Despite its grandeur and fascinating walks across the valley below, the “Path of the Sky” remains a mystery to many. Hiding in Eryri National Park, CWM Prysor Viaduct is away from the bustling tourist hotspots that attract millions of people each year. The viaduct, which rose across the terrain to 450 feet and 120 feet tall, was once part of the Blaenau ffestiniog-Bala railway, distinguished by nine elegantly curved arches.
The first railway journey took place in 1882, but by January 1961, the last freight train had roared across the viaduct. That closure was exacerbated by the decision to flood Afont Leiwellyn Valley and build the Llyn Celyn, opting to re-rout the railroad in favour of upgrading the A4212 roads instead.
The truck was demolished within the same decade, and leaves carpeted the viaduct, allowing nature to claim the structure. Although not legally designated as a public road right, it acts as a “tolerant road” and allows visitors access courtesy of an agreement between the landowner and the Eriri National Park Service.
Despite its impressive dimension, the viaduct remains a “hidden gem” within Eliri's sparse reach between Trousefinid and the Rose. Social media can shine a spotlight on this locale, but the area's flooded areas may prevent it from being overwhelmed by visitors, North Wales Live reports.
The viaduct recently became a one-night-of-night feeling when Jason Reese showed off his architectural wonders in a video on his handle @AltitudeCaptures.
“It's located in a lovely, quiet location with stunning views. The flat path gives you easy access to all the hiking levels,” Jason said.
By Friday evening, the clip has over 4,000 likes! and accumulated nearly 1,500 shares and received a lot of positive comments. A hit viewer wrote, “This is absolutely amazing. Where is this?”
Another expressed his love for nature: “I love nature. You make something, you abandon it, and nature claims it. Nature embraces everything.”
The Welsh Wonderist added, “Amazing view!” and The Wanderingmum added, “This looks so cool and adds to my wish list.” This video was called the “highlight” of someone's daily tiktok browsing.
But like Georgina, some people weren't so impressed with the infamous name that their precious hotspots were.
But Jason stuck to his belief: “The Earth is for exploring. As long as people don't leave any confusion, we all have the right and freedom to explore new and wonderful places.”
However, Georgina expressed concern that those who came for Tiktok would “leave confusion” and that the infrastructure might not be able to burden them. In support of her stance, local residents aired complaints about discarded dog waste and bags of rude visitors, sparking debate with a response saying, “You can't take a walk.”
In contrast to the popular Hafren Forest, the challenging terrain is expected to thwart large crowds regardless of the new social media spotlight.
