Bryn Arw - GW/SW-026 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Sunday 19th September, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Bryn Arw, South Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/SW-026 (1 point).
Summit Height: 384m elevation, 156m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 51.88046, -3.01609. Maidenhead Grid IO81lv.
Distance: 3.5km travelled with 190m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T1.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 1hr 5m (including operating).
Weather: 15°C, gentle breeze, partially sunny.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 4 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Bryn Arw is a modest hill in the Black Mountains of South Wales, standing at 384 metres in height. It lies just north of Abergavenny and is notably less frequented than its more prominent neighbour, Sugar Loaf. The hill is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its rich heathland habitat, which supports a diverse range of flora and fauna. Despite its relatively unassuming height, it offers great views of the surrounding Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains.

This activation was part of a three-summit day in South Wales on 19th September 2021, which also included Sugar Loaf and Graig Syfyrddin. Taking advantage of its proximity to Sugar Loaf, I approached Bryn Arw from the western side, using the same car park at Fro that I had used earlier for my Sugar Loaf ascent.

The walk began by following a farm access road along a public right of way. After about 250 metres, I reached a metal gate providing access to farmland on the lower slopes of the mountain. It’s worth noting that this next section does not follow a public right of way and is not on designated access land. However, the well-maintained pedestrian gates and clearly trodden ground suggested that the landowner is accustomed to walkers passing through.

After crossing into the next field, I rejoined the public right of way route, which led onto the open access land surrounding the summit. From here, I headed northwest, but found myself struggling at times to find a clear route through the dense ferns that carpeted the hillside.

Upon reaching a bend in the stone wall, I reached a more obvious footpath heading east up to the summit. The summit area itself is rather featureless, with no trig point or cairn to mark the highest point. I simply set up my SOTA radio station sitting on the grassy path at what appeared to be the highest point.

Using my Yaesu FTM100D with the MFJ-1714 antenna, I made four brief contacts on the 2-metre band, working Lee MW7EJH, Matt MX0WOF, Ryan M7HFD/M, and Adrian GW1BXX. With the activation complete, I packed away my equipment and prepared for the descent.

For the return journey, I retraced my steps back through the dense ferns, completing the 3.5km circuit in just over an hour.

While this route to Bryn Arw benefits from using the same parking location as nearby Sugar Loaf, making it convenient to hike both hills sequentially without having to relocate, the overgrown ferns around the base of the mountain did not make for a particularly pleasant walking experience. I strongly suspect an approach from the northern side would benefit from more established footpaths and probably offer a more enjoyable ascent.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Bryn Arw on Sunday 19th September, 2021.

Walking Route for Bryn Arw

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Bryn Arw. The GW/SW-026 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-026 Bryn Arw on Sunday 19th September, 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 Bryn Arw:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/SW-026 Bryn Arw.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Bryn Arw.
• Google Maps Page for Bryn Arw.
• Wikipedia entry for Bryn Arw.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/SW-026 Bryn Arw.

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