Guest Contributor – Dafydd Andrews

 

Introduction 

If readers would like to contribute an article for the Guest Contributor page heading please contact me, my email address appears on the About Me page heading. The 0nly two things I ask is that the article should be hill related and importantly I should not end up in court through its publication! Otherwise the choice of subject matter is down to the Guest Contributor. 

 

About the Author; Dafydd Andrews

Dafydd Andrews is a hillwalker and mountaineer who has climbed all over the world. He has written a number of guide books to the hills of his native Wales as well as articles on international mountaineering for a number of publications in both English and Welsh.

Links to the English and Welsh versions of Dafydd's book appear at the end of this article as does Dafydd's email address for those wishing to contact him direct.  A version in Cymraeg follows the English version of the article below.

 

The Welsh 100 

Some years ago, I caught the Munro bug over the course of several visits to the Highlands.  I had resisted it for a long time!  But it quietly and subtly insinuated its way into me despite the fact that I was scornful about lists.  Having climbed the hills of Assynt and the Ullapool area over and over simply because I loved them, I couldn’t see why I would want to visit new areas merely to tick off names on a list.  But my resistance gradually crumbled and once it had gone I became very excited about the Munro challenge.  I started to explore other parts of Scotland with various friends, including areas I had never visited previously.

On any map, my eye is always drawn to the highest hills and in every new area I found myself searching for the local Munros.  I suspect most hillwalkers in Scotland do this automatically nowadays.  And it isn’t just hillwalkers who know about the Munros.  They’ve seeped into the national consciousness.  They’re routinely mentioned in weather forecasts on radio and television!

The great thing about lists is that they take you away from the main peaks and allow you to explore hills and regions you might otherwise ignore.  In Scotland, far more people climb Ben Nevis than, say, Ben Lawers.  Likewise in Wales, most head for Snowdon, Tryfan or Cader Idris and not for Rhinog Fawr or the Black Mountains.  At some point during my first round of the Munros I started dreaming of creating a mountaineering challenge in Wales which would encourage walkers to visit all parts of the country.  By this time, I had driven up and down to Scotland many, many times and had pumped a lot of dosh into the Scottish economy!  So a new challenge nearer home had some appeal for financial - and perhaps environmental - reasons too.

I had already published a number of books with Y Lolfa Press near Aberystwyth and I asked them if they would be interested in a book on the one hundred highest peaks in Wales.  I wrote the original in Welsh under the title ‘Cant Cymru’ and translated it myself as ‘The Welsh One Hundred’.  Both versions received a great deal of publicity in Wales - including on radio and television - and initial sales were good.  The English version has sold over 4,000 copies and the Welsh version has had a boost recently as a well-known media figure in Wales has written a coffee table book based on his own round of the Welsh One Hundred.  In retrospect, though, I believe my books would have done better had they been distributed outside Wales.  It’s a tad frustrating that the Nuttall’s book has far more reach because it was published by Cicerone.  A lesson learnt!

The Welsh 100 by Dafydd Andrews

I remember with great fondness the evenings I spent poring over maps covering the whole of Wales.  It was tremendous fun.  Nothing beats planning an adventure in the hills.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy writing about mountains but I’d rather be out there walking in them!

Most of the mountains in my list for The Welsh One Hundred chose themselves.  They were automatic selections.  I was aware, though, that creating any list of hills is fraught with potential problems.  Just look at the mess they got themselves into with the Munros.  Over the years many bizarre decisions have been made during their various revisions.  In the final analysis the problems they encountered were to do with the fact that there’s a considerable amount of subjective appraisal.  In preparing my own list for Welsh hills I was determined to avoid the kind of controversy that has raged in Scotland.

At the same time, I’m not fond of the idea of using mathematical formulae or rigid height criteria either.  It leads to some down-right silly decisions and choices.  A fuller consideration of factors such as the names of the mountains, the opinions of local people and the way mountain walkers in Wales ‘see’ the mountains would, in my view, provide a better list.  Do the walkers of Wales really think they are going up two mountains when they reach the top of Y Lliwedd and that Lliwedd Bach is a third, separate peak?  Do the people of Llanberis really consider Llechog to be a separate mountain from Snowdon?  You will hear people speak of  ‘y ddwy Aran’ (‘the two Arans’) but according to the Nuttalls there are three mountains here.  The rounded hill of Cadair Bronwen was made into two mountains by them (now, following resurveying, three!) and the barely perceptible hillocks of Ysgafell Wen provide three peaks!  All this arises from settling on an arbitrary definition and sticking to it blindly.  Look at the hills and put away the tape measure!

In brief, I stuck to the simple height criterion but gave full consideration to the local factors I mentioned above.  More of an issue for me, really, was choosing which routes to follow.  I wanted the book to be light so walkers could carry it with them onto the hills.  This meant that the text needed to be fairly minimal and selective.  I decided to suggest just one route for each hill.  I also decided that this should be the easiest route, so that walkers with little experience could use it safely.  As a result, there are routes which experienced walkers might not choose - for example, the route up Tryfan which was chosen to avoid the most difficult scrambling and the greatest exposure, precisely the things many experienced walkers seek!

I was also keen to provide a guide to pronunciation.  Wherever I’ve travelled in the world, I’ve always done my best to try to pronounce mountain names in the local language.  I think it’s great that the excellent walkhighlands website, for example, includes audio pronunciations of the names of Scottish hills.  And I’ve long been rather fed up with hearing, for example, Tryfan pronounced as ‘Triffan’ rather than ‘Truh-van’!  For me, to know the hill includes being able to say its name - just like with people!

I’m always deeply delighted when people tell me they’ve found my books useful and that they’ve opened up new opportunities and adventures for them or that they now see the hills of Wales in a new way.  Many have written to me to ask for the completers’ certificate but some just write to say thank you.  And to think that there was a time I didn’t approve of lists!

 

 

 Dafydd Andrews – Cant Cymru 

Mae Dafydd Andrews yn fynyddwr adnabyddus sydd wedi dringo a chrwydro mynyddoedd ledled y byd. Mae wedi ysgrifennu nifer o lyfrau cerdded am fynyddoedd Cymru yn ogystal ag erthyglau am fynydda, yn Gymraeg a Saesneg, i wahanol gyhoeddiadau.

 

Rai blynyddoedd yn ôl bellach, fe benderfynais i yr hoffwn i ddringo’r Munros - mynyddoedd dros 3000 o droedfeddi yn yr Alban. Ro’n i wedi bod yn gwrthsefyll y ffasiwn newydd ers tro byd! Yn enwedig gan nad oeddwn i’n hoffi’r syniad o ddringo mynydd dim ond oherwydd ei fod o’n digwydd bod ar ryw restr neu’i gilydd. Ond yn raddol, a minnau wedi dringo holl fynyddoedd Assynt ac ardal Ullapool droeon yn ystod nifer helaeth o ymweliadau, dyma fi’n cael fy nhemtio gan gyfeillion i ymweld â rhannau eraill o’r Alban ac o dipyn i beth fe ddes i’n frwd iawn dros her y Munros.

Pan fydda i’n agor map, fe fydda i’n chwilio’n reddfol am y mynyddoedd uchaf. Ym mhob ardal newydd fe fyddwn i’n chwilio am y Munros lleol. Mae’n debyg gen i fod yn rhan fwyaf o gerddwyr yn tueddu i wneud hyn y dyddiau ‘ma. Ac nid cerddwyr y bryniau’n unig sy’n gwybod am y Munros. Mae pawb yn yr Alban yn gwybod amdanyn nhw. Maen nhw hyd yn oed ar ragolygon y tywydd!

Yr hyn sy’n wirioneddol wych am restrau ydi eu bod nhw’n eich denu oddi wrth y prif gopaon ac yn eich annog i anturio i ardaloedd newydd a chwilio am fynyddoedd newydd. Yn yr Alban, mae pobl yn heidio i Fort William i ddringo Ben Nevis gan anwybyddu mynyddoedd fel Ben Lawers, er enghraifft. Yma yng Nghymru mae niferoedd di-rif yn dringo’r Wyddfa, ysywaeth, tra bo mynyddoedd sydd yr un mor drawiadol yn cael eu hanwybyddu’n llwyr. Tra roeddwn i’n dringo’r Munros fe ddechreuais i feddwl o ddifri am greu her fynydda yma yng Nghymru a fyddai’n annog cerddwyr i ymweld â phob rhan o’n gwlad hardd ni. Erbyn hynny, ro’n i wedi bod yn gyrru bob cam i’r Alban lawer gwaith ers blynyddoedd ac wedi gwario llawer o arian ar gynnal economi’r wlad! Roedd her a fyddai’n nes at adre’n apelio felly.

Ro’n i eisoes wedi cyhoeddi nifer o lyfrau efo gwasg Y Lolfa a dyma fi’n gofyn a fyddai diddordeb ganddyn nhw mewn llyfr am gan mynydd uchaf Cymru. Roedden nhw’n gefnogol dros ben. Fe luniais i’r gyfrol wreiddiol yn Gymraeg dan y teitl ‘Cant Cymru’ a’i gyfieithu wedyn dan y teitl ‘The Welsh One Hundred’. Cafodd y ddau lyfr gyhoeddusrwydd sylweddol yn y wasg - gan gynnwys y radio a’r teledu - a gwerthwyd nifer dda o gopiau. Mae’r fersiwn Saesneg wedi gwerthu dros 4,000 copi ac fe gafodd ‘Cant Cymru’ hwb sylweddol yn ddiweddar (2022) pan gyhoeddodd Dewi Prysor ei lyfr yntau gyda’r un teitl sy wedi’i seilio ar fy llyfr i. Serch hynny, dwi’n sylweddoli y byddai fy llyfrau i wedi gwerthu mwy o gopiau o lawer pe baen nhw’n cael eu dosbarthu y tu allan i Gymru.

Cant Cymru Dafydd Andrews

Mae gen i atgofion melys am y nosweithiau a dreuliais i’n edrych ar fapiau gwahanol ardaloedd Gymru. Fe ges i lawer iawn o hwyl. Does dim byd gwell na chynllunio ar gyfer antur yn y mynyddoedd ond peidiwch â nghamddeall i chwaith - er cymaint y bydda i’n mwynhau ysgrifennu am y bryniau mae’n well o lawer gen i fod yn cerdded yn eu canol!

Roedd dewis Cant Cymru’n hawdd. Ond ro’n i’n sylweddoli, wrth gwrs, fod llunio unrhyw restr o fynyddoedd yn gallu bod yn broblem. Dyna i chi’r dadlau chwerw yn yr Alban am y Munros, er enghraifft. Yno maen nhw wedi gwneud llawer o benderfyniadau gwirion wrth adolygu’r rhestr ‘swyddogol’ o bryd i’w gilydd. Y drwg ydi bod unigolion a phwyllgorau’n methu cytuno a’u bod nhw’n dibynnu i ormod graddau ar fympwy. Wrth ddewis Cant Cymru ro’n i’n benderfynol o osgoi’r math o ymgecru dinistriol a chwerw a gafwyd yn yr Alban.

Ar yr un pryd, dwi ddim yn or-hoff o ddulliau mathemategol chwaith! Mae glynu’n haearnaidd at y rhain yn arwain at ddewisiadau od. Ro’n i’n benderfynol o ystyried ffactorau fel enwau’r mynyddoedd, barn pobl leol a’r ffordd mae cerddwyr yn ‘gweld’ mynyddoedd Cymru. Ydi cerddwyr yng Nghymru’n credu o ddifri eu bod nhw’n dringo dau fynydd gwahanol wrth gyrraedd copa’r Lliwedd a bod Lliwedd Bach yn drydydd mynydd? Ydi trigolion Llanberis yn gweld Llechog fel mynydd ar wahân ynteu fel rhan o’r Wyddfa? Fe glywch chi bobl yn trafod ‘y ddwy Aran’ ond yn llyfr y ddau Nuttall mae yma dri mynydd. Trowyd Cadair Bronwen yn ddau fynydd ganddyn nhw a thrwy lynu’n gibddall at eu fformiwla fathemategol maen nhw wedi penderfynu bod Ysgafell Wen druan yn meddu ar dri chopa! Pe baen nhw wedi ystyried ffactorau lleol - enwau’r bryniau a barn trigolion er enghraifft - fe fyddai eu rhestr nhw’n gwneud mwy o sens!

Fe lynais i felly at un maen prawf, sef uchder, gan roi sylw i’r ffactorau lleol hyn hefyd. Tasg anoddach i mi oedd dewis llwybr priodol i’r copaon. Ro’n i eisiau i’r llyfr fod yn un ysgafn y gallai cerddwyr ei gario. Roedd angen i’r testun fod yn gryno felly. Fe benderfynais i ddewis un llwybr yn unig ar gyfer pob mynydd. A gan mod i’n ysgrifennu llyfr a allai gael ei ddarllen gan gerddwyr heb brofiad blaenorol yn y mynyddoedd, fe bendefynais i gynnwys y llwybrau hawsaf - am resymau diogelwch. O ganlyniad, mae’r llyfr yn cynnwys teithiau y byddai cerddwyr profiadol yn eu hystyried yn llai cyffrous o bosib. Mae’r daith i gopa Tryfan yn enghraifft amlwg.

Ro’n i hefyd yn awyddus i gynnwys cymorth gydag ynganu enwau’r mynyddoedd. Ble bynnag y bydda i’n teithio yn y byd, fe fydda i’n gwneud fy ngorau glas i ddweud enwau’r mynyddoedd yn gywir. Dyw hyn ddim yn bosib bob amser wrth gwrs. Mae llawer o enwau mynyddoedd yr Alban yn anodd ond mae gwefan walkhighlands yn cynnwys cymorth sain amhrisiaday. Hefyd ro’n i wedi blino clywed ‘Triffan’ yn hytrach na ‘Tryfan’ er enghraifft. I mi, mae medru dweud enw’r mynydd yn rhan o ddod i’w nabod - yr un fath ag efo pobl!

Dwi wrth fy modd pan fydd pobl yn dweud eu bod nhw wedi mwynhau darllen  fy llyfrau a’u bod nhw wedi sbarduno anturiaethau newydd yn y mynyddoedd. Mae nifer o bobl wedi ysgrifennu i ofyn am gopi o’r dystysgrif pan fyddan nhw’n cwblhau’r Cant ond mae llawer yn ysgrifennu dim ond er mwyn dweud diolch. Anodd credu mod i, ar un adeg, mor wrthwynebus i’r syniad o lunio rhestr!

 

Dafydd Andrews

daveauthor54@gmail.com

https://www.ylolfa.com/products/9780862434519/cant-cymru

https://www.ylolfa.com/products/9780862434977/the-welsh-one-hundred