice to enjoy the solitude


At our top at last!


We got a very brief glimpse of sunshine and how special the views would be in clear conditions




After this point we took a bearing and headed to the stream called Nant Cyfyng to then drop down to the edge of open access land and a few tracks back the car. It was pretty tussocky on the way down and the bog was starting to melt, but only took us about 45 mins to get off the hill which seemed pretty good going and aloud us time to pub on the way home!



We had a fantastic weekend in this wild, bleak area - we saw no-one aside from our hostel warden all weekend and despite the weather being a bit dreary there was so much to see it didn't once feel boring. I want to return to Dolgoch with my daughter in summer and spend a day picnicking by the waterfalls.