Was going to activate GW/SW-008 today. I drove up the access road to the recommended parking place but just outside Trefil (SO119131) I came up to a big yellow gate. The gate was locked open but there was a notice by it to the effect that the road and bridle way were private, the gate would be closed between 1700 and 0800 and at weekends and that any unauthorised vehicle could be removed and confiscated by the police. The sign had both the crest of Blaenau Gwent and the police and looks very new (just checked Google street view and its not therebut that was two years ago).
Now I’m not sure that the police have the powers of confiscation vehicles in these curcumstances but I wasn’t prepared to argue that point of law with them and as it was raining and blowing I thought that the extra walk was not worth it.
Peter
G1FOA
Do you have to use a regional modifier on the internet?
Myself, Dave M0MYA, David M0YDH and the Driver Geoff 2E0BTR, all did a recent activation of this summit! In fact the date was Saturday the 26th of Feb! We went over the cattle grid at Trefil, continued along the road and didn’t see any signs from what I recall! However of course my fellow Hams in the car may have seen something!
With out a doubt this has to be one of the easiest 4 pointers that I have ever done! Geoff with his good driving skills and his Peugeot 306 Estate with 4 men in the car plus kit, got us past ERPs parking spot and the ascent on foot took 15 minutes maximum! The summit is fantastic with superb vies into the Beacons and South Wales!
I will ask the others in the car and see if any signs were up that I may have missed! Or presumably they will answer on this post itself!
Thanks for the comments Matt. The sign did say that it would be closed at weekends and as you went there on a Saturday could be that this has happened t since then. It did look very new.
Possibly Peter! Seems a shame if they did! Such an easy SOTA summit, however I will try this hill one day from the South West! As its nice to graft for your points! Mynydd Troed SW-009 being the classic example of this!
The gate has been there for some time and is frequently closed; I think it is supposed to be locked. There used to be free access but I think this was stopped after the “Rave” that took place in the big quarry in May 2007 or 8. The music was audible during the night in both Libanus and Talybont.
I went to an orienteering event there some months ago and the gate was manned to ensure that no non-orienteering cars entered. As I wanted to go for a walk after the event I enquired further and was informed that the gate would be locked at some point during the later afternoon.
Pity, because using that track for vehicle access does cut down a long walk on very rough ground. The best alternative (long but easy going on the whole) appears to be to park at the end of the tarmac by Tor-y-Foel. I’ve not done the whole of it, having turned west towards the reservoirs instead.
In reply to 2E0XTL:
Your memory of Geoff’s determined drive in the 4-Bloke to the Quarry without any gates matches my recollection too. “Geoff we’ll walk from here” but he kept on going until he got a few yards beyond the ERP 4-Trak parking spot!
View from here on our visit:-
The ham and sweet corn chowder [Mrs Passey’s finest] and Mrs Porter’s stupendous Victoria sponge cake were further important components of a successful activation!
