GW/SW-008, Cefn yr Ystrad – 619m, 4 Points
We arrived at Pontsticill on the Sunday for the final three bonused summits in the SW region, Cefn yr Ystrad. Don’t underestimate this one. It looks easy enough on paper but there is no good track to the summit. A lot of the time you are off track micro navigating to find the next waypoint, especially if the visibility is poor.
After a short steep section at the start it’s onto the access land and out with the map and compass. Make whatever best use you can of the various tracks but none of them go where you want them to. Fortunately there is a trig point to mark the summit so you will know when (if?) you get there but the activation zone is pretty big if you don’t.
Arriving at the top, we set up on the trig point. It was a bit of a struggle but we did eventually manage to make four contacts to qualify it before setting off on the long walk back to the car.
GW/SW-008, Log
GW/SW-008, Journey Details
Date – 20th January 2019
Postcode – CF48 2UP
Parking – SO 060 114
Radio – Kenwood TH-D74
Antenna – MFJ 1714 LongRanger
Band – 144 FM
Contacts – 4
SOTA points – 4(+3)
Group – Myself + Richard
GW/SW-008, Walking Route Summary
GW/SW-008, Altitude Profile
GW/SW-004, Waun Rydd – 769m, 6 Points
It’s a short drive North to the car park for Waun Rydd.
Leaving the car it’s straight into a steep ascent to gain the ridge of Craig y Fan Ddu. Once on the top though it’s a very pleasant walk North for a few Km to reach the path down to the memorial site. There is no path up to the summit so the last section will require a bit of navigational skill to find the actual summit. There is a small rock cairn marking the spot about 50m North of the SOTA maps mark. We set up the station on the summit and despite the greater altitude we again struggled to get the contacts but did eventually manage the four required.
GW/SW-004, Log
GW/SW-004, Journey Details
Date – 20th January 2019
Postcode – CF48 2UT
Parking – SO 056 176
Radio – Kenwood TH-D74
Antenna – MFJ 1714 LongRanger
Band – 144 FM
Contacts – 4
SOTA points – 6(+3)
Group – Myself + Richard
GW/SW-004, Walking Route Summary
GW/SW-004, Altitude Profile
GW/SW-013, Tor y Foel – 551m, 2 Points
The last of the Brecons winter bonus summits for this year, Tor y Foel. This is a quick dash up the hill from the car, short but sweet. After the two long walks this day of 008 and 004 this would be a fitting finale.
Richard decided to sit this one out so I was off up the hill on my own. It didn’t take long to reach the top and set up the station. There is a good clear path straight to the top. Having expected this one to be difficult as it was the lowest of the day, it turned out to be the best one yet with seven contacts soon in the log.
GW/SW-013, Log
On the way down from Waun Rydd I had chased GW7HEM on the summit of Pen Y Fan, he told me he was heading over here as well. As I returned to the car he turned up in the car park, it’s always nice to meet another SOTA activator for real. Altogether a good end to another winter season in the Brecon Beacons.
GW/SW-013, Journey Details
Date – 20th January 2019
Postcode – LD3 7YP
Parking – SO 109 187
Radio – Kenwood TH-D74
Antenna – MFJ 1714 LongRanger
Band – 144 FM
Contacts – 7
SOTA points – 2(+3)
Group – Myself
GW/SW-013, Walking Route Summary
GW/SW-013, Altitude Profile
