Carnedd Llewelyn - GW/NW-002 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Sunday 27th June, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Carnedd Llewelyn, North Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/NW-002 (10 points).
Summit Height: 1064m elevation, 750m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 53.16017, -3.97033. Maidenhead Grid IO83ad.
Distance: 16.2km travelled with 1070m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T4 / Grade 1 Scramble.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 6hr 40m (including operating).
Weather: 16°C, 16 mph NE wind, 75% humidity.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 27 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Carnedd Llewelyn stands proud at 1,064 metres, making it the second-highest mountain in Wales after Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). This impressive peak dominates the Carneddau range and carries significant historical importance, being named after Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last sovereign Prince of Wales.

For this activation, I approached from the village of Gerlan near Bethesda, where parking is very limited. This route differs from my 2019 activation where I took the more popular southern approach from the A5 road. Today’s path would incorporate the Crib Lem Spur, an excellent Grade 1 scramble up to Carnedd Dafydd before continuing to my main objective.

Setting off from Gerlan, I headed southeast, aiming to pick up the footpath that follows the Afon Llafar river towards Cwmglas Bach. Even in summer, the lower ground on this route was surprisingly boggy and wet underfoot. Weather conditions were excellent, with blue skies overhead, though some low cloud still clung to the mountain tops.

The views along the faint grassy path into the valley were spectacular. After covering about 2 kilometres, the path gradually faded as I approached the cwm where the scrambling section would begin. From here, I headed south towards the ridge, picking my way across rocky slopes toward the Crib Lem Spur. Occasional faint mud paths confirmed I was on the correct route.

Reaching the lower end of the ridge proper, the way ahead became clear on this clear sunny day. The scrambling along the ridge was engaging but not difficult, and I sought out the most interesting lines. A highlight was navigating the iconic “Christmas tree” table feature, most obvious when looking back down the ridge. This section represents perhaps the crux of this enjoyable but relatively straightforward scramble.

After 400-500 metres of scrambling terrain, the rocky ground gradually eased as I reached the summit plateau of Carnedd Dafydd (the highest mountain in Snowdonia that does not qualify as a Marilyn summit). From here, I followed a good path eastward, turning north to make the final ascent to Carnedd Llewelyn’s summit.

Setting up my VHF station at the summit, I enjoyed a particularly successful SOTA activation. The mountain’s impressive height and prominent position resulted in excellent radio propagation, allowing me to log 27 contacts. The highlight was completing six summit-to-summit (S2S) contacts with operators on various peaks across Wales and the Lake District, including GW/NW-043, GW/NW-006, GW/NW-040, G/LD-052, and G/LD-011.

After refreshments and time to soak in the panoramic views extending to the Irish Sea, I began my descent. Rather than retracing my steps, I headed northwest towards Yr Elen (962m) before following the path descending back toward Gerlan. The final section involved picking my way through boggy, marshy terrain once again.

This circuit makes for an exceptional day in the mountains, combining quality scrambling, magnificent views, and excellent SOTA prospects due to the mountain’s height and position. The route feels wonderfully remote - I didn’t encounter any other hikers until after completing the scrambling section. For experienced hillwalkers with scrambling confidence, this approach to Carnedd Llewelyn offers a far more satisfying adventure than the standard routes.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Carnedd Llewelyn on Sunday 27th June, 2021.

Walking Route for Carnedd Llewelyn

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Carnedd Llewelyn. The GW/NW-002 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 27 amateur radio contacts operating as MW1HAX/P from GW/NW-002 Carnedd Llewelyn on Sunday 27th June, 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 Carnedd Llewelyn:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/NW-002 Carnedd Llewelyn.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Carnedd Llewelyn.
• Google Maps Page for Carnedd Llewelyn.
• Wikipedia entry for Carnedd Llewelyn.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/NW-002 Carnedd Llewelyn.

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