Your way. Well we tried. We mislaid the path twice in the outward route. We missed a fork to the right that left us clambering through large boulders down beside the wall. We later missed a left turn resulting in a steep scramble ahead of the main final ascent. Both issues were worked out immediately afterwards during that ascent, and on the descent we nailed the correct route in full!
Very nice route; proper mountain stuff - great!
What an absolutely stunning winter’s day to get out to the far side of Snowdonia and complete activating all GW (again).
Of course we thought we’d finally completed GW back in May with an activation of Disgwylfa Fawr GW/MW-038 - but then the RHB surveyors promoted Rhinog Fach from HEMA to SOTA GW/NW-078.
This actually turned out to be a good thing for us (well me really). Because now I can claim to be the first to have activated every SOTA in GW! (With Jimmy 2nd, five minutes later).
Of course my tongue is in my cheek; John GW4BVE was the first to activate all GW. But I’ll take whatever spurious accolade I can - which could be temporary until if/when they discover another one!
Well done both of you. Glad that you could re-complete your completion of Wales. M0JLA has got to go there to deal with NW again (I still have Tryfan outstanding) but we are waiting for longer and warmer days (and for people to improve the path but he is talking of attacking it by a different route…!) We had vague hopes for a s2s with you from GW/SW-013 Tor y Foel but couldn’t stay much beyond 1200 as my very croaky voice needed a dose of hot soup (in the car), it was very cold even slightly out of the wind and we wanted to get off the next hill, GW/SW-007 Fan Nedd in daylight. Sorry to have missed you but luckily we chased it from the first activation, I believe, so all we have to do is get up the darn thing (and possibly down again!).
Look forward to further s2s from you both and wish you a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year.
73 Viki M6BWA
Thanks Viki, best wishes to you and Rod too. Are you out activating Christmas Day morning?
Hi Viki, it’s not bad at all. Bit steep in a few spots, so hard on the legs and lungs, but it’s not rocky or exposed (well if you follow where I went).
You can go even further south from my route to Llyn Hywel and come up the south ridge of Rhinog Fach, but it’s no easier that going up to the north shoulder from the west where I went and Tom/Jimmy did too. However, the fairly unpleasant steep, heather covered slope directly to the north is best avoided if possible. I’ve only been down that way once about 20 years ago and vowed to find a better alternative, which I did.
No, Tom I don’t do mornings as you will have noticed from the time we start activating! Fingers crossed, the turkey goes in and we go off for a gentle local cycle ride - but not sure the weather will behave (who wants to cycle in rain on Christmas morning?) It may have to be the jigsaw puzzle - or sowing the sweet pea seeds which should have been done a couple of weeks ago… when we were on a hill or two!!
73 Viki
Escaping Turkeys before they are put into ovens?
Thanks Gerald for the advice and glad to see you activated about 10 days ago. Are you going to post any details and even a map showing your track as, looking at the 1:50K map it isn’t obvious - but no hurry, we don’t expect to be there before about July (unless other plans are thwarted yet again)? All the best for 2022 including lots of dry and lofty SOTA summits!!
73 Viki
Hi Viki
I’ve put the route as a track on SOTA Maps. It’s also got a full description.
Happy to email track or map segment if that’s more useful.
73
Gerald
It’s straightforward Viki. Walk from the parking spot along the track then path to pass between Rhinog Fach (left) and Rhinog Fawr (right). Turn left (south) to continue walking around Rhinog Fawr then turn left again to take the steeper path up to the summit ridge.
