Cadair Berwyn Hike - GW/NW-012 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Sunday 2nd May, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Cadair Berwyn, North Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/NW-012 (8 points).
Summit Height: 832m elevation, 346m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 52.88060, -3.38099. Maidenhead Grid IO82hv.
Distance: 12.6km travelled with 470m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T1.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 4hr 30m (including operating).
Weather: 6°C, 10 mph WSW wind, 90% humidity.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, Diamond SRH771, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 18 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Cadair Berwyn is the second highest mountain in Wales outside of Snowdonia, standing at 832 metres in the Berwyn range. Located in northeast Wales, it forms part of a natural barrier between the Welsh heartland and the English border. The mountain has a rich history, with evidence of Bronze Age settlements, and its name translates roughly as “Berwyn’s Chair” or “Berwyn’s Fort” in Welsh.

This SOTA activation was undertaken via a less frequented western approach, beginning from a convenient parking area along the B4391 main road that runs across the Berwyn range.

The parking area on the western side of the mountain provides ample space for several vehicles and is easily accessible by car. This starting point offers a significantly different experience from the more popular and touristy eastern route that begins at the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall car park. While the western approach is longer, the gradient is more gradual, making for a more pleasant and less strenuous ascent.

Setting off from the roadside, I followed a faint path that leads eastward onto the open moorland. The initial section of the route features typical Welsh upland terrain - a mixture of rough grass and heather. About a kilometre into the walk, the path becomes more defined as it enters an area of particularly boggy ground, where a well-maintained section of wooden duck boards has been installed to provide safe passage across the wettest sections.

These wooden walkways extend for nearly a kilometre, making progress rapid and keeping boots dry - a welcome feature in this notoriously wet area. The duck boards eventually give way to a more traditional path, which continues to climb steadily across the open hillside.

After approximately 2.5 kilometres, the well-defined path begins to fade as it enters a high plateau of boggy grassland. Navigation becomes more challenging here, with only faint traces of previous walkers' routes to follow. In poor visibility, careful compass work would be essential in this section. The terrain alternates between firmer grassy areas and sections of softer, peaty ground that can be quite waterlogged after rainfall.

Continuing eastward, I eventually reached Ceulan Myheryn, a minor top on the approach to the summit ridge. From here, the path becomes more evident again as it rises to the summit of Moel Sych, which forms part of the Berwyn ridge. A short walk northward along this ridge leads to the slightly lower summit of Cadair Berwyn itself, marked by a small cairn.

The summit area offers expansive views in all directions. To the west, the hills of central Wales roll away towards the coast, while to the east, the land drops dramatically with views extending to the English border and beyond on clear days. This eastern aspect, with its steep drop-off, provides excellent conditions for VHF radio propagation.

I set up my Yaesu FTM100D with a Diamond SRH771 antenna near the summit cairn and was immediately rewarded with a strong response on the 2-metre band. Over the course of about 30 minutes, I made a total of 18 contacts, including five summit-to-summit (S2S) contacts with other SOTA activators on various Welsh mountains. These included contacts with stations on Mynydd Troed (GW/SW-013), Black Mixen (GW/MW-038), Cyrn-y-Brain (GW/NW-043), and Moel Gyw (GW/NW-035).

The proximity of Cadair Berwyn to several population centers in both Wales and England, combined with its considerable height and the excellent radio take-off from its summit, make it a particularly rewarding mountain for VHF operations. Signal reports were consistently strong, with many stations giving me 5/9 readability.

After completing a satisfying radio session and taking some time to enjoy the panoramic views, I packed up my equipment and began the return journey. I retraced my steps along the same route, finding the descent considerably quicker than the ascent as is typically the case.

This western approach to Cadair Berwyn offers a much more peaceful and authentic hill walking experience compared to the busier eastern route from the waterfall. The longer, gentler approach allows more time to appreciate the wild beauty of the Berwyn range, with its characteristic mixture of grassy slopes, peat bogs, and rocky outcrops.

For SOTA operators, especially those interested in VHF work, Cadair Berwyn represents an excellent activation opportunity, combining good access, moderate terrain, and exceptional radio conditions. The 8 points awarded for this summit reflect both its height and the effort required to reach it, making it a valuable addition to any SOTA activator’s log.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Cadair Berwyn on Sunday 2nd May, 2021.

Walking Route for Cadair Berwyn

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Cadair Berwyn. The GW/NW-012 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 18 amateur radio contacts operating as MW1HAX/P from GW/NW-012 Cadair Berwyn on Sunday 2nd May, 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 Cadair Berwyn:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/NW-012 Cadair Berwyn.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Cadair Berwyn.
• Google Earth view of Cadair Berwyn.
• Wikipedia entry for Cadair Berwyn.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/NW-012 Cadair Berwyn.

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