Tryfan - GW/NW-006 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Monday 28th June, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Tryfan, North Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/NW-006 (8 points).
Summit Height: 918m elevation, 191m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 53.11490, -3.99749. Maidenhead Grid IO83ac.
Also Activated: GW/NW-003.
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: 7 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Tryfan stands as one of the most distinctive mountains in Britain, rising to 918 metres in the Ogwen Valley of Snowdonia. Its jagged, rocky profile is instantly recognisable, with the summit crowned by two large monoliths known as Adam and Eve. According to tradition, those brave enough to leap between these stones gain the “Freedom of Tryfan.” Unlike most mountains in Wales, Tryfan cannot be readily ascended without using one’s hands, making it a true scrambler’s mountain.

This Summits on the Air activation formed part of a 12.7-kilometre circuit that would also include Glyder Fawr (GW/NW-003), collectively worth 18 SOTA points. I began my adventure from Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite, where I had pitched my tent for a few days of Snowdonia hill tourism.

From the campsite, I initially headed towards Tryfan Bach (Little Tryfan), a popular climbing slab that serves as a handy warm-up before tackling the main peak. Here, I soloed Second Chimney Crack, a grade 2 scrambling route, which provided an exciting start to the day. After descending back round to the main path, I headed west to join the Heather Terrace Path on Tryfan.

The Heather Terrace Path contours around the eastern flank of Tryfan, offering excellent views across the area. This relatively straightforward trail serves as the launching point for numerous climbing and scrambling routes up the east face. I followed this path for much of its length before circling back to tackle the south face of Tryfan.

The ascent via the South Ridge involves following intermittent paths interspersed with large boulders and rocks that require scrambling over. While this is technically a grade 1 scramble and considered the easiest route to the summit, it still requires competent route-finding and movement. As I gained height, visibility temporarily dropped when clouds enveloped the summit.

Fortunately, the clouds cleared as I reached the summit, revealing spectacular panoramic views across Snowdonia. The summit was busy with numerous hikers, many of whom had ascended via the popular North Ridge route. The iconic Adam and Eve stones were attracting the usual crowd of adventurous souls considering the famous leap.

For this SOTA activation, I travelled light with just my Yaesu VX6 handheld radio (5 watts) equipped with a Diamond SRH770S antenna. Despite the modest equipment, the excellent elevation allowed me to make seven contacts on the 2-metre band without difficulty, quickly qualifying the summit for eight SOTA points.

After enjoying the summit views and completing my activation, I continued my circuit by descending via the South Ridge, taking a slightly different line from my ascent route. Ahead lay Bristly Ridge and the day’s second objective, Glyder Fawr, with their rocky outlines clearly visible against the sky.

Tryfan exemplifies perhaps the best of Snowdonia mountain scenery and offers a genuine mountain adventure rather than just a walk. However, it demands respect - many accidents have occurred here and mountain rescue teams are frequently called to assist stranded people. Proper navigation skills, some scrambling experience, and appropriate equipment are essential for safely enjoying this magnificent mountain.

Photos

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

Walking Route for Tryfan

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Tryfan. 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-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 7 amateur radio contacts operating as MW1HAX/P from GW/NW-006 Tryfan 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 Tryfan:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/NW-006 Tryfan.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Tryfan.
• Google Maps Page for Tryfan.
• Wikipedia entry for Tryfan.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/NW-006 Tryfan.

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