10.04.15 Foel Wen (SJ 099 334) and Pt. 687.9m (SJ
102 330)
Foel Wen (SJ 099 334) |
The Berwyn on a mid-week
day when the sun is shining and the paths relatively non-squidgy can be a delightful
place to wander. Today we had our sights
on Foel Wen and its adjacent south-easterly neighbour; both had been given a
variety of ten figure grid reference positions submitted to the Database of
British and Irish Hills (DoBIH) and Graham had suggested that their respective
summits needed surveying.
We met at 9.30am by a
small bridge on a minor lane where two cars can be parked off the road, this is
positioned at SJ 118 306 and is ideal for those wanting an extended walk around
the Maen Gwynedd horseshoe. Today we had
lesser objectives peak and distance wise, but with a good forecast for dry and
warm weather we were in no desperate rush and with the added weight of the
surveying gear our pace around the hill was compromised.
We followed the lane up
through two farm yards and out over a couple of fields to the southerly
hillside of Mynydd Tarw, this hill is the first on the horseshoe if walked in an
anti-clockwise direction. It was a slow
plod with a large rucksack, extra clothing and a tripod, but after an hour of
walking uphill the hollowed out wind shelter at its summit came into view.
John and Graham at the summit of Mynydd Tarw |
Beyond lay miles of
moorland culminating in the rocky summit of Craig Berwyn (SJ 071 323) with a distinct
path on the moor following the fence on the ridge line trying to bi-pass any
bogs on the way, this path drops down to the connecting bwlch between Mynydd
Tarw and the south-easterly top of Foel Wen before ascending the 22m to its
summit.
Heading toward the summit of Foel Wen |
By now we were
experiencing a strong breeze, so much so that the predicted hottest day of the
year seemed a distant reality. We
assessed the summit area of this south-easterly top before heading further west
and the summit of Foel Wen. When we
reached this summit we quickly put on extra layers of clothing, including
gloves and set the equipment up. Graham
looked through the level as John placed the staff in a number of positions
working westward across the summit area, and I noted the readings. The high point of Foel Wen proved to be at
the far end of the summit ridge beside the remains of a small fence post. As the Leica GS15 gathered 45 minutes of
summit data we found a sheltered spot and lay in the heather chatting. Before leaving we also collected five minutes
of Trimble data.
Graham and John beside the Leica GS15 at the summit of Foel Wen |
The remains of the old fence post marks the summit |
Gathering data with the Trimble at the summit of Foel Wen |
When the Trimble had
gathered its allotted data I headed down to join John and Graham who were
inspecting the bwlch between the hills before we headed back to the summit of
the south-easterly top. Very soon the
staff and level were working wonders and pinpointing the high point of this
hill to be approximately two metres from the small summit rock which is now
almost overgrown by grass. Another 45
minutes of data were collected by the Leica GS15 and five minutes of data with
the Trimble.
Inspecting the bwlch between the two summits |
John relaxing beside the fence |
Using the staff and level to find the high point of the hill |
Graham and John beside the Leica GS15 on the second surveyed summit |
As the high cloud
disappeared and the late afternoon sun broke out we backtracked toward the
connecting bwlch of Mynydd Tarw and joined a slowly descending path that
contoured around the southern flank of this hill back toward our inward
route. It had been a very enjoyable day
on the hill and good to be out with John and Graham again after a few months
absence.
Heading down from the hill |
Survey Result:
Foel Wen
Summit Height: 690.7m (converted to OSGM15, Leica GS15 and Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 09934 33407
Bwlch Height: 631.7m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 09387 33625
Drop: 59.0m (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Dominance: 8.54% (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 09387 33625
Drop: 59.0m (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Dominance: 8.54% (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Pt. 687.9m
Summit Height: 687.9m (converted to OSGM15, Leica GS15 and Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 10232 33044
Bwlch Height: 666.4m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 10100 33264
Drop: 21.6m (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Dominance: 3.13% (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 10100 33264
Drop: 21.6m (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Dominance: 3.13% (Leica GS15 summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
For details on the first survey of Foel Wen and Pt. 687.9m
For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet
For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet
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