19.01.20 Moel Darren (SH 952 413), Foel Goch (SH 953
422), Orddu (SH 963 423), Pt. 534.1m (SH 966
419) and Pen y Cerrig Serth (SH 970 429)
 |
| Pen y Cerrig Serth (SH 970 429) |
Winter time in the
uplands can give a glimpse of the hills at their best. When snow and frost predominate and cloud
inversions in flat bedded valleys add magical elements to distant views. Today was such a day, when beautiful colour, stunning
views, good company, hills and route combined to give an excellent seven hours taking
in five hills with nine surveys conducted.
I met Aled in Y Bala and
we soon had our cars positioned to the south of Foel Goch. The satellite peaks radiating out from this
hill give good opportunities for circular walks and we had surveyed a number of
the connecting hills in October 2015. We
now wanted to visit the hills to the east of Foel Goch and combine them with
its southern outlier of Moel Darren.
We gained height on a
minor paved road leading past Llwyniolyn before following the continuation up
valley on a muddied track. Behind and
below us the valley enclosing the Afon Dyfrdwy was bathed in mist which
remained during our time on the hill. The
mists stretched out beyond Llangollen and across toward the Aran, with
occasional wisps meandering up higher stream valleys only to then slowly
disappear.
Leaving the muddied
track close to a sheep fold we stepped across the Nant Cefn Coch which would no
doubt have proved difficult to cross lower down, and followed the remains of an
old wall through yellow tinged reed grass, aglow in the light from the low winter
sun. This soon brought us to a sheep track
which led toward the summit of our first hill of the day; Moel Darren.
 |
| Nearing the head waters of the Nant Cefn Coch |
I’d surveyed Moel Darren
using a basic levelling staff in May 2004, almost sixteen years later I was
back, this time with Aled and an Abney level and a Trimble. Within a few minutes Aled had pinpointed the
summit and the Trimble was set up gathering its allotted data.
As the last datum points
were gathered and stored Aled headed toward the connecting bwlch to assess the
lay of land, and once the equipment was closed down and packed away I stumbled
my way through the tussocks to join him.
The critical point of the bwlch was not hard to determine and soon the
Trimble was quietly beeping away gathering data.
Ahead of us lay the
southern bulk of Foel Goch which today looked inviting. After a steady plod uphill I joined Aled at
its summit and again the Trimble was set up atop my rucksack, the measurement
offset between its internal antenna and the ground at its base noted and once
the 0.1m accuracy level attained before data should be logged, I set it to
gather data and joined Aled who was talking to a man who had just joined us at
the summit, he estimated that he’d been to the top of Foel Goch 150 times and
the conditions today must have been one of the best!
 |
| Admiring the view on the way up Foel Goch |
 |
| Gathering data at the summit of Foel Goch |
The next point to survey
was the connecting bwlch to Orddu, another hill whose drop I had surveyed with
my old basic levelling staff. This hill
was the first I had surveyed for Dewey status back in March 2000, repeating the
survey the following month. I had lots
of fun with this old staff, but the Trimble gives by far more accurate results
and is much simpler to operate, albeit just a wee bit more expensive to
purchase.
 |
| Orddu (SH 963 423) |
After packing the
Trimble away I slowly plodded up toward the summit of Orddu, where Aled was patiently
waiting standing on the high point. As
the fifth data set of the day was gathered I looked out to the sea of mist in
the valley below and across to the high Aran majestically floating above it
all.
 |
| The distant high Aran |
 |
| Gathering data at the summit of Orddu |
 |
| The view east from the summit of Orddu |
It was now decision
time, should we visit the summit above the Bryn Bras ridge and combine this
with Pen y Cerrig Serth, or just visit the latter. My pace was slow and I wondered if we could
visit and survey these hills before nightfall overtook us. We assessed the time for all required surveys
and the time remaining before darkness.
Deciding to visit the two hills we headed down to the next connecting
bwlch to the south-east.
The bwlch of the next
hill consisted of a relatively flat bedded bog with copious amounts of heather;
at least today it gave a stunning backdrop of a mist enshrouded valley. As I packed the Trimble away after the bwlch
survey Aled was already waiting at the summit, it proved a slow plod to get to
the top, but once the summit had been surveyed and we back-tracked to the bwlch
for the continuation toward Pen y Cerrig Serth, we knew that we had sufficient
time for all remaining surveys and to get down off the hill before darkness
overtook us.
 |
| The main Berwyn ridge floating above the mist |
 |
| Gathering data at the summit of Pt. 534.1m |
 |
| Pen y Cerrig Serth |
Thankfully an old path
led us toward the connecting bwlch with Pen y Cerrig Serth, with it contouring
its way around the eastern flank of Orddu.
The bwlch proved to be another relatively flat morass of tussocked
heather and bog. We debated its position
and assessed the land from either side of an intervening fence. Having decided on an appropriate position the
Trimble was set up and gathered allotted data whilst Aled headed for the summit
and I sat against the fence in the now chilled sunshine.
 |
| Gathering data at the bwlch area of Pen y Cerrig Serth |
Pen y Cerrig Serth was
another hill I’d surveyed with my old basic levelling staff in May 2004 and I was
now thankful to reach its summit, which was bathed in beauteous light as only
late afternoon winter days can give. The
Trimble was soon placed at the summit gathering its ninth and last data set of
the day. Once closed down and packed
away I joined Aled who was waiting beside a fence junction for our descent.
 |
| Gathering data at the summit of Pen y Cerrig Serth |
It proved a good route
down with succulent colour illuminating Pen y Cerrig Serth as streaks of
delicate cloud massed like waves enhancing the late afternoon light. A path of sorts led us down toward Hafotty
Isaf where an old railway sleeper acted as a footbridge taking us toward our
downward route.
 |
| Descending from the summit of Pen y Cerrig Serth |
 |
| Late winter afternoon colour |
 |
| The silhouetted Aran |
Arriving at the awaiting
car and taking my wellies off was blissful; all that remained was the short
journey to Aled’s car. On the way I
stopped and marvelled at the sky, which was ablaze in patterned reds and
scarlets as cloud waves luxuriated in colour.
The high Aran gave a silhouetted backdrop as dusk slowly descended with
this last massed streak of colour before darkness overtook the land.
Postscript:
Since surveying these hills full LIDAR coverage is now available. The LIDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) technique produced highly accurate height and positional data that is now freely available for England and Wales. Consequently the numerical details for these hills have been analysed using this technique, and where appropriate LIDAR has been used in preference to that produced by the Trimble.
Survey Result:
Moel Darren
Summit Height: 510.0m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 95221 41372
Bwlch Height: 495.4m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SH 95185 41686
Drop: 14.6m (Uchaf reclassified to 500m Sub-Uchaf)
Dominance: 2.86%
Foel Goch
Summit Height: 611.0m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 95379 42292
Bwlch Height: 336.8m (converted to OSGM15, from subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SH 91716 43965
Drop: 274.2m
Dominance: 44.88%
Orddu
Summit Height: 553.8m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 96338 42337
Bwlch Height: 520.5m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SH 95886 42428
Drop: 33.3m (Dewey addition)
Dominance: 6.01%
Pt. 534.1m
Summit Height: 534.1m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 96602 41939 (
Bwlch Height: 513.8m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SH 96434 42157 (LIDAR)
Drop: 20.3m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 3.81% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Pen y Cerrig Serth
Summit Height: 520.7m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SH 97054 42933 (
Bwlch Height: 500.0m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SH 96806 42746 (LIDAR)
Drop: 20.7m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch) (500m Sub-Twmpau addition)
Dominance: 34.97%
