Waterfall Country
Gorge Walking & Canyoning
One of Wales' best-kept secrets — waterfalls, plunge pools and ancient gorges, right in the heart of the Beacons.
One of Wales' best-kept secrets — waterfalls, plunge pools and ancient gorges, right in the heart of the Beacons.
Canyoning and gorge walking are outdoor activities where you make your way through canyons and rivers by swimming, jumping, climbing, and in some cases abseiling. You wear a wetsuit and a buoyancy aid, and you follow a guided route through a gorge from start to finish — entirely in and alongside the water.
The two activities are closely related, and sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. As a rule, canyoning tends to involve more technical elements — steeper abseils, bigger jumps — while gorge walking is slightly more accessible, though still thrilling. Either way, you will get wet, you will probably shout with surprise at least once, and you will not forget it.
With so many gorges and canyons in the area, the Brecon Beacons is one of the best canyoning destinations in Wales — particularly around Pontneddfechan, which lies in the stretch of the park known as Waterfall Country.
Most guided gorge walking tours last a half-day and are suitable for anyone in reasonable health from age 10 upwards. Here is what a typical session looks like.
One of the top tours in the area is gorge walking with Blue Ocean Activities & Adventures. You join a small group of up to ten people with an experienced guide who leads the route, provides all the safety equipment — wetsuit, buoyancy aid, helmet — and takes care of every detail so you can focus on enjoying the experience.
All you need to bring are sturdy shoes suitable for getting wet. Trainers will do; dedicated water shoes are even better. The guide will brief you on the route before you enter the gorge and will be with you throughout.
The gorge in Waterfall Country is genuinely beautiful — ancient oak woodland closing overhead, the sound of water everywhere, waterfalls dropping into pools you can swim in. It is one of those days out that looks amazing in photographs but feels even better in reality.
