Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Pumlumon

13.09.19  Newydd Fynyddog (SH 914 003), only bwlch surveyed

The land mass extending north from the higher summit of Bryn Amlwg comprises the 427m map heighted summit of Newydd Fynyddog.  Beyond this are slopes descending to the stream valleys below.

Newydd Fynyddog (SH 914 003)

The land taking in Newydd Fynyddog is quiet and consists in the main of grazing fields.  Its connecting bwlch is to the south-west of its summit and the critical point of this bwlch is close to the minor road that passes from Bontdolgadfan in the west to Talerddig in the east.  This bwlch is similar to its summit; quiet and peacefully situated.

I’d visited this hill once before in October 2013, but unsurprisingly had never visited its bwlch, until today.  The reason for visiting was to survey it, and this was the third of six planned roadside bwlch surveys that would take me on a road trip extending from Llanidloes to the road passing over Y Berwyn.  With many of these bylchau adjoined to high and prominent hills.

The bwlch of Newydd Fynyddog

I parked my car adjacent to a gate giving access in to the field where the bwlch of Newydd Fynyddog is placed.  I rarely park in front of a gate and this is not to be encouraged, but as I was only a minute or so walk from it I could easily move my car if a farmer wanted access.

The area of the bwlch proved a delightful place to spend 20 minutes and especially so as it was bathed in early afternoon sun that cast vivid clear colour.  I’d come prepared with a ten figure grid reference of where interpolation places this bwlch and once in the field spent a number of minutes assessing the lay of land, with the greened grass ebbing upward on the valley to valley traverse toward a fence corner, from which the land then ebbed downward.

One of two set-up positions where data were gathered for the bwlch of Newydd Fynyddog

I chose two positions to take data from, each on the hill to hill traverse, one of which was in a slight dip that encouraged me to think it the critical point, but which may prove otherwise.

Gathering data at the bwlch of Newydd Fynyddog

As data were gathered I stood and enjoyed the feel of being out, albeit not on a summit.  But this feeling was one to savour.  An occasional sound of someone working near land would wisp its way downward from a high field, otherwise the only other sound that broke the quiet surrounds was an occasional passing vehicle.

At the bwlch with Newydd Fynyddog in the background

Once data were gathered and stored I lazily made my way back to the gate and my car and proceeded to drive the short distance eastward to Talerddig where the fourth bwlch survey of the day awaited, that connecting to Pen y Fan.

Survey Result:

Newydd Fynyddog

Summit Height:  427m (spot height)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 91452 00381 (hand-held GPS via DoBIH)

Bwlch Height:  289.4m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 90173 99835

Drop:  138m

Dominance:  32.24%

  

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet