Fan Fawr Hike - GW/SW-005 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Saturday 24th April, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Fan Fawr, South Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/SW-005 (6 points).
Summit Height: 734m elevation, 295m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 51.86332, -3.49741. Maidenhead Grid IO81gu.
Also Activated: GW/SW-001, GW/SW-004.
Distance: 28.8km travelled with 1610m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T1.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 9hr 45m (incl. operating and other summit(s) on the same hike).
Weather: 14°C, 29 mph ESE wind, 40% humidity.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, Diamond SRH771, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 5 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Fan Fawr, standing proudly at 734 metres in the Brecon Beacons National Park, is the highest peak on the central ridge of Fforest Fawr in South Wales. This impressive mountain, whose name translates as “Big Peak” in Welsh, offers a commanding presence over the surrounding landscape. Unlike its more famous neighbour Pen y Fan, Fan Fawr remains relatively quiet even on busy days, making it an excellent destination for those seeking peace in the Beacons.

Geologically significant, Fan Fawr consists primarily of Old Red Sandstone from the Devonian period and showcases classic glacial features. The mountain forms an important watershed, with numerous streams originating on its slopes feeding both the Afon Dringarth and Taf Fawr river systems. Its inclusion in the internationally recognised Fforest Fawr Geopark highlights its geological importance to the region.

For this activation, I approached Fan Fawr as part of an ambitious 29km circuit incorporating three SOTA summits. Having already activated Pen y Fan (GW/SW-001) earlier in the day, I descended its southwestern slopes following the well-trodden tourist path towards the Storey Arms. For those looking to maximise elevation gain, traversing Corn Du adds another worthwhile peak to the route without significant detour.

Upon reaching the busy A470 and the Storey Arms car park, I took advantage of the facilities for a quick refreshment before continuing. This area serves as the most direct starting point for those wanting to tackle Fan Fawr as a standalone hike.

From the Storey Arms, I followed the path that runs parallel to the main road briefly before turning through a gate onto the open hillside. The route up Fan Fawr itself is markedly less defined than those on Pen y Fan - a faint path traverses the sometimes boggy grassland, climbing steadily up the northeastern ridge. Towards the midpoint a steep section demands good footwork, after which the gradient becomes more forgiving as you approach the summit plateau.

Navigation in clear conditions is straightforward, with the summit marked by a small stone cairn at a path junction. Interestingly, the trig point (at 715m) sits slightly southwest of the true summit - a quirk worth noting for SOTA activators ensuring they’re operating from within the activation zone of the highest point.

The summit rewards visitors with spectacular panoramic views across the central Beacons, with Pen y Fan and Corn Du dominating the skyline to the northeast. On a clear day like this one, the vista extends far into Mid Wales and towards the Bristol Channel. In poor weather, however, the relatively featureless terrain can make navigation challenging, and the path becomes significantly harder to follow when visibility is reduced.

Having covered approximately 10km from my starting point, I took some time at the summit to rest and rehydrate while taking in the views. Here I had an unexpected but welcome encounter with fellow SOTA enthusiast Kaan M0UCL/P, who had been operating from the summit for some time.

Setting up my Yaesu FTM100D with the Diamond SRH771 antenna, I made five contacts on 2m FM at 50 watts in just under ten minutes. Band conditions were good, and the elevated position made for excellent radio propagation. In retrospect, considering the quality of signals received, I could have easily managed with my lighter Yaesu VX6 handheld at just 5 watts - something to consider for a future repeat of this circuit.

For my descent, I retraced my steps back to the Storey Arms, enjoying conversation with Kaan who was heading to his car. Rather than heading directly back to my starting point, I continued my ambitious circuit by reascending the tourist track towards Pen y Fan. This section proved to be the most mentally challenging part of the day - after seven hours of hiking, climbing alongside fresh-faced tourists who had just started their walks was somewhat demoralising!

At the col between Duwynt and Corn Du, I gratefully turned south away from the crowds, joining the quieter section of the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe route that would eventually lead me back to the Neuadd Reservoir and my starting point.

This demanding circuit totalling nearly 29km with over 1600m of ascent is not a challenge to be undertaken lightly. However, on a fine summer’s day like this one, it provides a magnificent day in the mountains and a rewarding 20 SOTA points. For those interested in activating Fan Fawr with a slightly less ambitious approach, the direct route from the Storey Arms offers a relatively straightforward 5km round trip. Consider combining it with nearby Craig Cerrig-gleisiad (629m) for a fulfilling day of hill walking in this beautiful corner of the Brecon Beacons.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Fan Fawr on Saturday 24th April, 2021.

Walking Route for Fan Fawr

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Fan Fawr. Note that this summit was activated as part of a multi-summit hike and the map below shows the full route taken on the day. The GW/SW-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 5 amateur radio contacts operating as MW1HAX/P from GW/SW-005 Fan Fawr on Saturday 24th April, 2021 (all times shown are UTC):

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 Fan Fawr:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/SW-005 Fan Fawr.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Fan Fawr.
• Google Earth view of Fan Fawr.
• Wikipedia entry for Fan Fawr.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/SW-005 Fan Fawr.

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