Rhaeadr Fawr

Rhaeadr Fawr, or Aber Falls, is a large waterfall about 40m high in the Snowdonia mountains. Because of its location, just off a busy road, it is typically swollen with tourists, however, I got lucky when I timed my visit to just begin when heavy rain had moved off from the area. Initially, I planned to visit Pistyll Rhaeadr which, at 80m tall, is about twice as high as Aber, but today when passing the area in rather extreme rainfall conditions, I thought that would have been a mistake. Even with large rain clouds still hanging over the area, I was surprised by the amount of visitors here. Trying not to get distracted by the myriad of beautiful cascades along the river, I heard the waterfall long before I actually saw it. 

When I saw it, I remembered how I chose Pistyll Rhaeadr over this waterfall because it looked unimpressive, just a standard waterfall like Aira Force. When I saw it with my own eyes and not on a photograph and with someone else for scale, I realised that it would have been a big mistake not to visit this place because of that. Aira Force was beautiful when I saw it in November, but, compared to this monster, it was pathetic. Aber falls seemed over twice as high to me, and the amount of water gushing over it was incomparably higher, filling the area with a roar unlike anything I have heard. Even High Force near Ullswater did not sound that menacing. 

As I approached to investigate, I began to get drenched by clouds of spray exploding from the base of the waterfall. With this much water going over the waterfall, approaching the base without getting extremely wet was practically impossible. About 20 meters from the base, I got absolutely drenched, completely engulfed in clouds of spray.

The view from the side was also beautiful, although even here I was getting drenched by water flying everywhere. 

Nearby was another waterfall. Although this one looked considerably less threatening than its raging neighbour, this one looked significantly taller. 

On my way back for more photos to Aber Falls, I noticed that a massive crowd had formed near the waterfall. There was practically no-one here when I was getting myself wet trying to approach the plunge pool (which was absolutely impossible to do). People were everywhere, and a large crowd had blocked the bridge over the river as well. Because of this, I chose not to approach the waterfall again and instead be content with what I got. 

As I tried to get a view on the waterfall from a nearby hill, I noticed that there was more to the waterfall than just the one massive plunge. There were a few cascades directly above it, including a very large one almost concealed by trees. I chose not to approach it, especially in the slippery conditions, or with my bike in tow. I wonder- is 40m the height of the entire waterfall, or just the famous large plunge? 

There were some lovely cascades beneath the two waterfalls as well. 

Aber Falls was absolutely amazing, and this natural beauty distracted me from my intention to find a Devil's bolete this year. But which waterfall to visit from this point? Pistyll Rhaeadr is the obvious choice as, at twice as high as Aber Falls (or is it just twice as high as that one lower drop?), it should look more impressive, even with a lower flow rate. However, if today was anything to go by,  Pistyll Rhaeadr will likely be swamped with tourists by the time I arrive. And I don't like sharing natural wonders. 

There are two other possibilities, at least one of which is clearly more impressive than Pistyll Rhaeadr. Many people claim Pistyll Rhaeadr is the tallest waterfall in Wales. Not even close to so, as the Devil's Appendix in Snowdonia has a free-fall height of 93 meters. That may be impressive, but this number is dwarfed by Pistyll y Llyn, with a total height of 160 meters including a 91m freefall section, and Maesglase falls, which cascades down a height of 160-180 meters in a near-vertical plunge. Both are likely to be seasonal but, with this much rain, worth a try. And, given Maesglase is just a sliver of water, Pistyll y Llyn (the true tallest waterfall in Wales!!! Provided Maesglase is insulted as just a glorified drainage ditch) shall be my next destination of choice.