Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Carnedd Wen

02.07.21  Moel y Sant (SJ 152 107) 

LIDAR summit image of Moel y Sant (SJ 152 107)

With a forecast of rain and the prospect of thunder for the weekend, but with Friday giving in the main dry conditions and especially so in the morning, and with afternoon and evening commitments I wanted to take advantage of the conditions and get out on the hill. 

I needed to be home by 1.00pm at the latest, so I looked through maps to find a number of local hills that I had previously not visited.  I knew of a hill close to Meifod that I had contemplated visiting for a number of years, but still had not done so.  This I later found is known locally as Dol Gron (SJ 171 137).  Near to this hill were two others that again I had not been up.  There was also an unvisited sub close by and not far away the summit of Y Gaer (SJ 204 155), which although previously Trimbled needed another survey as data were gathered from the top of a covered reservoir, which being a relatively recent man-made construct should not be included in the height of a hill.  These would give me five hills to visit, and all could be surveyed.  All entailed relatively short walks and little driving between.  If I set off early in the morning I was sure to be back home by my 1.00pm cut-off time. 

After studying these hills on the map I LIDARed each in turn, and noting all available summit and bwlch grid references I set my alarm for 5.45am and was parked and walking up my first hill of the day by just past 7.00am. 

My first hill; Moel y Sant is positioned between Cyfronydd to its south and Meifod to its north and the other four hills would take me on a route via car in a north-easterly direction ending on Y Gaer.  Hopefully conditions would remain dry as showers were forecast as the heat of the day increased. 

I contemplated approaching Moel y Sant from the east following a track toward Cefn-du farm, this would give opportunity to survey its connecting bwlch which interpolation and a spot height places close to a number of farm buildings.  However, I decided on an easier route to the hill from the west. 

This route led up a good gravelled track that leads past a house and later a caravan before bisecting, with one track heading toward a builders merchants and the other toward a high mast that then gives access toward the summit of the hill. 

Looking toward the mast near the summit of Moel y Sant

Just past the point where the track bi-sects

There was a slight coolness in the air as I walked up the track, I did wonder if the hill would be enveloped in mist, but thankfully the cloud base was around 400m, as when height was gained I looked north-eastward and cloud just skimmed the top of the Beiddin.  The cloud was deep blued grey which soon lightened in colour, it hung across the sky and only broke as the morning progressed and the heat of the day increased. 

Grey early morning that soon gave way to warm sunshine

My companions for the first part of the walk

I soon attracted the attention of a flock of sheep.  They gathered and walked toward me, bleating as they did so, all freshly sheared, some with blackened faces and lower legs, others all white.  They approached so far and stopped, looking inquisitively toward me, wondering no doubt who I was and whether I was there to feed them.  They followed me up the track for a while and then found munching on grass to be more appealing. 

The sheep followed me for quite a distance up the track

The track led to a gate and continued beyond toward the high mast.  The bleating of the sheep had now been replaced by intermittent birdsong, which delicately meandered across the morning skies. 

The route to the summit just beyond the mast

From the mast compound a vehicle track led across a field through an open gate toward the summit of the hill.  The high point was easy to distinguish and is positioned in long grass close to an outcrop of gorse.  Soon the Trimble was set up gathering its first data set of the day. 

Gathering data at the summit of Moel y Sant

Moel y Sant was a good hill to start the morning’s proceedings on, I doubt whether it has many visitors, probably just the local farmer and an occasional wandering hill bagger.  I like hills like this.  They give a rewarding feeling.  Although rather nondescript they have few pretenses, but in all seasons they can give a contented hour on the hill. 

The Trimble GeoXH 6000 set-up position at the summit of Moel y Sant

Once the Trimble had gathered its allotted data, I packed it away and reversed my inward route back to my car.  It had taken 50 minutes to visit and survey the hill.  All was still quiet hereabouts as I sorted my gear and checked the map for the onward route toward my second hill of the day; Broniarth Hill (SJ 168 128). 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Moel y Sant

Summit Height:  273.3m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 15224 10771 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Bwlch Height:  201m (spot height)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 15721 10601 (spot height)

Drop:  72m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)

Dominance: 26.45% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)

 

 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet