Dual Summits - Introduction

Dual Summit

A hill classified as a Dual Summit is defined as one which has an extant natural summit coupled with that of a higher artificial summit, which can be described as being stable in character.  In the main, these recent man-made constructions are the result of quarrying activities producing spoil tips.

To put a spin on the term ‘Dual Summit’, the natural and artificial summits of such hills could be thought of as duelling with each other for the merit of summit status, which well describes the polarising affect that such instances can have on the hill bagger, with some baggers preferring to ignore the artificial summit in favour of the natural high point and vice versa.

These recent man-made constructions are treated differently to ancient man-made constructions such as hill forts and tumuli, as if the latter are deemed stable and of an earthen character their age dictates that they can be viewed as being permanent in nature and are now effectively a part of the hill.

Twyn y Waun is an example of a Dual Summit, with its c 451m natural summit (SO 08457 07348) in the foreground and its 476.0m man-made summit (SO 08209 07041) in the background on the right

As well as the status of a Dual Summit hill being reliant upon the artificial summit being created by man via in the main quarrying activity, man can also take away as artificial hills can also be levelled and the remaining land thereafter landscaped.  For those hills listed as Dual Summit hills that undergo a levelling process in the future their resulting status will be amended accordingly.

For those bagging Dual Summit hills, a visit to either the natural high point or the elevated man-made high point is sufficient to claim an ascent of the hill.

Aled Williams and Myrddyn Phillips (January 2018)