Afon Einion

Nearby Rivers: West Coast and Machynlleth

A hard and serious, but very beautiful, run dropping into the Dyfi valley.

Cwm Einion to Furnace Falls

2 km grade V+; various portages

There is an unwritten agreement that this river is big enough for groups of five or less experienced paddlers, but no more. Certainly, minibuses driving up the tiny access road would be sad indeed and I trust that paddlers will not use these notes to the detriment of others. That said, if you are prepared to portage, and want some hard and serious paddling, then you may care to check out this river.

About ten kilometres south of Machynlleth on the A487 is the village of Furnace. Turn off here up the Cwm Einion, or Artists’ Valley. Drive up this for about two kilometres until the road drops down to join the river. Here access can be made GR701944 above or below a class IV drop. The river needs to be in a medium spate - anything larger would be quite frightening and possibly unpaddleable.

A little way down are some irritating tree chokes which need to be portaged on the right. Below, however, a short class IV section leads straight into two of the finest big class V+ hits in Wales. The drops can be run on the left in medium flows though the stoppers are quite sticky and time spent setting up bank protection is sensible. The second drop is of questionable depth, but was ok on the left in short boats! The sculpture is fantastic. I have looked at these falls in big water when they looked class VI+!!

Easier water leads down to a footbridge where you can egress if all you came for were the waterfalls. Below, the river steepens again as it flows over and around large boulders and bedrock steps. The first rapid after the footbridge has a dangerous tree in it (in 1997) so be careful, as this could entrap a paddler!

The water eases off to about a IV during its passage through wonderful sculptured rocks with a few beckoning undercuts.

Just before the first houses are reached lie two huge, class V+ rapids. These are House Boulder and Bedrock Falls, respectively. Both are exciting but dangerous, and careful assessment and bank security is recommended. Pass under a pipe and finish the run on the right hand bank above the spectacular Furnace Falls - a little road just north of the river allows excellent access GR686952.