Fan Gyhirych Hike - GW/SW-006 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Saturday 1st May, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Fan Gyhirych, South Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/SW-006 (6 points).
Summit Height: 725m elevation, 280m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 51.85940, -3.62699. Maidenhead Grid IO81eu.
Also Activated: GW/SW-003, GW/SW-007.
Distance: 22.2km travelled with 1408m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T3.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 7hr 55m (incl. operating and other summit(s) on the same hike).
Weather: 6°C, 10 mph WSW wind, 90% humidity.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, Diamond SRH771, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 4 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Fan Gyhirych is a mountain peak situated in the western part of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales. Standing at 725 metres with a prominence of 280 metres, it forms part of the Black Mountain range. The name translates roughly as “Hill of the Stallion” from Welsh. Its summit provides panoramic views across the Brecon Beacons to the east and the sweeping valleys to the west.

This activation was the first summit of a challenging three-peak expedition that would eventually cover 22.2 kilometres with 1408 metres of total ascent, also including Fan Nedd (GW/SW-007) and Fan Brycheiniog (GW/SW-003).

I began the day’s hike from a conveniently positioned large layby on the A4067 main road to the west of Fan Gyhirych. The layby provides ample parking space and serves as an excellent starting point for accessing multiple summits in the area.

Crossing the road from the parking area, I found a stile that allows access over the fence marking the boundary of the open access land. From here, the ascent begins immediately and steeply. While there is a very faint track to follow initially, it quickly becomes indistinct as it winds its way up the grassy hillside.

The terrain proved challenging, with tussocky grass and overgrown sections that significantly slowed progress. The gradient is very steep, climbing approximately 330 metres over just 1.3 kilometres of horizontal distance. Without a clear path, I frequently had to pick my own route, seeking the most efficient line up the steep face of the mountain.

Despite the relatively modest total distance to the summit, the combination of the steep gradient and difficult underfoot conditions made this a strenuous climb. On a hot day, this exposed south-facing slope would present additional challenges, but the cooler May morning with light winds made conditions more favourable.

Eventually, after pushing through the steep section, the gradient eased and the distinctive white trig point marking the summit came into view. The summit area is relatively flat and grassy, with excellent visibility in all directions on a clear day. To the north and west, the view extends over the Crai Reservoir and towards the wilder parts of mid-Wales, while to the east, the central Brecon Beacons are visible.

I setup my radio equipment at the trig point, which provides a convenient operating position and landmark for other walkers. Given the early morning timing of this activation (around 8:30am), there were fewer operators on the air than might be expected later in the day. Nevertheless, I quickly made four contacts on the 2-metre band, including a satisfying summit-to-summit (S2S) contact with John GW4TQE/P who was operating from Long Mountain (GW/MW-026).

After completing the activation, I packed up my equipment and began the journey toward the second summit of the day, Fan Nedd. This involved descending Fan Gyhirych to the east and following a more established gravel road and footpath that circles around to approach Fan Nedd from the west.

The descent from Fan Gyhirych is considerably easier and more obvious than the ascent route I had taken. The eastern slopes feature more defined paths that connect to the wider network of trails in the area, making navigation much more straightforward.

This challenging but rewarding first summit set the tone for what would be a substantial day in the hills, showcasing both the beauty and the difficulty of off-trail mountaineering in the western Brecon Beacons. For those looking to activate just Fan Gyhirych, the steep but direct route from the A4067 offers a quick if somewhat demanding way to earn the 6 SOTA points this summit provides.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Fan Gyhirych on Saturday 1st May, 2021.

Walking Route for Fan Gyhirych

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Fan Gyhirych. 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-006 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/SW-006 Fan Gyhirych on Saturday 1st 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 Fan Gyhirych:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/SW-006 Fan Gyhirych.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Fan Gyhirych.
• Google Earth view of Fan Gyhirych.
• Wikipedia entry for Fan Gyhirych.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/SW-006 Fan Gyhirych.

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