Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Carnedd Wen

16.07.22  Carreg y Frân (SH 938 053) and Panylau Gwynion (SH 935 063) 

Panylau Gwynion (SH 935 063)

Having suggested to meet up for a weekend walk, Aled devised a route taking in two Pedwar hills and with a relatively early start this would enable me to get back to Welshpool for my 12.40pm lunchtime appointment.

The two hills he suggested were ideal; Carreg y Frân and Panylau Gwynion.  I had neglected these hills for many years as Ordnance Survey maps show each summit immersed in conifers, however recent logs on the Hill Bagging website report that the conifers on each summit have now been felled.

The walk taking in these two hills was relatively short in length following the course of a track.  Therefore navigation was easy and although the forecast was for increasingly warm conditions, an early start should still enable me to make my lunchtime appointment.

We met in the car park in Llanerfyl at just before 7.00am.  I then drove up the quiet valley of Cwm Nant yr Eira which stretches for miles toward Talerddig.  Today the valley was showing signs of mid-summer with newly mown fields of hay and that quiet heat induced stillness where a dulled green predominates.

Nearing the high point of the narrow paved road that follows the course of the valley the track leading to these two hills veered rightward gaining height over a ridge that peered down at us as I pulled my car up.  It was here that I parked.  We had debated driving up the track which would certainly save time.  Although we opted to walk up this track, it would be relatively easy to have driven with a number of parking options leading to the first hill and some also afterward. 

The Cwm Nant yr Eira heading toward Talerddig

It was 7.20am as we started walking.  The conditions were idyllic as the heat of the day had not yet set in and that slight cooling of early morning was still evident as we gained height up the track.  Soon the view opened up with the three hills of Ffridd Bryn Mawr (SH 981 065), Pen Coed (SH 985 090) and Moel Ddolwen (SH 988 078) no more than light grey silhouettes from this direction with the sun still low in the sky.  I had visited these hills in July 2020 when the heat battered me, but remember them giving an excellent circuit. 

Moel Ddolwen on the left and Ffridd Bryn Mawr

In the distance mist clung to the depths of the Caersŵs to Cemmaes Road valley, waiting for the heat to eventually burn it off.  The early morning start had given striking colour to the land when looking westward, but the knowledge that the heat was ever increasing was still present at this time of the morning; we pressed on. 

Heading up the track toward Carreg y Frân

Steady progress was made toward the upper part of Carreg y Frân and when on the track immediately below its south-western flank we could see that new conifers had been planted, thankfully they were still saplings, but in future years will again swamp this hill.  A disused quarry sits beside the track and it was from here that we headed up in to the fledgling trees.  The going underfoot was never difficult, although muddied peat laden holes were evident. 

The edge of the disused quarry

Soon we were at the summit, although the very highest point of the hill is difficult to pinpoint due to the profusion of channels created for the trees, these were interspersed with a multitude of small bumps now overgrown with a profusion of undergrowth.  Having visited a few contenders, Aled directed me toward what looked the highest part of the hill and the Trimble was soon set up gathering summit data. 

Gathering data at the summit of Carreg y Frân

During data collection Aled spotted movement below where the sapling trees met mature conifers; a deer had bolted.  Deer are a rare sight on the Welsh hills, with many spotted close to or in forestry.  This one had antlers and was probably a Fallow Deer.  We watched it as it made quick progress over the tree debris, I had just enough time for a photograph and then it was out of sight. 

Spot the Deer

It was now time to rest and soak in the scene and therefore I let the equipment gather 10 minutes of data.  Once data were gathered and the equipment packed away, I followed Aled through the small conifers back toward our inward track. 

Panylau Gwynion from Carreg y Frân

The track now continued downward passing the connecting bwlch between the two hills.  It looked a forbidding place to attempt a survey and with the prospect of future LIDAR coverage I had no intention of trying to do so today. 

Somewhere over there is the bwlch of Carreg y Frân

Beyond the bwlch the track swung round the upper easterly flank of Panylau Gwynion.  The conifers on the upper part of this hill have also been felled, but the resulting debris of dead wood and branches still scatter its upper section, in contrast to the summit area of Carreg y Frân with young conifers already taking root.

On my suggestion we continued on the track heading toward the upper northerly part of the hill and only headed up toward its summit at another disused quarry, where a rutted vehicle track gauged its way upward.  By this stage I was slowly following Aled, with my head down concentrating on underfoot conditions.

The Hill Bagging website mentions two contenders for the high point of this hill.  The first where a tiny 450m map ring contour is positioned just to the west of the fence boundary between what was the conifer plantation and open ground.  This first point consists of a tussocky heathered knoll.  The second is where a larger 450m map ring contour is placed amongst what was the conifer plantation; this has a 451m spot height on contemporary Ordnance Survey maps.  Both positions could now be Trimbled.

Aled at the summit of Panylau Gwynion

By the time I emerged on the upper part of the hill Aled was standing on top of the tussocky knoll.  I soon joined him and sat below the equipment so as not to disturb satellite reception as the Trimble gathered its all-important data. 

Gathering data at the summit of Panylau Gwynion

One data set remained to collect and its position was only 30 metres away, so after taking a few photographs of the Trimble set-up position on the tussocky knoll, I packed it away and again followed Aled in to the debris of dead wood toward the high point of what was the forested section of this hill.  Having chosen our preferred position Aled stuck a branch in to the debris of wood at the base of my rucksack which had the Trimble positioned on top, once the branch struck solid ground I then took a measurement offset between it and the Trimble’s internal antenna.  I then set the equipment to gather data. 

Gathering data at the lower of the two points surveyed for the summit of Panylau Gwynion

Once allotted data were gathered and stored we took a direct route down the upper part of the hill to reconnect with the forestry track.  This proved much easier than our inward route and soon we were heading down the track to the connecting bwlch between the two hills and then up toward the first of the two disused quarries, just beyond which I stopped for a few minutes rest. 

Looking back on the track as it passes the newly planted trees on Carreg y Frân

The continuation of the walk, although now decidedly warm, was a pleasure partly as I now knew I had sufficient time to get home, change, wash, sort my gear and make my lunchtime appointment, but it was also a pleasure to be out in this land; which is another small part of Wales that must be seldom visited except for the local farmer, a rogue hill walker and forestry workers.

We arrived back at the car at 11.00am and I was home just before midday and at my lunchtime appointment three minutes before our scheduled meeting time of 12.40pm.  An excellent way to spend the morning!

 

Survey Result:

 

Carreg y Frân

Summit Height:  436.1m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 93822 05394 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  c 397 (interpolation)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 93337 05504 (interpolation)

Drop:  c 39m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch)

Dominance:  8.96% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch)

 

 

Panylau Gwynion

Summit Height:  450.3m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 93557 06357 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) (summit relocation)

Bwlch Height:  412m (spot height)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 93627 06715 (spot height)

Drop:  38m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)

Dominance:  8.51% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)

 

 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet