Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Arenig Fach

07.02.20  Arenig Fach (SH 820 415), only bwlch surveyed

Arenig Fach stands as a great lump of wild rock and wind-blown heathered moor.  No ascent is particularly easy, although the hill does afford solitude and expansive views.  I’d surveyed its summit in November 2016 during Steve Smith’s celebratory completion of the Nuttalls.  On that day the summit was bleakly chilled and wet.  Today for its bwlch survey the weather forecast gave settled conditions, albeit with the breeze increasing in strength during the early afternoon, as it was just before 10.00am when I pulled up and parked beside the A4212 this did not concern me.

Arenig Fach (SH 820 415)

Prior to my visit the position and height of this bwlch had been determined by LIDAR analysis conducted by Aled Williams, and it was the ten figure LIDAR grid reference that I was now reliant upon for Trimble placement.

I had inspected the land beside the A road in a Google car on my laptop and the southern roadside verge had intermittent small conifer trees on it, I hoped that its critical point would not prove to be either under or beside one of these as this may interrupt signals received by the Trimble.

The bwlch of Arenig Fach

It was only a short walk on the road to where the bwlch of Arenig Fach is situated and with the Trimble used as a hand-held device I quickly zeroed in to its critical point, which was beside one lone conifer tree.  The road at this point had been slightly raised above its moorland surrounds and if not for LIDAR, the positioning of the critical point of this bwlch may have taken an inordinate amount of time to assess.

The Trimble was soon positioned on top of my rucksack, which acts as an improvised tripod, giving it elevation above its immediate surrounds, and once the 0.1m accuracy level was attained before data should be logged, I pressed ‘Log’ and retreated across the other side of the road and waited patiently whilst six minutes of data were gathered and stored.

The Trimble set-up position at the bwlch of Arenig Fach

During this time I counted the cars that passed, three headed west toward Trawsfynydd whilst eight headed east toward Y Bala.  It wasn’t a particularly busy stretch of road on this day for this part of Wales.

Once data were gathered and stored I pressed ‘Done’, closed the equipment down, packed it away and walked the short distance back to my car and headed toward the third of four planned bwlch surveys for the day; the next survey being the bwch that connects to Carnedd Iago (SH 782 406).

Survey Result:

Arenig Fach

Summit Height:  688.9m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 82020 41583 (from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Bwlch Height:  390.6m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 78593 38716

Drop:  298.3m

Dominance:  43.30%

  

For details on the summit survey of this hill

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Arenig Fach

06.11.16  Arenig Fach (SH 820 415)    

Arenig Fach (SH 820 415)

Today Steve Smith completed the Nuttalls; the 2,000ft mountains of both England and Wales.  He had chosen Arenig Fach as his final hill having dashed toward completion during the settled weather of October.

We met at the car park on the western shore of Llyn Celyn between Y Bala and Trawsfynydd.  As I drove west over Y Berwyn the sky darkened a forbidding slate grey giving wintry showers over the hills, with the land to the north swamped in rain cloud, whilst the land west and south still had a relatively high cloud base showing the signs of the first snows of the season on the higher summits.

Pulling in to the car park I watched a Buzzard sitting on a large rock only a few metres away, I donned full wet proofs as the prospect of the ascent being dry was rapidly disappearing and by the time I’d sorted my gear the rain had started.  I took shelter in my car as Tony arrived, closely followed by Adrian and Ayako.  By the time Steve arrived with Gina, Josie and Simon a number of people were ready to set off hoping to get a reasonable start over the quicker people in the group.

Gathering in the car park for Steve's final Nuttall

We followed a graveled track from the roadside that soon merged in to a vehicle track on the moor and then a path of sorts continued toward the fence line on the eastern broad ridge of Arenig Fach.

Heading toward Arenig Fach with Mynydd Nodol in the background

(L-R) Simon, Josie, Ayako, Adrian and Gina

By now the weather had closed in with squally showers submerging the land, a sleet grey scene emerged as we headed toward a ladder stile where the main part of the group waited for the others to join them.  I took advantage and slowly plodded onward and upward following the fence line as the rain chilled to sleet and then wet snow.  I rarely go out in such conditions as I am fortunate and can pick my days on the hill, but I found the weather to be invigorating as the wind blew and the land became chilled in its early winter’s grip.

By the time the gradient lessened some of the others had caught up, I headed toward the small cairn east of the recognised summit hoping to get a data set from the high point of the land beside it.  By now it was cold and although I had two sets of gloves on my fingers were chilled from the incessant wet weather.  I quickly took a five minute data set and aimed toward the trig pillar where Steve had just arrived.

Gathering the first data set on the summit area of Arenig Fach

Arriving at the trig everyone was taking shelter behind the large wind shelter at the summit, photos were taken, handshakes had and congratulations given, but the weather dictated that we couldn’t stay here too long and the celebratory cake would have to wait until back at the cars.

Steve Smith completes the Nuttalls atop Arenig Fach

Before everyone left I had chance to gather another five minute data set on top of a rock which was about five metres from the trig pillar, but another larger erratic also vied for the high point of the hill, and as the group wisely left the summit and disappeared from view in to the thickness of murk to head down I positioned the Trimble for a third data set.  Jon Glew kindly waited with me, and once five minutes of data were gathered I packed the equipment away and followed Jon in to the murk to find the descent route.

Gathering the second data set on the summit area of Arenig Fach

Gathering the third data set on the summit area of Arenig Fach

My fingers were now wet and chilled, but it was a cold that was not unwelcome, one that was manageable, and as we quickly lost height the severity of the chill lessened and the wet snow turned itself back to the customary rain, which then lessened still as we joined the path and vehicle track back to the road.

We gathered beside Steve’s camper van for cake and drinks and tried to shelter as best we could as another squally shower sped across the land.  It had been another excellent day on the hill which proved somewhat cold but also rejuvenated my pleasure with the higher of the Welsh hills and many congratulations to Steve for a fine achievement in completing the 2,000ft Nuttalls.

 

Survey Result:

Arenig Fach

Summit Height:  688.9m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 82020 41583

Bwlch Height:  390.6m (converted to OSGM15, from subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 78593 38716 (from subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Drop:  298.3m

Dominance:  43.30%

For details on the bwlch survey of this hill

For further details please consult the Trimble survey spreadsheet

Steve Smith completes the Nuttalls

Congratulations to Steve Smith who on the 6^th November 2016 completed the Nuttalls on Arenig Fach (SH 820 415) above Llyn Celyn to the west of Y Bala in north Wales. 

Steve was joined on his completion walk by his wife Gina and many friends including Josie Bacon, Simon Bendall, Ayako, Alex Cameron, Adrian Dust, Charles Everett, Jon Glew, Tony Jenkins, Myrddyn Phillips, Adrian Rayner, Anthony Whitehead and Rob Woodall.

Steve and friends celebrating on the summit of Arennig Fach having completed the Nuttalls

The summit celebrations were curtailed due to inclement weather (the wind-blown wet snow proved a bit chilly) and the cake had to wait to be feasted on when we were all safely down from the hill and back at the cars (even then it was still darn right cold).

The Nuttalls are the 2,000ft Mountains of both England and Wales and form one of the main challenges for the hill walker south of the Scottish border.  The list was compiled by John and Anne Nuttall and published by Cicerone Press in a two volume guide entitled The Mountains of England and Wales, volume 1 Wales and The Mountains of England and Wales, volume 2 England is 1989 and 1990 respectively.

There are currently 445 Nuttalls, with 255 in England and 190 in Wales, with the latest addition being Craig Gwaun Taf (SO 005 207) which only entered the list two days before Steve’s completion walk, thankfully he had already visited the hill!

Congratulations to Steve on becoming the latest Nuttall completer.