Tryfan - GW/NW-006 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Sunday 26th September, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Tryfan, North Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/NW-006 (0 points).
Summit Height: 918m elevation, 191m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 53.11490, -3.99749. Maidenhead Grid IO83ac.
Distance: 7.1km travelled with 645m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T6 / Grade 3 Scramble.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 5hr 5m (including operating).
Weather: 12°C, strong gusts, heavy rain, mist.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu VX6, Diamond SRH770S.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 7 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Tryfan is one of the most iconic mountains in Snowdonia, North Wales, standing at 918 metres. Its distinctive jagged profile makes it instantly recognisable from miles around, particularly when viewed from the A5 road running through the Ogwen Valley. Unlike many mountains in the area, there is no easy walking route to the summit - all approaches involve at least some scrambling, with the famous Adam and Eve stones at the summit offering a challenge for those brave enough to leap between them.

This would be my fourth time climbing Tryfan, the second time in 2021, having previously ascended via the South Ridge in June. For this activation, I chose to tackle the mountain via the Heather Terrace path and then up the Bastow Buttress Variant, a grade 3 scrambling route. I was accompanied by my climbing friend Adrian, and given the technical nature of the route and poor weather forecast, we carried a rope and traditional climbing gear.

We began our ascent from the conveniently located Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite, which provides excellent access to the eastern side of the mountain. Despite hoping for pleasant late September weather, we were met with low cloud, intermittent rain, and wet rock underfoot - less than ideal conditions for scrambling on exposed terrain.

After locating the start point of the scramble a short distance up the Heather Terrace path, we commenced our ascent. The route begins with a bridging move up a slanted groove past a chockstone to gain the rocky rib heading up the mountain. As we progressed, we encountered various options offering different difficulties. Research beforehand had informed us that the lefthand rib would provide some Diff-grade climbing, offering an opportunity to practice gear placement and multipitch ropework techniques.

While the scrambling is intermittent, the route certainly deserves its three-star rating. Throughout our ascent, we were mostly alone on this side of the mountain, though we could hear considerable noise from above. Upon topping out and gaining the main North Ridge path, we discovered the source: a large party of at least 30 people noisily struggling to make their way along the standard route from the northern side.

Continuing along the lower East Traverse path around The North Tower, we encountered three walkers who were disoriented in the poor visibility and contemplating abandoning their summit attempt. After a brief conversation, I offered to guide them to the summit. As a group, we ascended the large gully to regain the North Ridge route and proceeded to follow the main route to the top.

At the summit, I quickly set up my Yaesu VX6 handheld with the Diamond SRH770S antenna for a brief Summits on the Air activation. I made seven contacts on 2-metres FM, including a satisfying summit-to-summit contact with Paul G4IPB/P, who was operating from the top of Grayrigg Forest (G/LD-038) in the Lake District.

For our descent, we selected a route down the South Ridge, arriving at Bwlch Tryfan, and then descended into Cwm Tryfan before walking through the valley back to the campsite.

The Bastow Buttress Variant route provided a challenging yet rewarding alternative approach to Tryfan’s summit. Despite the poor weather conditions, it offered a more adventurous experience than the standard routes. I’d certainly like to repeat this grade 3 scramble in drier conditions, perhaps without the need for climbing equipment next time.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Tryfan on Sunday 26th September, 2021.

Walking Route for Tryfan

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Tryfan. 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 Sunday 26th 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 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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