NAME OF RIVER: Sychryd

WHERE IS IT?: Dinas Rock, Glynneath. Trib of the Neath.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: The put in is just next to the A465 duel carriageway, it's the 4th lay by after you cross the bridge going towards Merthyr Tydfil (51.751380, -3.556546). Get out is Dinas Rock (51.759655, -3.579548).

APPROX LENGTH: A long 3km.

TIME NEEDED: 3 hours minimum.

ACCESS HASSLES: Unknown. 

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: If you can paddle the tight gorge near the get out then it should be fine.

GRADING: Mostly 2/3 with two waterfalls.

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Trees. Trees. Waterfalls. Trees. Steep unpaddleable cataract.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The get on is unusual as you go from a duel carriage-way down through some bushes and into the valley, there is a path with steps which 15 of us walked past by accident. You'll find yourself stood below a pipe style bridge with the river running out of it and a smooth slide and drop just below. Hop on and enjoy the next 2km of tree chokes and a shallow waterfall. Near the end there is a clean fall into a deep pool which is the icing of the cake for this river. Further down you will come across the large cataract which is difficult to portage and after that is the last few hundred meters of lead out rapids to the car park. The other option is to follow the footpath over the hill and to the car park from the clean fall.

OTHER NOTES: This river has had split opinions from many. A few such as Tom Rainey have had a throughly great time and is right up their street where others would have rather driven the length of Britain to escape it. If you enjoy tree infested ditches then this is for you.

Andy Kettlewell running the clean drop into a deep pool near the end.

Contributed by: Tom Rainey, Jamie Conn, Sam Ellis and Ieuan belshaw.