Canyoning in Wales: The Best Gorge Walking Spots in South Wales

If you’re looking for canyoning in the south of Wales there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Home to several of the tallest Welsh mountains this area is often used as a training ground for the likes of the SAS, so you know you’ll be in for a challenge.

The southern edge of the Beacons is home to an area nicknamed waterfall country which lies around the head of the Vale of Neath. Here several tributaries of the river Neath meet to form an epic series of waterfalls which are popular with canyoners.

The steep landscape funnels water from the higher parts of the park down towards the falls, carving deep channels through the sandstone and mudstone that make up the area, creating a watery playground full of big jumps and tight gorges.

Canyoning in Wales: The Best Gorge Walking Spots in North Wales

There are also some cracking gorge walking spots to go canyoning in the north of Wales too and it will come as no surprise that most of these are located in the picturesque Snowdonia National Park.

With Mount Snowdon as its centrepiece, Snowdonia’s steep and mountainous terrain has already made it a hot spot for climbing and mountain biking. This elevated terrain was shaped by glaciers and is packed with deep u-shaped gorges and fast flowing rivers. It’s perfect for adventure seekers basically.

Afon Ddu gorge is a great place to start and frequently hosts school parties and beginner groups. This waterway can be taken on as either a scramble heading up river or a regular descent. There are plenty of tight spots to slip through, an impressive waterfall and a good sized plunge pool at the top to give you the thrill of your first big jump.

In the north east of the park you’ll find Dolgarrog Gorge. This is another canyoning spot that is often climbed up rather than slid down, but it still offers a range of drops and plunge pools to enjoy. You’ll need a bit of scrambling experience to tackle this one and some rope work may well be needed for a couple of the steeper uphill sections but this is still one of the best canyoning spots in Wales.

Finally in the centre of the park, Maentwrog Gorge provides some of the most challenging gorge walking in Wales. It’s part of the Snowdonia Centre of Excellence, a £4m project developing top outdoor activities in Snowdonia. The Afon Dwyryd river runs through the bottom of this gorge, following a line of larger drops and jumps with some fun abseiling thrown in to give you the complete experience.

There are plenty of other canyoning spots to explore throughout Snowdonia too. If you’re keen to get stuck in up this end of the country give the crew at Snowdonia Adventures (snowdonia-adventures.co.uk) a call. These guys have been running outdoor adventure activities since way back in 2000 and will take you round some of the best Snowdonia canyoning for £60pp.

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