01.06.21 Nyth Grug (SO 170 606) and Mynd (SO 181 592)
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| Nyth Grug (SO 170 606) |
These two hills are
positioned to the south of Great Rhos and if so desired can be combined with
their higher neighbour. However, as the
summit of Great Rhos was Trimbled five days ago it was just Nyth Grug and Mynd
that were on the day’s surveying agenda, and as our planned route took us over
the bwlch of Crin Fynydd I hoped to also gather data from this point if the
near conifers permitted.
I was out with Linda
today, my old lockdown, keep local walking buddy. My memories of walking with Linda consisted
of ear warmers, balaclavas, wellies and full winter gear visiting the delights
of Yr Allt and Y Golfa and its adjacent hills.
Today was an utter contrast to those winter walks as summer had arrived
giving warm temperatures on the hills.
We were walking on the
forested path beside the Water-breaks-its-neck waterfall by 9.00am, following
dappled light up beneath the canopy of blues and greens. The path led over a footbridge at the top of
the waterfall and then continued downward, we left it at this point and joined
a narrower path that led to a public footpath close to Warren House.
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| Heading up the path leading to the top of Water-breaks-its-neck |
Conditions were warm on
this section of the walk and especially so as we headed beside the near conifer
plantation up a field where two horses stood in the morning sunshine; one on
our path bolt still, the other inquisitively roaming over to investigate the
two new arrivals. Beyond the field we
entered forestry.
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| Linda emerges out of the wood with Mynd in the background |
The path through the
forest was a delight and gave shade to the morning’s proceedings. We stopped at the bwlch of Crin Fynydd, with
its summit immersed in conifers just to our south. It was pointless trying to gather Trimble data
from its summit, but I hoped bwlch data could be gathered.
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| On the path leading to the bwlch of Crin Fynydd |
Whilst I assessed the
lay of land Linda chose a spot and bedded down in the sun, she’d worked a 17
hour shift two days ago and deserved a good rest whilst on the hill. We spent about 30 minutes at this bwlch, I
positioned the Trimble facing in three different directions, but every time the
0.1m accuracy level before data should be logged was not attained, and
therefore I eventually closed it down without any data having been collected.
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| A well earned rest after a 17-hour shift |
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| The bwlch of Crin Fynydd |
Our route continued, now
on the periphery of the forestry following a good track up valley with the
stream feeding the waterfall down on our left.
We left the main track and followed a narrower path that exited the last
of the conifers and gained open hillside.
From here to the bwlch of Nyth Grug was beautiful with open hill, few
fences, blue sky, roaming sheep, circling Red Kites, a cooling breeze and not
another person in sight.
At the bwlch Linda again
lay in the sun without a seeming care in the world. The critical point of the bwlch was
relatively easy to pinpoint and soon the Trimble was set up gathering its
allotted data.
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| Gathering data at the bwlch of Nyth Grug |
Ahead of us lay the
greened grazing slopes of Nyth Grug; our high point of the day. These we followed ever upward, joining the
fence that follows the broad ridge until we spotted the trig pillar and then
made a direct beeline toward it.
Having chosen the spot
for Trimble placement and set the equipment to gather data I sat with Linda
beside a fence looking down to a single wind turbine lazing in the sun. It was good to be here, the conditions on the
lower parts of the hills were proving warm, but on the tops a breeze blew which
helped, otherwise the whole day may have been uncomfortably hot.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Nyth Grug |
Once the allotted data
were gathered and stored we headed down the southerly ridge of Nyth Grug
helping two lambs on the way, one that had got itself wedged behind a gate and
the other whose head was stuck through a part of a wired fence. I grabbed each by their fleeced coat and
lifted them free and watched them shoot off to their mothers, the first jumping
in the air as it did so.
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| Trapped behind a gate without the knowledge of a reverse gear |
The connecting bwlch
between Nyth Grug and Mynd was positioned just beyond a ploughed field in
another patch of greened grazing land.
Having followed the remnants of the small stream up from the east I
positioned the Trimble atop my rucksack, measured and noted the offset between
its internal antenna and the ground at its base and sat on the near bank as it
quietly beeped away gathering its all-important data.
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| Heading toward the connecting bwlch with Mynd |
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| Gathering data at the bwlch of Mynd |
Leaving the bwlch we
headed uphill toward a track leading to a gate before veering left and aiming
for the higher ground, soon we were on the summit of Mynd. This summit had been LIDARed, therefore the
ten figure grid reference led me toward its high point. As the Trimble gathered data I sat with Linda
chatting away with a bag of crisps in hand.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Mynd |
Our route down led
toward a descending fence line that connected with a path beside the southerly
corner of the conifer plantation that spreads itself northward up valley. We were now just a steep field away from the
car.
Before heading to Maesyfed
(New Radnor) to visit its old castle, I drove the short distance on the
continuation of the rough track that leads toward the visitor car park for the
Water-breaks-its-neck waterfall. Having
parked we walked downhill to the stream and then followed a good path beside it
to the base of the waterfall.
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| Water-breaks-its-neck |
I’d only been here once
before, many years ago. Then the
waterfall was somewhat of a disappointment as the water was no more than a
trickle. Today it was much more
impressive. It wasn’t roaring down the
cliff, but it was beautiful with the greened vegetation of ferns and mosses
adding succulent colour to the scene.
Survey Result:
Nyth Grug
Summit Height: 538.3m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 17050 60690
Bwlch Height: 449.0m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 17391 61800
Drop: 89.3m
Dominance: 16.59%
Mynd
Summit Height: 478.7m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 18111 59264
Bwlch Height: 410.3m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 17772 59659
Drop: 68.4m
Dominance: 14.28%
For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet
