07.08.15 Yr Allt (SJ
242 100)
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| Yr Allt (SJ 242 100) |
The start of a two day bagging extravaganza with
Alex Cameron, with the first day a very leisurely affair and with tomorrow
planned as a multi bagging day. I met
Alex at Welshpool Railway Station and after dropping off his stuff at my
bungalow we headed toward the canal tow path which is adjacent to where I live.
Our hill for the day was Yr Allt which is listed
as a Hump and 200m Twmpau, the last time I had visited this hill was in
December of last year when the sky was blue and an early morning chill pervaded
the land, today the summer growth had changed the landscape and the greens
predominated.
As we walked briskly on the tow path a mother
Morehen and accompanying chick stood on a small reed bed that floated on the
canal water with their reflections caught below.
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| Mother and chick on a small reed bed |
Only an occasional glimpse of our objective
could be seen as it was mainly shielded from view by copious amounts of summer
vegetation, which is now almost at its limit of growth. This often amazes me in a similar way to the
rusted and yellowed colour of moor grass in the Autumn time, as just when you
think the colour cannot get any more radiant it continues to aflame and
intensify, and now as summer ebbs into its lateness, the growth still amazes as
it cascades from hedgerows and gardens and continues to do so even when one
thinks it is at its limit.
As we continued on the tow path a kayak passed
with a man and woman making swathes in the water with their oars, a fleeting
glimpse of movement on an otherwise becalmed land as both water and air were
tranquilly silent this morning.
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| A peaceful way to spend a day |
By now the conversation flowed with all manner
of hilly related subjects being talked about, and as we neared the Pool Quay
Lock we now had a choice of route, either past Dyers Farm which is the way I
normally head when on this walk, or continue north and aim for a friend’s house
to see if we could sit, rest and have a cuppa, we decided on the latter and
walked over a small footbridge to the opposite side of the canal and then over
fields toward the Coppice Lane.
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| Nearing the Pool Quay Lock |
Across the Severn Valley the Breiddin stood
aloof with their distinctive profile dominating the flatlands of the flood
plain, its dulled greens of trees set against the illuminated greens of
pasture, reed and hedgerow, all succulently ablaze with growth.
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| Moel y Golfa, aloof above the flood plain |
Our onward route took us through a field of
maize which stood tall and overshadowed our progress. As we approached my friend’s house I wondered
if anyone would be in, I knocked the door and Ffion skipped through the kitchen
and opened it, it was lovely to see her and especially so when she invited us
in and asked if we would like a cup of tea.
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| Through the field of maize |
Ffion is one of two daughters of Geraint and
Verity, I’ve known Geraint most of my life but we now only occasionally see one
another. We sat and chatted and caught
up with news and all too soon it was time to press on toward the top of the
Coppice Lane.
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| Ffion gave us a lovely welcome |
Toward the top of this lane is Coppice East
Farm, where I used to live many a year ago.
As we approached we met the present occupant who we stopped and chatted
to, it wasn’t the first time this had happened, as I’d stopped for a chat when
doing this walk and visiting the top of Yr Allt with Mark Trengove a couple of
years ago.
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| Plaque on the side of Coppice East Farm |
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| Coppice East Farm |
Our walk was now getting seriously leisurely as
this chat continued for quite some time and continued to do so when her husband
joined us. After about 15 minutes Alex
and I said our goodbye’s and headed up the track past the Gamekeeper’s House,
beyond is a footpath which gives access onto the upper part of the hill.
As we approached this hill’s trig pillar the
view opened out and once the customary photos were taken we sat in the sun, ate
a butty and chatted. This trig pillar is
not positioned on the high point of Yr Allt, this is situated across an
intervening dip of land adjacent to the Allt Wood.
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| The trig pillar with the Breiddin in the background |
The land at the top of the hill has two distinct
possibilities for the accolade of the very highest point, I couldn’t remember
which one I had Trimbled on my last visit, but once the two of us had crept
around with our chins almost on the ground assessing the lay of land we decided
where the Trimble should be set up and it subsequently gathered five minutes of
data.
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| Gathering data from the summit of Yr Allt |
All that remained was a leisurely stroll down
the hill passing a grazing flock of sheep and coming across a large mushroom
that resembled the face of an owl. As we
reached the Rhallt Lane we followed it down to the canal and walked back on the
tow path toward Weshpool.
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| Just turned out onto the hill |
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| Mushroom as Owl, with the nose cone added by Alex |
The ascent to the summit of Yr Allt had taken
five hours, whilst its descent just over one hour, Alex commented that if all
his walks were this leisurely his Tump totals would start to stagnate!
Survey Result:
Yr Allt
Summit Height: 231.3m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 24240 10005 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Bwlch Height: 125.9m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 21855 08773 (LIDAR)
Drop: 105.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 45.57% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)
For details on the first Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit survey of Yr Allt
For details on the Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch survey of Yr Allt
For details on a third visit to the summit of Yr Allt
For details on a fourth visit to the summit of Yr Allt
For details on a fifth visit to the summit of Yr Allt
For further details please
consult the Trimble survey spreadsheet click {here}
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