We follow the Nant Bwrefwr stream and its waterfalls up a mountain above the Talybont Reservoir.
There are many many waterfalls, and a bee.
The lump.
Today you find us on another hunt for waterfalls.
‘cos we do like a good waterfall hunt.
We’re going to head through Talybont-on-Usk and we’re gonna head up past the Talybont reservoir which is the largest reservoir at the Brecon Beacons so I’m lead to believe.
We will be heading past that, up to the river that flows into it, and that river is pretty good for waterfalls- so we understand.
It’s about a five and half mile walk to do the loop that we’re going to do.
There’s three or four, apparently, decent waterfalls up there.
So theoretically we should be happy the pig in, whatever it is a pig’s happiest in.
It’s a thing that makes you grin is a waterfall.
A good waterfall will put a smile on any face.
Now you’re gonna come with us.
Whether you like it or not.
Waterfall number one is just opposite the car park. Just a little one with a pretty stream going off into the Brecons.
Right. What we’re going to do is we are going to walk a five and a half mile loop to take in some waterfalls. There is a waterfall over here, but we are going up there.
Down to our left there is a nice little gully. And in that nice little gully just through the trees through there is our second waterfall.
But this one here is quite a good drop.
So, look that way.
Jo: You can’t see it through the trees.
Jo: What a waste of a pan.
Waterfall number two is behind me.
Just there.
Much bigger than waterfall number one which was not surprising considering it was right at the bottom.
We’ve just climbed some quite steep steps.
I’ve overheard them called the stairway to heaven.
I think those are these and not anything else.
We’ve got quite a few more waterfalls to go so I’m going to shut up and carry on climbing up and up and up and up forever.
We forgot suncream.
And I burn really easily because I’m pale. Pale and a camera person that’s, that’s a thing that doesn’t mix.
Ian has very kindly decided to go and get the suncream from the car.
I offered, but no, he’s being manly and nice.
It’s hot with a breeze which means you don’t notice when you’re burning.
Skin who’d have it, eh?
There is a waterfall just around this corner, so I’m going to wander around that corner.
Then I’m gonna have to wander the back again and head back up this way, which is where the path goes.
Here is the little gully that I just wandered down and just in the distance there, you might be able to see, you might be able to see, a bit of white.
That is our waterfall.
That’s waterfall number three which we are just going to go and head over to now.
Ian managed to stray off the beaten track and find us another one.
We don’t actually know how many are going to be on this one.
It’s nice here. It’s very peaceful.
I’d quite happily stay in this bit all day just listening to the water burbling over the rocks.
You should come here. Just sit and listen to the river.
I’m going to show you the stream coming down the rocks now because you deserve it.
Yes you’re looking at my ugly mug again.
Whereas you could be looking at waterfall number three.
There it is behind me.
And this is in this lovely little gully.
And it is a really nice little gully and you can hear the birdies tweeting.
They’re either upset at the fact that we’re here, or it could just be that they’re sort of saying “Hello, Hello” to other birdies.
There’s my waterfall.
I’m claiming this is mine due to the fact that I found it.
It’s not because I looked at the map and went ooo there’s a waterfall there.
I wandered into the stream to wash my hands and I could hear it. Up on the path I couldn’t.
As soon as I got into the, into the gully I’m sort of thinking oh Eh up lad, there’s a waterfall up there.
That there is it tree that has been brought down off this bank.
You can see just from that it’s precarious life for the fauna and flora of this valley, especially I should imagine when it really starts chucking it down, and I would imagine this being Wales, it does.
You know it means up here.
Unless you can really cling on tight, you’re going to get washed off, which is what happened to that poor tree.
But it’s also what’s happened, I would say, to this piece of rock that I’m sitting on.
Now that piece of rock came from up there.
Just simply due to the force of the water pushing it down.
I am sitting at the top of the first waterfall, and quite a drop and I’d quite like to film down it, but, I don’t want to lean out, because I’d probably fall down the falls.
Out or fall and that will be the end of Joey and the camera.
It’s broken down.
That thing there is what we’re going to climb in a minute. Because we’re fools. Foolish, foolish, fools that we are.
Now waterfall number five.
Four. Four.
Waterfall number four.
It’s a bit difficult to get on there, isn’t it, mate?
So that is waterfall number four and we still have to climb the whacking great big hill behind me.
Which, you know, that’s all par for the course, but it’s a very hot day so the water bottle’s seeing a bit of use.
But we’ll be up at the top of the hill…
I was going to say quite soon.
What an idiot I am.
We’ve done about maybe a third of our climb I would say and now we have the rest of it to do.
I’m going to go away. It’s steep as.
You know ‘insert mild curse word’ here.
So it’s walk a bit go “Ooo pretty scenery”,
Walk a bit “Ooo pretty scenery”.
It’s actually making it a much more pleasant climb.
So it works to our advantage.
But place is crawling with army people; who are also suffering so we don’t feel too bad.
But they are also wearing full combat gear so….
Yeah, anyway, onwards and upwards.
It looks like the whole thing shot in D log.
It needs a bit of colour correction.
You know you’re a cameraman when you try to colour correct scenery.
Well I’m looking at the map, which of course is on a phone because, you know, paper is obviously something that doesn’t exist these days; and according to this we are heading up Craig-Y-Fan Ddu.
And over there, there are some stones.
Jo: Well I’m standing on some stones now.
Yes, but these aren’t Stones, these are just, you know, stones.
Jo: Oh Stones with a capital S.
Ian: Whereas over there there are some…
Yes capital S Stones.
Now this is merely an excuse to, sort of, take a pause, as we walk up, because Joey is about to show you what the view in front of us looks like.
Jo: Hang on a minute. Up.
The camera’s bouncing about a bit.
Now that bouncing about is caused by the wind.
Because it’s windy.
Because we’re so high. Look at how high we are.
She’s nearly it’s up at the top.
She’s not nearly at the top.
It’s gonna be one of those things
where you’ll get to the top of this bit, and it’ll be “oh my god, there’s another bit”.
But no, don’t worry.
She’s steaming on up there.
Steaming away.
It’s all about to get a lot steeper.
Scream….. (said in a singsong voice)
Yeah, it’s fine.
I’m good.
I’m not carrying a massive rucksack though.
So I’m fine.
We’ve reached the top, you’ll be glad to hear.
A fabulous vista- which sadly is a bit hazy in the distance.
Ao you can’t really….
Jo: It’s alright it will colour out.
Maybe we will add in something in post to make it look a bit more exciting.
Jo: Explosions, that kind of thing.
Yeah that sort of stuff.
Yeah, sort of a line of fire on the horizon.
That sort of thing.
What we’re going to do now is we’re going to head along this ridge.
That valley where we’re heading to.
‘cos we’re gonna walk down the middle of that valley, which allows us to see a load more waterfalls, but in order to do that you’ve got to get to the bit of the valley that’s sort of shallow enough if you like to get into the valley itself.
So that’s where we’re heading now.
Up that way.
Jo: Into the valley of thing.
Into the valley of waterfalls rode the two, on their legs.
See you in a bit.
Jo: Rode the two on their legs?
Hopefully the wind should go some way to explaining why you aren’t getting fabulous drone shots of this.
I mean, if I had a sail on I’d be steaming along.
Probably several meters above the ground.
Jo: I do like the idea of geographical drama.
Come with me.
Jo: Where are we going?
Come with me and waterfalls you will see.
That piece of amateur dramatics was for Melfka, who doesn’t like my silly voices.
Jo: That’s going in.
Jo: Dramatic init.
Ian: Yeah if the weather was sort of you know wetter, this would be more waterfalls.
There is a waterfall down there you just can’t see it, ‘cuz we’re in the wrong place.
And I’m not climbing down there.
But nonetheless it’s tickling down in a nice gentle way and it’s water that’s falling.
So there you go.
That behind us. This thing here.
That thing there.
That’s what we’ve just climbed.
We’ve had a winter of eating a lot of cake.
Mountains have to be climbed, in order to leave the cake behind.
That rhymed.
I don’t know whether I’m proud of that or slightly ashamed.
Jo: Anyway, I’m leaving you there….
I’m going to go this way and hide.
It’s been to windy to stop and talk for quite a while.
We had a job standing up.
Progress report. Still here.
Not fallen off a mountainside.
I’m sheltered believe it or not….. right now.
This…..
Well this is cool…
It’s the top….
Now we head back down from the middle of the valley which I’m assured is possible to do.
When you’re standing up here looking down on it, it kind of looks a bit suicidal but apparently this is a doable thing.
So we’re going to give it a crack.
Jo: I think we’ll fly down.
Jo: Still a bit bleak.
Ian: Yeah.
But it’s amazing when you think that down there, there are waterfalls and it’s all just seeping down from from these hillsides.
I always find that fascinating.
Feel sorry for all the birds that are flying around.
Flying backwards birds.
That’s what we’ve got at the minute.
Things are not quite going as planned.
The route that we are theoretically supposed to be taking doesn’t actually appear to exist.
I think it would be stupid to attempt to just, basically, without a footpath, if you would like to point the camera down in that direction. Just wander down to the bottom of that Valley.
I’m sure it’s possible.
Sheep do it.
But I don’t know that it’s necessarily, particularly sensible.
It is not a disaster.
We’re quite chuffed with the waterfalls that we’ve seen
We’ve also walked along that Ridge, which during that very incredibly windy thing was quite fun and this is where we’re going to leave you.
You’re not going to see the rest of that walk.
And then we’re just going to, it’s going to be like snap….
We’re back at the car
