G&J Surveys - Munro Tops list amended - The Times

The Times have published an article today about our recent surveys of Creag na Caillich and Mullach Coire nan Cisteachan, both hills had been previously surveyed by Alan Dawson with his Leica RX1250 and credit is given as it was Alan who found that the former was just below 3,000ft in height and the latter just above 3,000ft in height. 

We submitted the two hour data gathered at each summit to Ordnance Survey, who have accepted the results and will update maps accordingly.  As a result the Scottish Mountaineering Club has amended the list of Munro Tops and included Mullach Coire nan Cisteachan and excluded Creag na Caillich.  Therefore the listing of Munro Tops is amended but the totals remain the same!

Fresh off the press - today's copy of The Times

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights - Intro Clip

Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon is steeped in myth and legend and is regarded as the most iconic mountain in Wales. As well as being a sentinel to a nation its iconic status is based on it being the highest mountain in the land. But just how high is Snowdon? Current Ordnance Survey maps have its height as 1085m (3560ft).  But is Snowdon about to climb new heights?

This is the introduction to the Snowdon: Climbing New Heights programme that is being broadcast on ITV Wales at 7.30pm on Tuesday the 14th October.

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights

As the mist dissipated the dull ache of afterglow turned adjacent hillsides from radiant reds to blended blues and the world around Yr Wyddfa took on one of norm.

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights

As with all natural light shows there comes a time that the pinnacle of wonderment is replaced by an ebbing of colour, when this happened and the scarlet crimson’s diminished in intensity the eye was struck by the silver edged mist on Llynnau Mymbyr.

This had been somewhat neglected as the colour wash dominated, but the fragile gracefulness of mist now predominated as light cast out from behind cloud highlighted its flow from lake surface to lower hillside, all was accomplished in an elegant way as wisps of mist crept upward to be swallowed by the warmth of day.  It seemed as if the early morning awakening on the land of Eryri had been transformed into a Japanese silk painting, one of wonder and myth.

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights

As the last light ebbed from the evening sky Aled set his camera up to capture the scene.  I stood beside the trig pillar on the summit plinth and framed him silhouetted against a night of radiant darkened blue with the last slither of evening orange disappearing beyond the horizon.  Next to me the coloured leds of the Leica GS15 shone as data continued to be gathered.

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights

We then collected two hours of data from the high point beside the trig on Crib y Ddysgl and this gave Aled an opportunity to film us setting the equipment up and also getting footage of the expanse of high Cwm above Glaslyn and the great eastern face of Wales’ highest mountain.  Although we’d experienced this view on many occasions, it still mesmerises in its beauty as the great eastern face plunges down to the lake of Glaslyn, all of which is neatly framed by the continuation of land to the 1,000ft cliff face of Y Lliwedd.

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights

The following two hours were sublime as darkness slowly evolved into dawn.  Pushing westward from the heartland of inner Wales was a bank of grey cloud, never lower than any summit, but nevertheless it slowly crept toward Moel Siabod, behind which the sky was turning its customary orange heralding the rising of the sun.

When the sun appeared it was only for five minutes as it quickly disappeared behind the cloud bank, but although an initial disappointment this heralded a delicate show of colour as the land around Moel Siabod was transformed into gentle and impressive colours with crimson hues merging into reds, scarlets and orange, all subtly changing as the early morning sky evolved in mood.  

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights

The equipment was switched on to gather data at 8.00pm and the long vigil commenced.  By now the sun was low in the western sky and was hanging over the sea, illuminating the land with magical colour.  Slowly it sank ever downward and cast out its final light as the land turned a blue tinge of grey and the chill of the night set in.

Snowdon: Climbing New Heights

ITV Wales are showing a half hour programme about the recent re-survey of Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon conducted by G&J Surveys.  The programme is entitled 'Snowdon: Climbing New Heights' and is being broadcast at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14th October.  All very exciting stuff, I wonder what the result will be?

(L-R) Stephen Edwards (CREAD Cyf), Aled Llŷr (Slam Media), Graham Jackson (Surveyor), John Barnard (Surveyor) and of course there's me behind the camera; Myrddyn Phillips (Surveyor)

Click on the link below for the Radio Times scheduling and a little bit of detail about the programme.

http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/c6n8c5/snowdon-climbing-new-heights