Mynydd Llangorse Hike - GW/SW-015 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Saturday 22nd May, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Mynydd Llangorse, South Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/SW-015 (2 points).
Summit Height: 515m elevation, 161m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 51.93244, -3.22409. Maidenhead Grid IO81jw.
Also Activated: GW/SW-002, GW/SW-009.
Distance: 21.4km travelled with 1184m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T1.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 7hr 40m (incl. operating and other summit(s) on the same hike).
Weather: 4°C, 13 mph WNW wind, 85% humidity.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 4 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Mynydd Llangorse is a distinctive hill in the Black Mountains of South Wales, rising to 515 metres with a modest 161 metres of prominence. Located near the small village of Cwmdu, this summit offers walkers a straightforward mountain experience in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

My approach to Mynydd Llangorse was part of an longer 21.4-kilometre circular route, continuing on from the summit of Mynydd Troed. The descent from Troed provided expansive views across the surrounding landscape, hinting at the terrain to come. A convenient parking area at Cockit Hill, accommodating about five cars, serves as a typical starting point for SOTA activators targeting both Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse.

Following well-defined footpaths, I tracked south towards the broad summit plateau. The terrain was consistent, with a good-quality grass path leading steadily upward.

The radio activation proved demanding. Hemmed in by larger hills in most directions, I struggled for a while to make the required four contacts. I resorted to standing atop a boulder, holding my Yaesu FTM100D radio aloft to secure the final contact with Frank MW0OFA. This experience underscores my recommendation that Mynydd Llangorse is best activated using HF radio. There is ample room on the summit plateau for antenna.

Despite the radio challenges, I managed to log four contacts, including a summit to summit exchange with Rick on G/WB-008. The weather remained consistent with the day’s earlier conditions.

After completing the activation, I continued the route south-eastward towards Pen Tir at 439 metres, eventually descending back to the starting point in Cwmdu. While the circular walk offered rewarding views and mountain experience, the initial road walking section was less inspiring.

The day’s hike, covering 21.4 kilometres with a total ascent of 1,184 metres, was an enjoyable day out in the Welsh mountains.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Mynydd Llangorse on Saturday 22nd May, 2021.

Walking Route for Mynydd Llangorse

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Mynydd Llangorse. 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-015 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-015 Mynydd Llangorse on Saturday 22nd 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 Mynydd Llangorse:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/SW-015 Mynydd Llangorse.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Mynydd Llangorse.
• Google Earth view of Mynydd Llangorse.
• Wikipedia entry for Mynydd Llangorse.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/SW-015 Mynydd Llangorse.

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