Glyder Fawr - GW/NW-003 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Monday 28th June, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Glyder Fawr, North Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/NW-003 (10 points).
Summit Height: 1001m elevation, 642m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 53.10147, -4.02916. Maidenhead Grid IO73xc.
Also Activated: GW/NW-006.
Distance: 12.7km travelled with 980m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T5 / Grade 2 Scramble.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 8hr 55m (incl. operating and other summit(s) on the same hike).
Weather: 20°C, 9 mph NW wind, 84% humidity.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu VX6, Diamond SRH770S.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 20 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Glyder Fawr stands as the highest peak in the Glyderau range, reaching 1,001 metres above sea level. Its summit area is characterized by an otherworldly landscape of shattered rock formations and precariously balanced stones. On a clear day, this magnificent mountain offers panoramic views of Snowdon, Tryfan, and the Ogwen Valley below.

This activation formed the second part of my circuit hike, continuing from Tryfan which I had already summited earlier in the day. From Tryfan’s summit, I descended the South Ridge towards Bwlch Tryfan (the col between Tryfan and the Glyders), with the imposing outline of Bristly Ridge - my chosen ascent route to the Glyders - looming ahead.

Upon reaching Bwlch Tryfan, I made my way to the base of Sinister Gully, the left-hand gully that provides the start of the Bristly Ridge scramble. It’s important to note this is not to be confused with the harder and looser Dexter’s Gully to the right, which presents a more serious challenge. Climbing Sinister Gully requires careful movement on sometimes loose rock, with a tricky section where you need to move out left onto a ledge that leads to the top of the gully.

Once out of the gully, the scrambling continues along the ridge itself, navigating around and over a series of rocky pinnacles (the “Bristles”) that give the ridge its name. The Great Pinnacle Gap presents another memorable section where the route threads between impressive rock towers. This Grade 2 scramble demands confident movement on exposed terrain and good route-finding skills but rewards with thrilling positions and exceptional views.

Eventually, the scrambling eases as the ridge broadens out, and I joined the Cambrian Way footpath that traverses the plateau. From here, the walking becomes less technical as I headed towards Y Gwyliwr and the summit of Glyder Fach. Along this section, I passed the famous Cantilever Stone - a massive balanced rock formation that’s popular for photographs - and the spiky rock towers of Castell y Gwynt (Castle of the Winds).

Continuing westward across the rocky plateau, I reached the summit of Glyder Fawr, surrounded by its sea of shattered rocks. The summit area offers plenty of space for setting up radio equipment, with numerous rocks providing various options for shelter from the elements. I positioned myself to escape the strong, cold wind that was sweeping across the exposed summit.

For this activation, I continued using my lightweight Yaesu VX6 handheld with Diamond SRH770S antenna rather than my usual heavier Yaesu FTM100D setup. Despite the minimal equipment, the exceptional elevation provided excellent propagation conditions. I made 20 contacts on the 2-metre band, including stations in the Republic of Ireland and a summit-to-summit contact with Dave GW8NZN/P who was operating from Foel Goch (GW/NW-054).

After completing the activation and taking time to absorb the sensational mountain scenery, I began my descent. Rather than returning via Bristly Ridge, I headed back towards Glyder Fach before descending eastward on the miners' track that winds down through Cwm Tryfan. This route eventually returned me to the Ogwen Valley and back to Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite where I had started the day.

This circuit combining Tryfan and Glyder Fawr via Bristly Ridge represents one of the classic mountaineering routes in Snowdonia. While technically challenging and physically demanding, it offers an outstanding mountain experience for those with appropriate scrambling skills and a head for heights.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Glyder Fawr on Monday 28th June, 2021.

Walking Route for Glyder Fawr

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Glyder 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/NW-003 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 20 amateur radio contacts operating as MW1HAX/P from GW/NW-003 Glyder Fawr on Monday 28th 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 Glyder Fawr:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/NW-003 Glyder Fawr.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Glyder Fawr.
• Google Maps Page for Glyder Fawr.
• Wikipedia entry for Glyder Fawr.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/NW-003 Glyder Fawr.

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