Myrddyn Phillips - Mapping Mountains: Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys

07.01.21 Yr Allt (SJ 242 100, previously Trimbled)

Yr Allt (SJ 242 100)

At 7.00am I was standing on my front door step with a large mug of tea in hand looking out on a scene of winter fog and chilled air. Living in the Severn Valley fog and mist can dominate during winter months when their cold and obsessive feel can linger for many days on end. However, fog can herald a magical day ahead when blue skies are above and early morning starts can give temperature inversions. This morning though, I was happy enough to sip on my tea and head back inside to warmed radiators and more LIDAR work.

Yr Allt from beside the Montgomereyshire Canal

Before the coloured contours of LIDAR took over I set about writing an article for UKHillwalking and Grough on the listing of HUWs. Happy with my first draft I filed it away and set about creating more of those mesmerizing LIDAR contours. An hour later with another hill LIDARed I noticed that bright winter sunshine was glaring through my office window. I quickly checked the Met Office forecast for Welshpool and 30 minutes later I was walking on the canal tow path with map and camera in hand with the frosted profile of Yr Allt beckoning.

Yr Allt and Moel y Golfa

The trees beside the canal were laden in delicate frost, the winter white standing out against a beauteous blue sky. I’d visited Yr Allt on a number of occasions and it had become one of my two go-to hills during lock down. I’m fortunate to live where I do and am extremely appreciative of the countryside on my doorstep. I’d also started to investigate different routes on this hill and wanted to venture on to new ground on both its ascent and descent. But today, whatever way I approached the hill, it looked stunning with its mixed woodland gleaming white in frost, which in the early afternoon was only accentuated by large parts of the pastoral fields close to its summit having succumbed to the morning sunshine and now free of frost and glowing green. It was a wonderful sight.

It was a sheer pleasure to be out, and although I enjoy the creative process of posting on my Mapping Mountains site, it would not exist if not for the joy I find in the hills. Each hill is always a new experience, however many times one visits.

I soon gained height above the Flash Leisure Centre and entered a wood to gain access to the fields adjacent to Corfield’s Farm. Fom here public footpaths would lead me up to opening views and the ever present profile of the whitened Yr Allt beckoning in the distance.

Yr Allt from above Corfield's Farm

Before reaching the path leading to the hill’s upper slopes I headed over a field, which was between two public footpaths, the easiest route from here was through a gate that led to the upper Gungrog Fawr Lane, before arriving at the gate I heard the wisps of ‘are you lost then?’, it took me a while to see who had caught me slowly plodding over their field. Once the glint from the winter sun allowed us to say hello I apologised and asked the best way to access the continuation of the footpath. We chatted for a number of minutes before I thanked them for their help and off I sauntered further in to the magical land of frost.

Frosted trees with Cefn Digoll in the background

From the direction of my approach the way to the upper part of Yr Allt is accessed from a delightful enclosed footpath which today had frosted trees gleaming in the sun. It was all rather otherworldly with frost raining down each time I walked under a tree as the piercing sun slowly melted the whiteness. Ahead was open hillside, which today was a contrast between pastoral green and bleak and beautiful frosted white. With the trees resembling growing veins glinting in the air.

Nearing the summit of Yr Allt

Whites, greens and winter greys

I was soon at the top and continued toward the lower summit beside the trig pillar. By now a westerly cloud bank was quickly appearing pushing east toward the sunshine and the summit of Yr Allt. I had time to capture a few images with the winter greys contrasting against the blue and white, before the bank of cloud obstructed the sun.

Dots of white set against pastured greens and stunningly beautiful trees

The frost persisted, but with the magical colour now gone it left a subdued feel to the land, one that winter all too readily brings. I used gates across a myriad of fields to reach the continuation of the Rhallt Lane, and then more public footpaths across more fields to reach the top of the Red Bank. All I now had to do was call at Aldi on my way home for a quick shop. By the time I loaded up with milk, mixed salad and some falafels, rain was now falling on the waters of the canal.

Looking toward the lower trig pillared summit of Yr Allt

Winter weather can change all too easily, and today was no different, with Narnia like conditions earlier and greyed rain later. I walked the remainder of the short distance home happy in the knowledge that those magical couple of frosted hours would replenish me for the next few days ahead.

Survey Result:

Yr Allt

Summit Height: 231.3m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference: SJ 24240 10005 (from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Bwlch Height: 125.9m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 21855 08773 (LIDAR)

Drop: 105.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance: 45.57% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

For details on the first Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit survey of Yr Allt

For details on the second Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit survey of Yr Allt

For details on the Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch survey of Yr Allt

For details on a third visit to the summit of Yr Allt