Myrddyn Phillips - Mapping Mountains: Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys

28.01.23 Craig Eigiau (SH 712 646)

As the dawn became morning, a succession of steep hairpin bends gradually brought me to the farm of Rowlyn. Having duly opened and closed a gate, I motored onwards along the narrow road to Cwm Eigiau with the high Carneddau ridge soon becoming visible, mottled with broken snow patches and enveloped with wisps of mist. My progress then came to a sudden halt. In front of me was an abandoned vehicle blocking the road with its offside front-wheel having broken off! I jumped out of the car to inspect the grass beside the road and concluded that it was driveable to bypass the wreck. The short offroad was tackled steadily and quickly and within a few minutes I had arrived at the car park in front of Llyn Eigiau.

Breakdown (Photo: Aled Williams)

The plan for the morning was a north-south traverse of Craig Eigiau, with the objective being to survey a potential new P10 Sub-Top for The Welsh Highlands list. Despite my early start, the car park was surprisingly almost full, with many having wild-camped on the hill the previous night. Quick progress was made along the track that services the Melynllyn and Dulyn reservoirs and I soon found myself atop the first peak of the day, the Sub-Top of Clogwyn yr Eryr.

Clogwyn yr Eryr (Photo: Aled Williams)

Dulyn (Photo: Aled Williams)

The views from this minor top were stunning, rewarding my earlier efforts in vacating the warmth of my bed in the dark depths of January! To the south stretched Llyn Eigiau, perfectly reflecting the image of Pen Llithrig y Wrach that towered behind the lake. To the west was the dark well of Dulyn, its cold waters gently coaxing mist downwards from the high Carneddau, with an alpine-like Carnedd Llywelyn sitting high above the cloudy scene.

Carnedd Llywelyn (Photo: Aled Williams)

A series of chiselled outcrops appeared on the horizon, signalling my imminent arrival at the high point of the day, the 735.0m summit of Craig Eigiau. Having crossed a bank of hard snow, a slippery scramble took me to the highest pinnacle of rock. I stood at the summit for a few minutes admiring the rock architecture and the surrounding country, contemplating whether I had previously underrated the merits of this fine hill.

The high point of the day (Photo: Aled Williams)

Craig Eigiau summit (Photo: Aled Williams)

With great expectation I headed southwards to survey the 688m summit of Craig Eigiau. As I walked across the sodden expanse of montane grassland a frozen drizzle blew in from Carnedd Llywelyn. Over my shoulder an arch of colour commanded my attention, transpiring as a rainbow straddling the Gletffordd plateau.

Rainbow (Photo: Aled Williams)

Craig Eigiau rainbow (Photo: Aled Williams)

I was now face-to-face with my quarry, the Sub-Top of Craig Eigiau, resembling very much its higher neighbour albeit with muted grandeur. A further belt of icy drizzle and mist blew in as I surveyed the critical bwlch of the hill, with data eventually gathered at two positions.

The Sub-Top of Craig Eigiau (Photo: Aled Williams)

Summit of the Sub-Top (Photo: Aled Williams)

The high point proved relatively easy to identify, with an Abney level being used to verify the placement before data was collected with the Trimble. As I headed down from the summit, a good number of alpine clubmoss (Diphasiastrum alpinum) plants were observed, being perfectly adept to the harsh winter environment on these mountains. Also in their element were the mountain ponies of which the Carneddau claim their own unique breed of.

Alpine clubmoss (Photo: Aled Williams)

Carneddau mountain ponies (Photo: Aled Williams)

A steep descent towards the old farm of Cwm Eigiau brought me onto the track that would lead me back to the awaiting car. As I walked out of the valley, I thought about the people who once inhabited its upper regions, living their lives within its confines and thereby bringing a constant human presence. In stark contrast, the Cwm Eigiau of today is a transient place.