18.12.19 Hafod Mountain (SJ 211 630)
 |
| The summit area of Hafod Mountain (SJ 211 630) |
My last of four hills of
the day proved to be an absolute delight, with an attractive summit and the
all-pervading low greyed murk of the morning giving way to clearing conditions.
I parked in a housing
estate in Gwernymynydd just to the south of the hill, where a public footpathed
track leads up between houses to the open higher grazing fields where blacked
sheep interspersed with their all prevalent white cousins’ adding variety to
the patchwork of white flecks that pre-dominate most Welsh grazing scenes.
The track continued
toward Plas Hafod with the summit of the hill to its west. Having gained height beyond the last few
houses I soon left it and followed sheep tracks across the adjacent field
toward bronzed bracken which followed the crest of the hill’s broad higher
ridge and this was a delight to reach after the murked clag of early morning.
The bracken led to a
small cragged escarpment with mature trees adding variety to an increasingly
beautiful scene. The summit is a part of
the cragged rock, with two points vying for the accolade of highest point. I spent a few minutes aligning one with the
other and judged the most southerly the higher.
I set the Trimble up
aligned with the high point and faced it north-westward and a long wait then
developed. By now the wind had increased
in strength and whilst waiting for the 0.1m accuracy level to be attained
before data should be logged I sheltered in the lee of one of the mature trees,
scampering back to the Trimble every five minutes or so to check its progress,
after 15 minutes I closed it off and re-aligned it, again with its internal
antenna placed on the very highest bit of rock, but this time facing southward
and within a few minutes the 0.1m accuracy level appeared and I quickly
oppressed ‘Log’ and scampered back to the shelter of the tree.
 |
| The first attempt at gathering data from the summit of Hafod Mountain |
After allotted data were
gathered and stored I closed the equipment down and looked east toward a mass
of murk which was again descending on near hills. It seemed a good time to leave the hill, but
I also wanted to make place-name enquiries as this hill does not possess a map
name and I hoped to find the local farmer who would in all probability know the
name of the hill.
 |
| Gathering data at the summit of Hafod Mountain |
Having retraced my route
back to the track I then called at three houses. No one was in at the first but I talked with
a woman at the next and Tony Carsley at the third. Both were helpful and directed me further
down the road in Gwernymynydd to Jo Owen and her farm. It is Jo who grazes this hill.
Jo’s farm was only a
short drive through Gwernymynydd and I was soon in her farmyard talking about
the hill and its name. Jo grazes this
land and told me the hill is known as Hafod Mountain, I’d already been given
the name of Hafod Moor, and Jo explained that this is lower on the hill.
It was good to finally
be given a name for this hill, and happy in the knowledge that I’d visited all
hills I’d wanted to and with the grey murk now developing in to rain I drove
the short distance toward Mold and waited for Mark’s arrival before we headed
to Beddgelert to meet Aled for a pre-Christmas evening meal.
Survey Result:
Hafod Mountain (significant name change)
Summit Height: 285.9m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 21171 63090 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Bwlch Height: 241m (spot height)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 21185 62473 (spot height)
Drop: 45m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)
Dominance: 15.17% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)
No comments:
Post a Comment