16.09.23 Mynydd Trawsnant (SN 824 485)
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| The summit area of Mynydd Trawsnant (SN 824 485) |
Mynydd Trawsnant appears
in a number of hill lists, including the Welsh
Highlands – Uchafion Cymru, the Deweys
and the 500m Twmpau. Its summit position in these lists has
recently been relocated due to LIDAR analysis conducted by Aled Williams.
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| LIDAR summit image of Mynydd Trawsnant |
Mynydd Trawsnant is one
of many hills is this area that have been swamped by conifer plantation which
forms a part of the extensive Tywi Forest.
However, recent visits to its relocated summit reported the forestry in
this section felled with newly planted trees already in situ. Because of this it was an ideal time to visit
and gather Trimble data to compare to that of LIDAR.
I had visited its
previously listed summit position once before when the barrier at the start of
the forest track leading toward its summit was open, not wanting to pass on
this invitation I drove up the track and parked close to its then recognised
high point. Before visiting the summit I
heard the approaching sound of a forestry lorry and therefore quickly hid
behind a tree. Logging was in progress
and not wanting to linger I quickly scampered up the forest ride to what was
then considered its high point and just as quickly scampered back down before
driving down the forest track to the minor paved road at its end.
Today, along with Aled,
we wanted to gather data from the LIDAR high point. Ideally another data set should be gathered
from the old summit position, but again recent visits indicated this was still
submerged in conifers.
It’s a long drive south
close the eastern shore of Llyn Brianne to where the forest track heads up
toward the summit of Mynydd Trawsnant.
Approaching the track we saw that the barrier was open giving access up
the hill. Driving toward the hill we had
seen a number of notices relating to a race that was taking place and the
arrows indicating the way ahead for the runners pointed up the same track, we
wondered whether the barrier was open to give access to the runners and any
support vehicles following the race.
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| Parked and ready to tackle the relocated summit of Mynydd Trawsnant |
Having driven up the
track we parked as close to the summit as we could and set off walking at
8.55am as the first flecks of forecast rain began to push northward. This would herald damp and misty conditions
for the continuation of the walk Aled had planned. However, for me I only had one summit to
visit and this was ever so close to where we had parked.
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| Setting off up the forest ride between the mature conifers and old summit position on the left and the felled forestry and new summit position on the right |
A forest ride between
the felled section and the remaining mature tees gave good access and relatively
easy underfoot conditions over and close to the old summit position toward the
slightly higher LIDAR summit which was ahead of us and to our right. This as with many felled forested ground
looked like an assault course, but thankfully none of it was difficult,
although I did manage to almost sit in a water course as I slipped and fell.
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| Typical felled forestry land made even more bleak by the grey overhead conditions and incoming rain |
The Trimble was used as
a hand-help GPS unit to zero in to the co-ordinates ascertained from LIDAR
analysis. When there we debated where
the survey equipment should be set up and opted to align it with a patch of
grass that was solid and stable. As the
Trimble collected data I sat on a tree stump and scribbled all necessary detail
in my survey note book.
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| Gathering data at the summit area of Mynydd Trawsnant |
Once the equipment was
packed away we reversed our inward route, but this time avoiding the water
course and aiming for the corner of forest as it butts up against the open hill
to its north. This gave a semblance of
what these hills were like before the infestation of conifers. The open hillside was expansive, albeit with
the customary thick and rough Elenydd summer grassland in evidence.
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| Heading back to the forest track |
Once back at the car I
waved Aled off, who was continuing south wanting to visit two subs in the
forest before breaking out of the conifers to visit Garn Wen, which is listed
as a Dewey and lastly a Pedwar overlooking Llanwrtyd, where we had arranged for
me to pick him up in the early afternoon.
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| Aled heading off farther in to the forest for what proved a wet and misty few hours |
I then set off driving back
down the forest track, stopping once to speak with a man who was standing
outside his vehicle setting up a small food and drink station for the runners
in the race. He told me there were 21
runners, although the number was originally higher with a number having recently
pulled out.
Once out of the forest
and back on the minor paved road close to Llyn Brianne I stopped and changed as
the rain fell. It looked a particularly
murky scene with grey predominating with mist enclosing many near summits. It took 55 minutes to drive from here to
Llanwrtyd, stopping once to chat with a farmer.
Once at Llanwrtyd I
found the car park we had arranged to meet at, read a book, sheltered from the
rain and once this stopped walked in to town to find that Caffi Sosban served
an all-day breakfast, which once Aled had completed his walk we visited and
ate. An excellent way to end a walk!
Survey Result:
Mynydd
Trawsnant
Summit Height: 516.6m (LIDAR)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 82452 48564 (LIDAR) (summit relocation –Deweys) (summit relocation – 500m Twmpau and Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru)
Bwlch Height: 378.3m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 82781 50423 (LIDAR)
Drop: 138.3m (LIDAR)
Dominance: 26.77% (LIDAR)
For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet
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