Thursday 26 December 2019

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Moel y Gamelin


18.09.19  Moel Fama (SJ 161 626, only bwlch surveyed)

Moel Fama must rank along with Yr Wyddfa and Pen y Fan as one of the most popular of Welsh hills to ascend.  I’ve previously visited its summit on three occasions, and each time I was met by a multitude of dog walkers and babies in push chairs with accompanying adults wearing all manner of foot wear.

Moel Fama (SJ 161 626)

Its bwlch on the other hand cannot receive many visits except from a local farmer or a cow or sheep.  Today it was just me and five cows, who obligingly kept their distance although as is the want with many cows they had their frisky and friendly moments.

The bwlch of Moel Fama had been LIDARed by Aled Williams and it was his, and my subsequent analysis that pinpointed its critical position.  This critical point is placed in a neatly cropped grazing field snugly positioned between the A525 to the north and the A542 to the west.

LIDAR bwlch image for Moel Fama

I parked on the edge of the A542 and walked down the road to where it intersects with the A525.  Access to the field was over a wrought iron fence, but as a drainage ditch followed the course of the fence on the field side I needed to find a dry and solid patch of ground before venturing in to the field.  This was found close to where the two A roads intersect.

The bwlch of Moel Fama

Once in the field the ten figure grid reference produced by LIDAR analysis directed me to the critical point.  As I wandered up the field the cows thankfully kept their distance but always showed signs of interest.  They frisked their attention toward me but never approached; keeping a safe distance between me, the Trimble and themselves; thank you cows.

Before setting the Trimble atop my rucksack I had a quick inspection of the lay of land and then activated the equipment to gather data.  As data were gathered I stood beside the boundary hedge separating the field and road and kept my eye on the cows.

Gathering data at the bwlch of Moel Fama

As the last of the allotted data points were gathered I quietly moved back to the equipment, pressed ‘Done’ and took a few photos before packing the Trimble away and walking the short distance back to the fence and my car.  Just one roadside bwlch survey remained; that for Cyrn y Brain.



Survey Result:


Moel Fama

Summit Height:  554.9m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Leica 530 survey) 554.8m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 16124 62669 (from previous Leica 530 and Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Bwlch Height:  273.1m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 18286 51641

Drop:  281.8m

Dominance:  50.78%


  



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