Pistyll Rhaeadr

 Walks from the Falls

Walk four: Llyn Lluncaws

From the café at Tan-y-Pistyll, go through the gate leading to the bottom of the waterfall. Or from the base of the waterfall take the path leading off through the woods to your right - don't cross the iron bridge (wrong way). Continue until you reach the gate.

Turn away from the car park heading up toward the stile and gate at the edge of the woods. Steps lead up the mountain to your left; but proceed straight along the farm track ahead of you.

Keeping the stream on your right, keep on the track until it divides. Take the right fork down towards the stream, cross the stream, then through the gate.

Turn left and walk back upon yourself, gaining height until after about 100 yds you pick up the old drovers' road. Turn left heading up the valley, away from waterfall This track is the old drovers' road to Bala.

This path runs northwards, slowly gaining height at a regular gradient. Cross the two stiles as you come to them. After a while you will notice old sheep folds on the valley floor down to your left. The valley floor suddenly rises to form small crags over which a small stream tumbles down the valley. The path crosses the stream and leads up toward a second basin where the lake is.

Llyn Lluncaws means 'the lake of cheese' - in which lives a wise fish (according to Arthurian legend). The lake is surrounded on three sides by the steep sides of Moel Sych, forming a natural amphitheatre.

The path veers to the left-hand side of the lake, where it mounts the ridge. Here you may backtrack down the track or head upwards onto the ridge. After rapidly gaining height, the path meets the main ridge path from Pistyll Rhaeadr up into the Berwyns.

At the ridge-top, turn to your left and head back down towards the waterfall. The path follows the fence line down the mountain ridge, crossing two stiles as you go. On crossing the second stile the fence ends, leaving the path to make its own way back down toward the waterfall. The path leads you out on the farm road just above the waterfall.

If you wish to visit the top of the waterfall, cross the farm track and follow the path down to the stile, cross it and follow the path down to the waterfall - about 200m. Retrace your steps to get down to the base of the waterfall.

To proceed straight to the café from the farm road, turn to your left and follow the track down the mountain until you reach the top of the steps (or continue down the track). These steps lead you back down toward Tan-y-Pistyll. Leaving the steps, cross the stile and head through the trees into the car park at Pistyll Rhaeadr.