Afon Dulas
Access Officer: Vacant - Contact
National Access Development Officer
Ashley Charlwood
c/o Canolfan Tryweryn, Frongoch, Bala LL2 3 7NU
Tel. 01341 422692 Mobile 07817 761125 Email:
Cwmbychan@aol.com
Nearby Rivers: West Coast and Machynlleth
| Map: | 135 Aberystwyth |
| Grade: | III; one fall IV; one fall V |
| Length: | 7 km |
| Access: | Machynlleth to Llyn Clywedog road |
| Notes: | no portages |
| Quality: |  |
When I first paddled this river it was one of those stolen moments; a last-minute thought after canoeing another local river. A brilliant run with no portages, although it has a test-piece drop to attempt. It goes for a few days after rain.
Henllan bridge to Garth campsite bridge
7 km III; no portages; two harder falls
Take the road out of Machynlleth towards Forge (part of Glyndwr’s Way) and head upstream from the bridge for about five kilometres. Here a small road leads off right then right again down to a small bridge over the river, where access can be made GR795983.
From the bridge down, the water runs over bedrock steps and rushes down sculptured gorges. Between here and the next bridge are two drops that are easy in good flows but are too narrow to shoot in low water. Otherwise, the rapids are about grade II+ to III, depending upon water levels, but with a few extras thrown in. The first is a bigger drop about a kilometre and a half down from the next bridge, and found on a left-hand bend. Shoot the drop down the middle and then hard left or right. Where the road appears on the left with signs of habitation is the next noticeable feature. This double fall is best inspected for the line- firstly, over the first step, then around the corner and drop sharply down the exciting right-hand shoot. In big water this is quite a frightening fall. I last paddled this river a few days after the floods of March ‘98 when it was still quite easily paddleable. Three days earlier it was apparently above the plant barrels in the garden on the left bank of the drop - some water!
About 400 metres below Forge is a major class V fall that is very much of the same ilk as Brown’s Falls on the Llugwy. This is on a left-hand bend in the river and just above some farm buildings also on the left. It needs a decent water level to be canoeable, and can be portaged on the right. Below here, the only real surprises are the grade III drops in the splendid little gorge above the egress point GR761016. This is reached by turning down the small road to Dolguog Hall, about a mile out of Machynlleth on the A489.