Lluest Cwm Bach- A Brilliant Bothy In The Elan Valley

It was a relief to finally arrive back at my car after hiking in near biblical rain for the entire day. I had spent two days following the incredible Monk’s Trod route across the wild Cambrian Mountains and every inch of me longed to end the journey in the car park, where I could change into dry clothing and just relax and recover. My battle with the Welsh elements wasn’t over though. A further two kilometres walk away sat my planned destination for the evening. This was to be Lluest Cwm Bach- a brilliant mountain bothy in the Elan Valley.

**This sums up the conditions pretty well on the walk along The Monk’s Trod. Grim!**

Where Is It Located?

The Elan Valley is a stunning part of mid Wales located close to the small market town of Rhayader. This town is almost slap bang in the middle of the country, yet most people simply pass through on their way to more popular places like Snowdonia or The Brecon Beacons. What a massive oversight!

Sometimes referred to as ‘ The Welsh Lake District’, The Elan Valley covers a vast area and is made up of numerous lakes, mountain rivers, mountains and moorland. It is little visited compared to more popular parts of Wales, but this makes it all the more appealing. You may well wonder why you hadn’t heard of it sooner when you first explore it. I certainly did. The following video shows some of the scenery you might expect to see close to Claerwen Reservior:

The wider area outside of The Elan Valley is also beautiful and offers some of the wildest and remotest terrain you are likely to find in all of England and Wales. The Cambrian Mountains are special and have touched my spirit and soul in a way I can’t describe. It’s certainly the reason I keep returning time and time again. To find out more about what this area of Wales has to offer click here.

A Map Of The Area

You can probably notice in the map below that the many lakes in The Elan Valley are in fact reserviors. These were created back in Victorian times by constructing several impressive dams, which still stand strong today. What is even more remarkable is that the water stored in these huge reserviors provides the city of Birmingham with much of its water supply. I wonder how many Brummies are aware that they are drinking fresh Welsh water from the uplands of mid Wales?

**Craig Goch Dam with the wild Cambrian Mountains behind. What a stunning place!**

How To Reach The Bothy

The little square marked on the map below on the eastern shore Craig Goch Reservior is the location of the bothy. It doesn’t look far from the nearest road and indeed it isn’t. What makes it tough though are the many boggy sections along the way.

**A better look at the route in. You can clearly see the marsh and bog that you must avoid.**

I parked my car at Pont ar Elan, but you could just as easily use he lay-by close to the dam, before you cross it by foot and then head north close the lake’s edge.

From Pont ar Elan, it is wise to take the clear path uphill through the ferns and follow the natural bowl all the way around formed by the surrounding hills. It is better to stay higher up, so that you avoid knee deep bog. I have heard many tales from other travelers about how awful this can be to cross.

**Pont ar Elan in all its wild beauty. That hill off in the distance is the one you will need to round to reach the bothy.**

Although there aren’t paths marked on OS maps, in reality you will find several faint tracks made by previous visitors and the many sheep that populate the hillside. I ended up following a rather large flock for most of my journey, but thankfully they opted to sleep outdoors.

My Bothy Experience

I arrived on a wet Wednesday evening to find three tents pitched outside and all sleeping space taken inside. This can always be a possibility and it is wise to plan for this; I had come without my tent as I banked on having it to myself on such a grim evening. I really should know better!

Thankfully, all other residents were part of the same group and were there as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award. They were a great group of guys and we soon swapped stories about how grim it had been hiking in the rain all day and that they were cheating by staying in the bothy. They were supposed to camp throughout and so offered to give me the space and head to their tents. I of course insisted they stayed where they were, but they were having none of it. Very thoughtful of them considering how nasty the conditions were outside still.

**Those trees mark the location of the bothy. Like many other remote shelters, I believe those trees may be there to ward off evil spirits. You can sleep easy here!**

Once I’d dropped my weight from my back and changed into some drier clothes, the next priority was to light the stove. Any regular bothy visitor knows that this one of the main highlights of sleeping in a bothy and can be an absolute God send on a cold or rainy night.

It took a few attempts to light it, but eventually the fire log I carried in ignited and we were in business. Soon dinner was cooked on the Jetboil and I sat with my food and beer, while enjoying the flickering flames. The extra hike in from the car now seemed more than worth it.

**You can understand why the fire is sometimes referred to as ‘ Bothy TV’. It is every bit as entertaining.**

The pouring rain on the roof made things even more relaxing. It was hardly The Ritz, but it could have been considering how grim the previous hours had been in the rain. Even sitting down and resting the feet felt like real luxury. Don’t I know how to live?

Its Very Own Mr Jingles

I settled down for some well earned sleep at just before eleven. The guys outside had long since retired and it was incredibly quiet. I could almost hear my own heart beat it was that peaceful. Not a single thing could be seen around me. The dark was all encompassing and I might have been a little spooked in this bothy in The Elan Valley if it wasn’t for the company outside.

I was just drifting off, when I heard noise from one corner of the bothy. With my experience of using these shelters before, I knew it was the resident mouse coming out to play. All of my edible bits had been hung from a hook on the wall, so knew any nibbling done wouldn’t harm my breakfast in the morning.

I lay for a bit just listening to it working away in the far corner, where one chap had left some food. Christmas had come early for Mr Jingles. I couldn’t help but giggle about it as I closed my eyes and drifted off in no time at all. He had his little tummy filled with flapjack, while I got my full quota of sleep. Happy bothy residents all round then!

**The morning view inside the bothy. Note the amount of drying clothes hanging from the rafters.**

The Guided Tour

I did film a little bit myself inside the bothy. I thought though that I’d let a proper Welshman take you on a proper tour. He even discusses briefly about the history of the building and the family that used to live there. To watch this video and get a real feel for what the inside of the bothy is like click here.

To Wrap Things Up

Lluest Cwm Bach is a great bothy in the Elan Valley. The Mountain Bothies Association ( MBA ) have done a wonderful job in restoring and maintaining this remote shelter and it makes a great place to spend the night. I am sure you’ll agree that the setting of this mountain bothy is hard to beat too with that wild remote experience that many of us crave from time to time.

The result of nearly eighteen hours of rain on the local river at Pont ar Elan.