Rhinog Fawr - GW/NW-023 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Saturday 16th October, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Rhinog Fawr, North Wales, Wales.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GW/NW-023 (6 points).
Summit Height: 720m elevation, 363m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 52.84181, -3.99544. Maidenhead Grid IO82au.
Also Activated: GW/NW-017, GW/NW-041, GW/NW-078.
Distance: 18.2km travelled with 1350m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T3.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 8hr 5m (incl. operating and other summit(s) on the same hike).
Weather: 11°C, moderate breeze, cloudy.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MW1HAX/P.
Contacts: 8 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Rhinog Fawr, at 720 metres, is perhaps the most imposing mountains in the Rhinogydd range of Snowdonia, North Wales. The name translates as “Great Rhinog,” and it certainly earns this title with its rugged profile and prominence of 363 metres. The mountain is characterised by steep, craggy slopes, extensive areas of heather, and large expanses of exposed rock. This combination creates a wild, almost primeval landscape that feels more remote and untamed than many other areas of Snowdonia. The summit rewards those who reach it with expansive views over the Irish Sea, the Lleyn Peninsula, and the surrounding peaks.

This activation formed the fourth and final part of my 18.2km circuit on October 16th, 2021, which had already taken me over Moelfre, Y Llethr, and Rhinog Fach. Having completed the highlight of the day, a SOTA activation of Rhinog Fach, I could clearly see my final objective to the north, its distinctive rocky profile unmistakable against the skyline.

The route between these two peaks began with a descent from Rhinog Fach, following faint footpaths over relatively straightforward terrain. However, upon reaching the valley floor by the Afon Cwmnantcol, conditions underfoot deteriorated. The terrain here became very overgrown and boggy, making progress slow and somewhat unpleasant. Looking for a way up Rhinog Fawr’s eastern flank, I followed a faint gully that required some brief scrambling and navigation of loose scree slopes to gain height on the steep ground.

This route choice, in retrospect, was not ideal. I had read about possible grade 1 scrambling opportunities heading north from where the path off Rhinog Fach had ended, but the route wasn’t clear to me at the time. If I were to repeat this circuit, I would recommend following the established Cambrian Way path as shown on Ordnance Survey maps to reach the summit. This would provide a more reliable and probably less arduous route up this formidable peak.

Once my improvised route rejoined the Cambrian Way, the final ascent to the summit of Rhinog Fawr was straightforward, and I soon arrived at the trig point marking the highest point. The views from here were spectacular, with the full panorama of the Rhinogydd stretching out to the south and the coastline visible to the west.

Setting up my usual Yaesu FTM100D radio, I enjoyed a productive SOTA activation. I made eight contacts on the 2-metre band, including a summit-to-summit (S2S) contact with Peter 2W1PJE/P who was operating from Moel Cynghorion (GW/NW-030) near Snowdon.
With my fourth activation of the day complete and 20 SOTA points secured, I began the final leg of my journey. The descent route took me westward across mostly pathless terrain for about 5 kilometres, gradually descending back to the car parking spot in Cwm Nantcol where I had started my ascent to Moelfre several hours earlier.

This challenging circuit through the Rhinogydd provided an excellent day’s walking and SOTA activating. The route is substantial and best attempted during the longer daylight hours of summer to avoid the need to descend in darkness. While I would recommend the circuit as a whole, I would advise readers to seek out the Cambrian Way path for the ascent of Rhinog Fawr rather than following my more awkward route through the valley.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Rhinog Fawr on Saturday 16th October, 2021.

Walking Route for Rhinog Fawr

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Rhinog 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-023 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 8 amateur radio contacts operating as MW1HAX/P from GW/NW-023 Rhinog Fawr on Saturday 16th October, 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 Rhinog Fawr:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GW/NW-023 Rhinog Fawr.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Rhinog Fawr.
• Google Maps Page for Rhinog Fawr.
• Wikipedia entry for Rhinog Fawr.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GW/NW-023 Rhinog Fawr.

If you found this content valuable, why not Buy Me a Coffee?