| Waun Fach GW/SW-002 811m ASL SO 215300 |
| It took 90 minutes from parking the car to reach the summit, and it only looked like a 2 mile walk on the map. Waun Fach literally translates into "Small Moorland". It's about 4 km long, and is widest at the SOTA summit (about 1km). There is one path along the centre with no cairns or anything to aid navigation in hill fog. This summit has now been activated 6 times. For John (GW4BVE) and anyone else interested I took this route – I don't guarantee it's the best, but appeared to involve the least walking. I approached from the south, leaving the A465(T) (Hereford to Abergavenny) at Llanvihangel Crucorney and follow signs for Llanbedr. The road passes 600m north of the summit of GW/SW-026 Bryn Awr (1 point). Never been up that one so don't know if it's do-able from here. Just after Bryn Awr the road bears right into a dead end road signposted to Grwyne Fawr Reservoir, follow this road for approx 4 miles. I parked at SO248292 where a gate crosses the road and several hundred metres after the official signed car park. I crossed the stream by the gate and followed a well walked path between a stream and the northern fence of Mynydd Du Forest climbing from 450 to 800m. The ground rises steeply in places up to 60 degrees. At the top (on the moor at 800m) you're on your own – the path become less distinct. This is Gadair Fawr, and the ground changes from loam to black peat. There is what most people would suspect to be a Tumulus here with a small cairn on top, but the Welsh call Pen-y-Gadair Fawr which is undeniable. Unless in desperate need of a panoramic photo, save you energy by walking around it and proceed 2km North West through the boot sucking peat to the SOTA summit. I returned the same way. 73 Mike de G(W)0WZY |