UKC

Hi,

A friend of mine is looking to do some sound recording of a waterfall, and he wants it to sound particularly impressive! There are many great waterfalls to choose from and it would be tempting to simply find the biggest waterfall nearby, but perhaps there are others which are particularly loud. Maybe because you can get very close to or behind the falls.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions and thought this would be the best place to ask. Anywhere in the UK (we are based in the South West, but don't mind travelling). Easier access preferred though having to get a bit more extreme (scrambling, long walk ins, maybe even a rope) isn't out of the question if it makes the difference.

Thanks,

Rob

Swyd yr Eira in spate. You can walk behind it.

It's just outside Penderyn, easily accessible from the Heads of the Valleys Road.

youtube.com/watch?v=ax9GEZMtzLM&

And Clyn Gwyn Upper and Lower aren't bad if you get close to them - the canyon magnifies the sound.

For noise there is a waterfall at the back of Yordas cave that, in high flow, reverberates around the small chamber it's in. I have had to shout above the noise. Access involves only a head torch, a 2 minute walk from the road and a walk across a large chamber (no crawling, ropes etc). Further along the same road there is a beautiful waterfall (Gastack beck) just next to the road that has a lovely high pitch. Staying in the area Thornton force has a thunder and you can walk behind it. Further north High Force at Middleton is immense but probably not easy to record.

In spate there's not much to beat the Falls of Clyde though.

High Force - Teesdale?

The loudest waterfall is the one having the most fun.

Seriously, though - any decent-sized waterfall in spate will be more than loud enough that you won't be able to tell the difference.

I'd suggest it's probably mostly about getting a waterfall after heavy rain or snowmelt - though the suggestions above for different sound effects (reverberation in a canyon or cave) sound interesting.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far, some really good ideas. Swyd yr Eira does seem great and of course the other waterfalls in the area. Hard to get much closer than right behind it!

I like the cave idea too if we want some weirder effects.

High Force seems a good option too. Looks like a huge amount of water going over, can imagine it's very loud. Does anyone know how close you can get?

I agree most waterfalls in some state of spate would really suit the bill, though some you really do have to shout when you're up close and that's the kind of thing we're after.

that's interesting; I would be intreagued to find out how it works out.

I suspect that if you record a loud waterfall of a river in spate the once you take the visual evement away it'll just sound like white noise.

a smaller waterfall you might be able to distunguish the trickle sound of drops hitting a hard surface.

I suspect you need a middle ground where you can distinguish the sound as "water" but not sound like a collection of dripping taps or a leaking hosepipe. I wouldn;t be surprised if the best result would actually be by mixing 2 or more recordings.............

Swyd yr Eira was the first fall that entered my mind Kate, especially after a good rain fall; 

Rob, there is a nice fall in Cwmystwyth, in the Hafod Forest, its called the Grotto and's its pretty noisy in there. Well worth a visit if your nearby. 

GR is SN 775 727 on 1:50 it's noted as a cave, on 1:25 its the Grotto.

L

You might be right, I shall have to chat to the soundie. Might be good to get a mix of sound tracks. I know he has a hydrophone, which could be very interesting to play with.

Thanks lone for that suggestion, another good idea. Possibly a closer 'cave option' for us.

The Stone Roses one, at the Etihad Stadium a few years ago, was fairly loud.

Haven't been to the Grotto, but have explored bits of the Hafod Estate; that, Cwmystwyth and the Elan Valley are some of my favourite parts of Wales!

I'll second (or third maybe?) High force.  Also (seeing as I was there last week), Goredale Scar falls after heavy rainfall sound very loud, probably due to the acoustics of the scar itself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weathercote_Cave

Bl**dy loud when I was there - partially enclosed by a collapsed limestone cave so the effects are amplified

At the top you can stand close enough to dip your toe in it if you're feeling brave (or stupid). Take a kayak and you can sit at the bottom although there are most likely restrictions. Chances are, whatever you decide you'll have to pay to get close.

Why's that? I did the Pennine Way a couple of years ago and didn't have to pay to go to High Force. 

I only went to the top, where you wouldn't get the full effect of the noise but I remember there being a group sat on come rocks near the bottom. It didn't sound massive to me from memory, but this was in the summer and it was thin. 

I suspect that the acoustics of the environment would be more important to the sound than the volume of water going over the falls. I've been next to some massive waterfalls in open environments that didn't sound as impressive as smaller ones in enclosed, high-sided gorges (probably like the cave mentioned above). The depth and makeup of the pool at the bottom would be a factor too. 

Pistyll Rhaeadr in full spate combines volume, height and a cavernous gorge. Considerably more spectacular than all the aforementioned and proper loud in spate. Although an extra 1,000 mile round trip will reward you with the Falls of Glomach in Kintail. Now that's a waterfall.

Pistyll Cain in the Coed y Brenin Forest, North Wales. 150 ish foot drop into a very confined wooded gorge. Pretty spectacular and very loud when in spate. Easy access and a path (dodgy) leads right to the plunge pool. I'll try and dig out a photo.

If you visit High Force from the north side of the river (the one with the shortest walk in) then it crosses private land and you have to pay. From Holwick to the south or Low Force to the east it is free of charge, but that's a longer walk so the coach-party crowd go the paying route.

When I want to find out this sort of thing I use the Simon Quinlank approach: youtube.com/watch?v=uzPqpbGEJBM&

(from memory as I last paddled the tees in 1993) If you're just visiting, the parking is at the hotel which you had to pay for - plus from memory, unless you'd payed for a paddling permit they were charging to get through a gate to the falls.  This could very well have changed .

Gaping Gill was incredibly loud when I was there, but might not qualify for easier access.

Hi Rob. Have mailed you.

Thanks again all, some more good suggestions.

I had wondered about Pistyll Rhaeadr, seems like it would be a good option too and not too far for us.

Good to know about access to High Force. Paying a little isn't out of the question, if we need to hire a kayak say to get close to the bottom.