Elan to Claerwen Mountain Road — Rhayader Uplands via Nant y Neuadd Reservoir Track

Wales keeps its loneliest country above 1,500 feet in the old county of Radnorshire, and the track linking the Elan Valley reservoir chain to the Claerwen Reservoir via the Nant y Neuadd watershed earns its reputation. Starting from the Craig Goch dam on the Elan system — the highest of the Victorian-era Birmingham waterworks reservoirs — the track climbs southeast over open moorland on a combination of gated forestry road and historic green lane before dropping toward the Claerwen dam wall. The Cambrian Mountains here are broad, treeless and wind-scoured; visibility drops to zero in cloud and the track becomes an educated guess. The mid-section crossing of the Nant y Neuadd feeder stream is the sticking point after rain — wide, stony, and carrying serious flow in winter and spring.

Solid moderate with occasional difficult moments. You want a proper high-clearance 4×4 — this isn’t a job for a lifted SUV on road tyres. The Welsh Weather can deteriorate from sunny to whiteout in under an hour; carry OS Explorer maps 187 and 188, not just a phone signal you won’t have anyway. Best run May through September before autumn rain returns the track to deep wet ruts. Rhayader is your last fuel, food, and phone call. Welsh Water manages the Elan and Claerwen reservoirs — access is generally open but check their site for any temporary closures. The landscape is almost painfully beautiful on a clear day.