Graham was driving as we needed the Daihatsu four-track to get to where we were going. Well, we could have walked, but would never have got round the area in time. We went up the little lane leading through Taicynhaeaf and went on up and up, now following the forestry track through Cwm-Mynach (Valley of the Monk). I have no idea how this valley got its name as it's quite some distance from the abby at Llanelltyd. I took a few pictures en route, but then we left the vehicle and set off to find the lake Llyn Cwm-mynach (The lake in Monk's Valley).

There is no track to the lake and much of the shore is boggy, or even floating mats of vegetation. (Or so Graham tells me, the bit of shore we reached once we emerged from the trees was squishy, but OK.) Emerging into the bright sunlight, I took the picture shown above. If you can get a clear day in the winter, everything is sharper than in the summer, when you can get a blur of heat haze.

Driving on again up the gravel track, the view opened out and the distant hills had a tiny sprinkling of snow.

We didn't actually need the four wheel drive, but we did need the big wheels and high clearance as we set off down a much smaller track that is really supposed to be for cyclists and walkers. Then, after a very rough bit, the track became a narrow, tarmaced lane and suddenly I knew where we were. Cwm Camlan, a valley with spectacular waterfalls rising up from the tiny village of Ganllwyd.

We parked the vehicle and walked up by the river, where I took a number of photos, two of which are here. The light was going by now, but the falls were dark and dramatic with plenty of water. In fact they're called Rhaeadr Ddu (Black Waterfalls).

There are two words for waterfall in Welsh. These two are what is called a rhaeadr, or broad waterfall. The other kind of waterfall is a pistyll, which is the high, narrow type of falls.