Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Arenig

05.06.18  Ffridd y Fedw (SH 830 459) and Pen Ffridd Sarn (SH 840 464)

Ffridd y Fedw (SH 830 459)

The Y Migneint is a large expanse of moorland stretching for many miles taking in the higher summits of the Arenig, it comprises grassland, heather and bog and has a beauty all to itself, where a tranquillity descends upon its land, that except for a farmer and occasional hill walker must be seldom visited.  It was in to this land that we ventured this evening, which proved idyllic with a setting sun and hardly a breath of breeze, as when rain sweeps in and mist descends it would not be a land I would chose to visit.

I met Mark and Aled in Betws-y-coed where we sat outside the Royal Oak Hotel with an evening meal and catching up with conversation.  Afterward we each drove to Ysbyty Ifan, leaving two cars in the village car park and taking the third further up the valley.

We had two hills on our planned agenda; Ffridd y Fedw and Pen Ffridd Sarn, both are Pedwarau, and according to the 5m contours on OS Maps the former is more of a marginal than its estimated c 33m of listed drop implies.

A green track led across fields down toward a wooden foot bridge that spans the enclosed gorge containing the infant Afon Conwy, ahead were a number of hills, each with elongated and rounded summit ridges, and all shimmered in summer lushness where grassland predominated amongst the black oozing bog of the Y Migneint.

The foot bridge passing over the small gorge

The green track soon disappeared and we headed for a gate giving access on to a better track that led down to stepping stones across one of the tributaries of the Afon Conwy.  Our first hill of the evening; Ffridd y Fedw, looked a long way away and its summit seemed forever unobtainable, but I put my head down and picked out a sheep path amongst the grassland and heather that led past, but also toward many bogs, eventually drier ground was found on the hill’s upper slopes, and in time, as always, the summit was reached.

Mark negotiating the stepping stones whilst crossing one of the tributaries of the Afon Conwy

The expanse of the Y Migneint

As Mark and Aled lay in the evening sun looking across to Carnedd y Filiast and Arenig Fach with the dimmed silhouette of Arenig Fawr in the distance, I set the Trimble up and left it to gather data.

Gathering data at the summit of Ffridd y Fedw

Once the Trimble was packed away we headed down to the connecting bwlch were a tee junction of fences indicated the critical bwlch of Ffridd y Fedw lay.  This land was quiet except for the occasional white speck of a grazing sheep and the haunting call of the Curlew; the latter is sadly becoming more a rarity on the British uplands.

Pern Ffridd Sarn and the connecting bwlch between the two hills

The bwlch had two distinct drainage ditches that resembled infant streams, each setting off in opposite directions, the three of us scrutinized this bwlch for a number of minutes and two data sets were decided on, one from where the fence crosses the bwlch and another on its northerly side.

Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Ffridd y Fedw

As data were gathered Mark and Aled made their way toward the top of Pen Ffridd Sarn, leaving me and the Trimble at the bwlch.  The land then became becalmed in the evening stillness with the cool of the day overtaking its warmth.  There is a tenderness to these moors, a stillness, an age old land where few tread, it is wondrous, and was enhanced on such an evening as this, as by the time I reached the summit of Pen Ffridd Sarn the sinking sun was playing colours against the high Glyderau where Tryfan and its jagged profile shone out against the myriad of sky colour.

My friends quickly abandoned me to my fate on the summit of Pen Frridd Sarn and I spent my time quietly talking to an inquisitive herd of Welsh Blacks who seemed intent on investigating the Trimble as it gathered its customary summit data set. 

Whilst the Trimble gathers data a stand off seems to have developed.  Photo:  Aled Williams

This proved a friendly stand off as I slowly and gently inched forward and the herd of cows slowly inched backward.  Once five minutes of data were gathered I quickly turned and headed toward the Trimble and closed it off.

Switching the Trimble off as the Welsh Blacks approach.  Photo: Aled Williams

The sun setting beyond the distinctive profile of Tryfan

Looking back the Welsh Blacks had been joined by a bigger beast, although it looked docile enough I did not want to test its stand-off ability, or my own again, and therefore quickly bi-passed them on my way down to join Mark and Aled who were close to the track that would, in time, lead us back to Ysbyty Ifan.  The walk, company and hills proved an ideal way to spend such a beautiful evening.    

Survey Result:

Fridd y Fedw

Summit Height:  432.6m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 83031 45946

Bwlch Height:  400.3m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 83424 46066 (LIDAR)

Drop:  32.3m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  7.46% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Pen Ffridd Sarn

Summit Height:  441.2m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 84020 46488

Bwlch Height:  361.5m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 84080 45710 (LIDAR)

Drop:  79.7m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  18.07% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet