Chasing Waterfalls Part 2

 

This weekend's adventure was again on the search of waterfalls, and this time it was a trip for the whole Salsbury family. 

On an overcast Sunday morning, my folks, brother and I, jumped in the motor and headed for Merthyr Tydfil, as Father Salsbury wanted to see the stunning scenery Max and I had encountered on our previous waterfall adventure. Our first stop was Abergavenny for coffee (Mother and Father can't go far without stopping for coffee on journeys, I assume it's an age thing), and after fruitlessly searching for a 'free car park' which apparently was a lie designed to trick visitors, we ended up at the Get Together coffee shop and lounge bar. We sat out the front and enjoyed some tasty beverages.

After leaving Aber, Max reliably informed us that he could remember the way to our destination. Unsurprisingly, he bungled the directions and we went sailing past our turning, only to end up going to Brecon and nowhere near where we wanted to go. This mishap came as no surprise to me as Max is an idiot. 

However, we did encounter some more amazing scenery on this new route which was partially worth the cock-up, and by now the sun had broken through the clouds and it was a glorious day.

We eventually ended up retracing our steps from our first adventure and once again drove through the village of Talybont on Usk, where Max felt nostalgic about his old job working the canal bridge. From here we continued to retread old ground and showed the folks the Talybont Reservoir, and then up into the hills and the waterfalls we had discovered previously. With one slight change, this time after parking the motor, we walked down the waterfall trail, rather than up, and found a new and impressive waterfall.

Unfortunately, we were impeded by Mother Salsbury's inability to cope with uneven surfaces, so we were unable to fully explore the area further and made our way back to the motor. Continuing our journey, we stopped to check out Torpantau Station, which is part of the Brecon Mountain Railway. The trains were not currently running, due to the dreaded coronavirus, however it was nice to look at and a nice view down to the Pontsticill Reservoir. 

After setting off on the road once again, we eventually ended up where we had originally intended, one hour and 30 extra miles later than expected. The place hadn't changed one bit in the two weeks since we had last visited, and was just as enchanting. This time we walked a little further up river and under the viaduct, where the river entices you in for a swim (we obviously resisted the urge as that would have been a stupid thing to do - had it been summer things may have been different). 

We were all growing weary by this point so stopped to refuel ourselves in Asda with refreshments and snacks, before heading onwards to the Brecon & Monmouth Canal at Gilwern. Here, we parked up and set off along the canal in search of excitement. We didn't find any, however we did find a really cool tunnel under the canal which would be great fun to explore in welly boots (a mental note was made to return equipped with wellies). 

By now, we were all tired and hungry so decided to call it a day and head home. Great fun was had by all, and the parents especially enjoyed themselves. Having visited this area twice in two weeks, I fear we shall not be returning for a while now, however there is still so much to see and do, and I am determined to walk the full length of the waterfall trail one day...

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