14.07.16
Moelyci (SH 590 657), Parc Drysgol (SH 589 644) and Moel Rhiwen (SH
581 643)
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| Parc Drysgol (SH 589 644) |
The three hills of Moelyci, Parc Drysgol and Moel Rhiwen make a good circuit from the small community
of Rhiwlas, which nestles on their seaward side overlooking the Menai Strait
and the expanse of Ynys Môn (Anglesey) beyond.
Having not been on the
hills for two months the summer’s greenery struck me as I walked up the narrow
lane toward the track which gained the bwlch between Moelyci and Parc
Drysgol. The adjacent hedgerow was
overflowing with growth as flowers of all natures sprang out from a multitude
of greens, and all highlighted by flashes of sunlight as it gleamed out from
the deep grey morning’s sky.
I’d visited these hills
once before in May 2004 and remembered them as good hills, the last of the
higher Glyderau as their lands descended toward Bangor and Caernarfon, they are
last hill bastions and their like usually give excellent views as they look upward
to their higher neighbours, but also give perspective downward upon sea and
coastline.
Leaving the track I
gained height on a good path edged in amongst the upper heathery slopes of Moelyci. This hill is given four small
uppermost 410m ring contours on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map, two close
together, the third slightly to their east, whilst the fourth is farther east
and beside a cairn. It is this last
easterly point that is given a 410m spot height on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000
map and therefore listed as the summit in Y Pedwarau, with the hill’s trig
pillar marked as being 396m high and positioned on the northerly part of the
summit plateau.
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| Moel Rhiwen (SH 581 643) from high on the slopes of Moelyci |
I wanted to survey each
high point in turn to determine the hill’s summit position and found the first
potential summit to be on rock beside copious amounts of heather, as the
Trimble gathered its customary five minutes of data I looked toward the high Glyderau
as a mass of grey swirled around their upper ridges and peaks. The second point surveyed was close to the
first, but this time immersed in heather and therefore I positioned the Trimble
on top of my rucksack giving it elevation above the heather and measured a
0.49m offset which will be taken off the processed result.
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| Gathering data at what turned out to be the high point of Moelyci surveyed with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 |
The ten figure grid
reference for the third point I surveyed did not match the one I had noted for
where the next 410m ring contour was on the map, this wasn’t surprising as the
lay of land on a hill doesn’t always match that given on the map, with this third
position further north on an attractive small rock outcrop and according to the
map this didn’t have a separate ring contour.
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| The third point surveyed on the summit area of Moelyci |
The fourth point
surveyed was beside a cairn and roughly matched that of the farthest easterly
410m ring contour. As the Trimble
gathered data I stood a safe distance below it and watched as one small figure
appeared on the ridge between the points I had previously surveyed. I wondered who they were and where they were
going; their small silhouette pottered across the ridge and then disappeared from
view.
Having surveyed all
potential high points I gathered the Trimble and retraced my steps back on the
slightly wet peaty path to the first point surveyed and dropped down the path
toward the connecting bwlch. I was
delayed when I got back onto my inward track by the delights of a number of
large juicily tempting bilberries, I only tried a few as I had more surveys to
do and a 5.00pm appointment later in the day for an evening walk with Aled, so I
didn’t want to linger.
The connecting bwlch to
Parc Drysgol was amongst grass and was not hard to determine where its critical
point lay. As the Trimble ebbed down to
its 0.1m accuracy level before data should be logged, a Landrover and trailer
appeared on the track from the east, the driver stopped, opened the gate and
drove into the adjacent field, and we were separated by a high stone wall. Standing on the bottom of the wall I waved,
and as the vehicle drove past I signalled for it to stop and then chatted with
the farmer for the next fifteen minutes or so.
We introduced ourselves, Elwyn Jones farmed locally and I asked him
above the three hills and their names, he named each one and these match the
names that appear on the map, during this I checked on the Trimble’s downward
progress and it still hadn’t reached the 0.1m accuracy level so we continued
our chat, I then asked him if he knew any of the farmers from Dyffryn Nantlle,
this is where my Mother used to live and where my Brother now lives, he smiled
as I mentioned Huw and Olive Jones who were friends with my Mum and who farmed
from Tal-y-mignedd, Olive died a few weeks after my Mum, both from the ravages
of cancer. Elwyn continued smiling and
told me that Olive was his sister; I smiled back at him and said that I used to
sit with her, holding her hand and chatting away during her chemotherapy which
coincided with my Mother’s at Ysbyty Gwynedd on the outskirts of Bangor, on
occasion tis a small world.
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| Elwyn Jones |
It was good to meet
Elwyn and our chance meeting brought back many memories from years gone by, as
I packed the Trimble away I headed back to the high wall, asked if I could take
a photo of him and put it on my blog, before leaving we shook hands and I
smiled back at him as I started the ascent of Parc Drysgol.
The upper part of this
hill is covered in heather which gives it a soft feeling, one that adds to its
humble 404m map height, I took two data sets on its summit ridge, the second
point was visually higher than the first.
As the Trimble gathered data I stood and looked out toward the higher
Eryri peaks, many were bathed in low grey murk, but others peered out, their
profiles sharp and inviting.
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| Gathering data at one of two points surveyed for the summit of Parc Drysgol with Moelyci in the background |
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| Moelyci (SH 590 657) |
A path led from the
summit of Parc Drysgol down toward its connecting bwlch with Moel Rhiwen, once
at the bwlch I assessed the lay of land, chose my spot and positioned the
Trimble on top of my rucksack for another five minute data set. Above the bwlch loomed Moel Rhiwen with the
profile of three or four horses peering down at me from its higher slopes.
The path leading down to
the bwlch continued up toward another stone wall which I clambered over and
which gave access to the last bit of uphill to the summit cairn atop Moel
Rhiwen.
After quickly assessing
the land at the summit I judged a point on the western side and at the base of
the cairn to be the high point of the hill, and again set the Trimble up on top
of my rucksack to give it elevation above its immediate surrounds, this
improvised tripod system is now the norm and works well as it is easy to set up
and doesn’t require additional equipment to be carried, before leaving I took a
second data set from a point a dew metres from the cairn.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Moel Rhiwen |
All that remained was to
retrace my route back toward the last bwlch where a path headed northward out
of the heather to the greenery below, as with some walks complication arrives
after leaving the hill, and it took me a while to work out where the onward
path lay as I was confronted by overgrown fields, old gates, grazing cows and a
back garden of a house, and I eventually arrived close to where I had parked my
car.
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| Moelyci from the ruin of Maes Meddygon |
Survey Result:
Moelyci
Summit Height: 409.9m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 59083 65767 (summit relocation confirmed)
Drop: c 72m
Dominance: 17.57%
Parc Drysgol
Summit Height: 403.9m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 58934 64482
Bwlch Height: 342.1m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SH 59094 65303
Drop: 61.8m
Dominance: 15.30%
Moel Rhiwen
Summit Height: 401.5m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 58141 64300
Bwlch Height: 358.3m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SH 58405 64191
Drop: 43.2m
Dominance: 10.76%
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