Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – 200m Twmpau

Y Pincin (SH 723 581) – 200m Twmpau addition

There has been a confirmation of an addition to the 200m Twmpau (thirty welsh metre prominences and upward) ranks of hills due to a survey with the Trimble GeoXH 6000, with these details being retrospective as the survey that confirmed this addition was conducted on the 24^th December 2013.

The criteria for 200m Twmpau status is all Welsh hills at or above 200m and below 300m in height with 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 200m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 200m and below 300m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop. 

This hill did not appear in the original Welsh P30 lists when published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website even though the hill is given a 264m summit spot height on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and has bwlch contouring between 220m – 230m.  Its addition to the P30 ranks was announced shortly before the hill was surveyed with the Trimble GeoXH 6000, and prior to this survey the hill was listed with c 36m of drop.

The name of the hill is Y Pincin and it is situated in the Carneddau range with its Cardinal Hill being Creigiau Gleision (SH 729 615) and is positioned immediately above the A5 road which is to its south and the small community of Capel Curig.

The upper section of the hill is a part of designated open access land, with a public footpath leaving Capel Curig to the west of the hill and heading toward the summit.  Although this hill makes an enjoyable walk and scramble in its own right, a more fulfilling experience can be had when combining it with its higher neighbours toward the north.

The full details for the hill are:

Cardinal Hill:  Creigiau Gleision

Summit Height:  263.5m (converted to OSGM15)

Name:  Y Pincin

OS 1:50,000 map:  115

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 72357 58126

Drop:  34.7m (converted to OSGM15)

Y Pincin (SH 723 581) has now been confirmed as a 200m Twmpau by a survey with the Trimble GeoXH 6000

For details on the survey that confirmed this hill’s addition as a 200m Twmpau

Myrddyn Phillips (August 2017)

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Carnedd Llywelyn

24.12.13  Y Pincin (SH 723 581)

Y Pincin (SH 723 581)

As this hill was only recently elevated to the ranks of the Welsh 200m P30 list I thought it required its new status confirmed, so after visiting Dinas Mawr I drove westward and parked outside Joe Brown's in Capel Curig.  The hill is situated just north of Capel Curig and if being taking in on its own is no more than a ten – fifteen minute walk from the near-by road.  However, it can easily be combined with an extended walk over its near, higher neighbours to the north. 

The Trimble GeoXH gathering data on the area of the bwlch.

The Trimble beside the cobbled stone path that crosses the bwlch of Y Pincin.

The hill is well protected and gives an excellent summer’s scramble.  Today with the gale increasing in velocity and hail showers skimming across the landscape it only gave up its summit after an intricately weaved route to its highest point.  Thankfully an easier route down was found.

The high point consists of rock and has good views across to the peaks of Yr Wyddfa and Moel Siabod.  By the time I'd gathered data at the bwlch and stood on the summit the wind was whistling past and if not for a convenient edged notch, in which the Trimble sat comfortable with its internal antenna aligned to the highest point, the equipment may have ended up airborne.

The high point of Y Pincin.

The Trimble securely in place on the summit of Y Pincin.

After five minutes of data was gathered I quickly packed the Trimble away and headed back to the car, as I wanted to look at two hills close to Llyn y Dywarchen (SH 561 533) and Bwlchgylfin (SH 555 533) and investigate the long awaited mystery of the position of the critical bwlch for Mynydd Mawr (SH 539 546).

The view from the summit of Y Pincin, taking in the higher peaks of Eryri.

Survey Result:


Y Pincin

Summit Height:  263.5m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 72357 58126

Bwlch Height:  228.8m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 72410 58193

Drop:  34.7m (200m Twmpau status confirmed)

Dominance:  13.18%

For further details please consult the Trimble survey spreadsheet click {here}