GUIDE TO THE AFON CWM LLAN
(GR 620522 to GR 624517)
NAME OF RIVER: Cwm Llan.
WHERE IS IT?: Falls from the south side of Snowdon. Map.
From the A498 Capel Curig to Bedgelert road, take a track and park up in a small layby, about GR626510. Opposite is a major footpath heading onto Snowdon, follow this for about 2k to GR624517. On the walk up you will see a large bony (un-runnable?) slide/drop, above this is the get out.
Keep going up the track for about 1/2 a k to another large bony (un-runnable?) drop, GR620522, this is the get in.
PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: Put in below the big rock infested drop. This is quite a trick, due to slippy rock and lack of a decent eddy.Take out above the huge drop/slide seen on the walk in.
APPROX LENGTH: 500 metres.
TIME NEEDED: 3.5 hours.
ACCESS HASSLES: Unknown.
WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: Can't tell until you're there. Probably needs a few hrs of recent rain and will run off quickly. We ran it after a night of heavy summer rain.
GRADING: Steep.
MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Midges, predictable jokes from beardy ramblers and rock climers.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Wet rock mountain surfing. About a dozen or so decent slides/drops.
First drop after the put in is an angled slot, prob best not miss the boof.
Below a couple of easier drops, then 7 ish slide/drops in quick succession. If the level is right, the chances are you won't stop till you hit the bottom pool.
A few more easy drops, then 3 nice fall's run together into the pool above the last and sketchiest drop. A tight line looked feasible on the right, comprising of an iffy 6ft slot then 14ft drop with a worrying landing. I however, managed to conjure a half-baked excuse, so can't comment further. Get off above or below, pick up your boat and head back down the track.
The section below the huge fall isn't worth the bother unless it's humping.
OTHER NOTES: At about GR 624514 the Picks up gradient again and heads off into the woods, might be worth a look if the river is really high? Anyone done this bit?
CONTRIBUTED BY: John Heaton.
