The Bwlch

Introduction

The Bwlch (actually Bwlch Oerddrws) is located on the A470, at the top of the valley between Dinas Mawddwy and Brithdir. The Bwlch provides spectacular views down the Dinas valley towards Dinas Mawddwy to the East and towards Dolgellau to the west.

Low flying aircraft generally appear in the Dinas Valley over Dinas Mawddwy village, snaking their way up the valley, knife edging with their top side towards you as they pass your viewing position, although occassionally they will approach from the north east too, appearing over the top of the hill on the opposite side of the valley to your viewing position. When the air is damp, there can be spectacular fluff and ribbons as the aircraft make their final turn before passing you.

NOTE: Clicking on an image will display a larger version (where available).

Parking

The Bwlch car park (see the picture to the right) provides sufficient parking for 8 cars when single parked. If you are meeting up with someone in the car park, it would help if you double parked your cars, to maximise the number who can park there. Please do not block the gate as the farmer needs access to it and (rightly) gets annoyed if visitors block his access. The car park generally starts to fill up at around 8am, so it is a good idea to get there around that time.

 

Viewing positions.

The Bwlch provides 3 different shelves from which to view the passing aircraft, imaginitively known as the bottom, middle and top shelves. The bottom shelf is approx 200 feet above the road, the middle shelf approx 300 feet, and the top shelf approx 600 feet. The route to the bottom and middle shelves qre pretty much the same, you just climb a bit higher for the middle shelf. The top shelf requires you to follow a different route. The routes are described below.

 

Click the image to the right for a larger version with the position of each shelf marked.

Route to the shelves - Part I

The first part of the route to all three of the shelves is the same. Click on the picture to the right which will enlarge to show the suggested route. You will need waterproof boots to make the climb as the ground can be boggy. Also be careful if climbing over rocks, they are very slippy when wet.

• Climb over the stile from the car park;
• Step over the fence which runs at 90 degrees to the car park so that is on your right when facing the hill. This is preferred to keeping the fence on your left, as on that side the ground is very boggy.
• Walk towards the hill, keeping the fence to your right.
• Climb over the fence which runs at 90 degrees to the direction you are walking in.
• Walk up the hill to right at 45 degrees until you meet a fairly well defined path.
• Depending on which shelf you are going to, follow the relevant section below.

Route to the shelves - Part II (Bottom & Middle Shelves)

Continue up the path you joined in Part 1 - until you find the rock shown in the picture to the right. If you then look to your left, you will see a path leading to the bottom and middle shelves at approx 45 degreees to the main path. Unfortunately this part of path is not very distinct, but just keep heading towards the middle shelf, which you should be able to see all of the time and you will come to a fence.

Climb over the fence and continue to follow the path. Approximately 50 yards after crossing the fence you should see the bottom shelf. Then either make your way to the bottom shelf, or climb up that little bit further to the middle shelf. The path from the bottom to middle shelf should be quite obvious. When you get up to your chosen shelf, have a look back from where you came - you will notice the path looks much clearer from this viewpoint.

Route to the shelves - Part III (Top Shelf)

Keep following the main path you joined in Part I. Approximately half way up the hill the path will turn back on itself around a fairly large rock. Look up and you will see a distinct "U" shape in the profile of the hill - head for the centre of the "U". You will then come to a flat section and see a fence, Follow the path to the fence and climb over it. You just then head upwards for 50 yards or so and you are at the top shelf. We will add pictures the next time we visit the top shelf.

Photography from the Bwlch

The Bwlch is a superb location for low level photography, and is ideal for the first time visitor. There is plenty of time from spotting the aircraft entering the valley at Dinas Mawddwy to them passing by, and the aircraft generally always appear from the same place.

The light at the Bwlch is generally favourable, the sun being behind you for most of the day. However our experience has been that if it is a sunny day and the air is hazy, until approximately 11:00 it is almost impossible to take any good photographs as they approach you - the contrast is just too low. This does not affect pictures taken as they pass the viewing position. From about the middle of September onwards, the sun dips behind the hill late in the afternoon, casting shadow on the middle and bottom shelves and also on the valley floor. This is usually not a problem for photography as the aircraft are generally still in the sun.

From the middle shelf, a lens of approx 350mm on a crop sensor (500mm on full frame) is adequate to achieve frame fillings shots of the front line aircraft. Smaller aircraft such as the Hawk and prop trainers will not fill the frame. On the bottom shelf, a slightly shorter lens will give good results, and on the top shelf you need a slightly longer lens.

The following (uncropped) pictures below were taken at the Bwlch with a Nikon D700 Body (Full frame Sensor). Click a photo to view a larger version and details of the lens used.