Llan Ddu Fawr Hike - GW/MW-005 SOTA (2020)
Summits on the Air Activation Report
Activation Date: Thursday 17th December, 2020.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Llan Ddu Fawr, Mid Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/MW-005 (2+3 points).
Summit Height: 594m elevation, 168m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 52.31856, -3.77563. Maidenhead Grid IO82ch.
Distance: 4.1km travelled with 191m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T3.(?)
Elapsed Time: 1hr 15m (including operating).
Weather: Feels like 10.6°C, 13 kph S wind, 89% humidity.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, Diamond SRH770S, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 4 (2m FM).
Trip Notes
Llan Ddu Fawr, also known as Waun Claerddu, is a 594-metre hill located in Ceredigion, Wales, about 10 miles south of Pumlumon. Situated within the region dubbed the “Desert of Wales”, this summit is notorious for its exceptionally challenging terrain.
The approach begins from a tarmac road to the south, with parking available on a grass verge for two or three cars. While the summit offers a tempting two SOTA points (with a potential winter bonus bringing the total to five), the hike is far from straightforward.
The route is characterised by notoriously boggy ground, making navigation a true test of patience and skill. I discovered that the best approach is to stay as close to the faint ridge on the left, where the ground is slightly higher and rockier. The mid-section of the route proved particularly treacherous, with wet, difficult terrain which will challenge even experienced hill walkers.
Despite the challenging approach, the summit provides some short lived redemption. A substantial trig point and a summit shelter offer protection from the elements, rewarding those who persevere through the bog. Using my Yaesu FTM100D radio, I quickly completed the SOTA activation on the two-metre band, making four contacts in under ten minutes. I encountered the same operators, Karen and Neil, whom I had worked earlier on a different summit for two more enjoyable summit-to-summit QSOs.
This hill concluded a successful three-summit day, accumulating 17 SOTA points. However, I cannot recommend this route without significant caution. Of all the Marilyn summits I’ve completed, Llan Ddu Fawr stands out as one of the most challenging due to its extensive boggy terrain. While the remote rural environment and easy road access might seem inviting, the exceptionally wet ground makes this a route to be approached with care. If there was ever a summit worth bringing waders to, this is it. An alternative western approach might offer slightly drier conditions, but the entire area appears to be surrounded by extensive bog!
Photos
Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Llan Ddu Fawr on Thursday 17th December, 2020.
Walking Route for Llan Ddu Fawr
The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Llan Ddu Fawr. The GW/MW-005 summit area is marked on the map with a blue pin icon.
You can download the route shown above as a GPX file suitable for use with most GPS devices. This file is provided for information only, to support your own walk planning and research (it may contain navigation errors, detours and/or safety hazards). The route downloads provided here are governed by the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Station Log
I logged the following 4 amateur radio contacts operating as MW1HAX/P from GW/MW-005 Llan Ddu Fawr on Thursday 17th December, 2020 (all times shown are UTC):
| Time | Callsign | Band | Mode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:08 | GW4VPX | 2m | FM | Allan, 5/9 |
| 15:12 | MW0OFA | 2m | FM | Frank, 5/9 |
| 15:15 | 2E0XYL/P | 2m | FM | Karen, 5/9, S2S G/WB-003 |
| 15:15 | 2E0TDX/P | 2m | FM | Neil, 5/9, S2S G/WB-003 |
In the notes field I will usually log the other operator’s name and the signal report they provided. In accordance with the Summits on the Air rules, I do not make a log entry where a complete exchange of callsigns and signal reports was unsuccessful.
Additional Information
The following resources may be helpful to walkers, mountaineers and SOTA activators interested in Llan Ddu Fawr:
- Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/MW-005 Llan Ddu Fawr.
- Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Llan Ddu Fawr.
- Google Earth view of Llan Ddu Fawr.
- Wikipedia entry for Llan Ddu Fawr.
- 360° Panorama near summit of GW/MW-005 Llan Ddu Fawr.
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