GUIDE TO THE AFON MAWDDACH

NAME OF RIVER: Mawddach.

WATER LEVEL, ACCESS AND HAZARD UPDATES:Here.

WHERE IS IT?: Snowdonia, near Dolgellau.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: Put in at a forlorn windswept bridge in the middle of nowhere, or GR 768291 to be more precise. You'll need to look at a map really, but the best direction to access this quiet spot is perhaps from the Trawsfyndd Ski Centre on the A470.

In low water, you can drive up to a forest car prak and carry upstream to launch below Rheadr Mawddach.

This trip runs into the lower Mawddach (this begins when the Eden confluence is reached) and although you can stop here, it's recommended to run the first couple of kilometres down to a good takeout bridge and carpark, GR 730234. See the Mawddach guide for further take-out info.

APPROX LENGTH: 9 km, all away from roads and civilisation.

TIME NEEDED: At least two hours, it could take a whole day for a cautious group.

ACCESS HASSLES: Not known. It's pretty bleak...you won't meet many folk up on the moor.

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: We paddled this in low paddleable levels and also the same day in medium-high water, with direct run-off from several hours of heavy rain. The river is worthwhile in low water; but you obviously need enough to float away comfortably from the start point. Higher levels make for a great trip.

Either way, you need some recent rain to make it happen.

GRADING: Grade 4+, with some Grade 5 falls and some possible portages.

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: There are two dodgy drops which many will portage. There is one which all will portage...Rheadr Mawddach, a totally evil waterfall.

The whole trip is away from roads in the Coed y Brenin forest.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This excellent trip keeps you interested all the way with plenty of variation and surprises.

From the start, the river flows over and through small set-piece grade 4+ falls and gorges. Watch out for practically the first drop, where the river bends sharp right. A slot to the left saw Dave Surman dislocating his shoulder and earning a free helicopter trip to Bangor Hospital...see the 'OTHER NOTES' section below.

The first thing which will have you scrabbling for the bank is an ominous horizon line...you've reached a six metre waterfall with ugly rock formations to the left and right of the central slab. This is perfectly paddleable, but most of us portaged in low water.

The rapids crank up a bit as the river moves further into the forest, with plenty of interesting set-piece drops and good pools to recover between them. This is a classic grade 4-5 'mini-expedition'.

The second fall that you may find yourself portaging is a vicious single drop where (in low water) most of the water heads down a dangerous slot on river left. Alternative routes open up in higher water. Note that Chris Sladden appears to have placed this rapid and the 6 metre waterfall the wrong way around in 'The Welsh Rivers'.

Chris Sladden (Jan 2004)...'Have I got those drops the wrong way around? Ah well, that is the problem with doing 200 rivers+ in a country! I'd better try and do it again when I'm next back in Brithdir (where the inlaws live). Funny enough, I've paddled the river on quite a number of occasions, still nobody is perfect especially me!'

When you reach some remains of industrial buildings, be alert. An awesome horizon line pops up in front of you, complete with mood-setting mist rising behind it. Getting out on river right would be a really good idea at this point. You've reached Rheadr Mawddach. This massive complex fall has been run (by Loel Collins), heaven only knows how, though.

The portage is a track down the river right bank, launching near to the confluence of the excellent Afon Gain.

With the Gain and the Mawddach joined, suddenly you are on a much bigger river! The river from here on is continuous grade 4+ with perhaps two grade 5 falls. In high water this section is superb, with humping waves and holes.

The two harder falls are pretty obvious. The first is a walled in drop either side of a central boulder. The stopper below doesn't look like a great place to get stuck, should you miss the boof. The second fall is right at the end, a bedrock waterfall with a choice of gnarly channel on river left, or smooth slide into sticky stopper on river right. The river right channel is really sticky in high water. I should know.

Directly below this drop, the river joins the Afon Eden. You are now on the lower Mawddach. Stopping here (main road on river right) is possible, but carrying on through two kilometres of bouncy grade 3 and 4 to the carpark takeout (see above) is recommended.

Pictures of the Mawddach

OTHER NOTES: Chris Wheeler explains the shoulder dislocation incident mentioned above (December 2003)...'For future reference, the incident happened on the very first little (3ft?) ledge drop that you come to after 300 yds. Normal medium level. Only as you get very close to the drop do you realise that to river left there is a tight little slot, which is avoidable if you go over the ledge just to the right of it. Seeing a paddling mate you've known for over 20 years in that much pain isn't my idea of fun and it has been thought provoking...'

The Afon Gain tributary is well worth doing also if you have time...this means paddling the lower half of this trip again as well.

CONTRIBUTED BY: Mark Rainsley, also Chris Wheeler and Chris Sladden.