Craig Cwm Silyn GW/NW-020

On the Nantlle Ridge

Craig Cwm Silyn GW/NW-020

19/09/2015

Having lived for many years below the Nantlle Ridge and with an intimate knowledge of the mountains of Snowdonia it was obvious that I seek the advice of Barry M0IML on my best approach to this summit as there are more than a few routes available.  His advice was to park the car at SH488 499 then head up along a faint grassy track on Braich y Llyn above Llyn Cwm Dulyn (marker stones in places) until you hit the wall at SH5075 4915 then keeping to the left of the wall work your way up (this is the worst bit) to the trig at Carnedd Coch.... 4.62km to summit.

My GPS track

Our route to Carnedd Coch (centre)- Llyn Cwm Dulyn right and Mynydd Craig Goch above it

 Marker stones on the track

Follow the wall to Carnedd Coch

Val avoiding the boulders...keep to the left of wall on the way up

 The Trig at Carnedd Coch..GW4VPX heading for the summit over the ladder stile

From the ruins of the trig it’s an easy walk to the summit of Craig Cwm Silyn which towers above  the village of Nantlle and Llyn Nantlle Uchaf....thanks Barry.

Our summit..centre

It was a glorious day but the Nantlle ridge creates a  climate of it’s own and Val and I were treated to some spectacular cloud movements from our circular cairn.

 Towards Moel Hebog

I kicked off on 2m as there was a line-up of s2s waiting to be logged .  With Jack first in the log I then had a bonus 10 s2s points from Simon on Snowdon,  John XOT on Cadair Berwyn GW/NW-012.  Then with  a quick ‘hello’ to John ZPL and to let him know that we were safe on summit I notified Barry that I was calling him on 60m...another s2s , a brief QSO then quickly back on 2m to answer David M0YDH’s calls from G/LD042 Low Fell in the Lake District. Thanks everybody...great fun.

11:08z	GM4COX/P	144MHz	FM	Jack s2s
11:10z	GW4TJC/P	144MHz	FM	Simon s2s
11:11z	MW0XOT/P	144MHz	FM	John s2s
11:16z	GW4ZPL/P	144MHz	FM	John
11:18z	M0IML/P	5MHz	SSB	Barry s2s
11:21z	M0YDH/P	144MHz	FM	David s2s

With a spot up for 60m I had a good run of chasers ending with Jack GM4COX/p calling me from GM/SS-165 Dungavel Hill and a brief QSO..as there were no more chasers I decided to spot myself for 40m.

11:26z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don IO70uv
11:27z	G3RMD	5MHz	SSB	Frank
11:28z	EI9GLB	5MHz	SSB	Jim
11:29z	G0HNW	5MHz	SSB	Paul
11:30z	G4AFI	5MHz	SSB	Andrew
11:30z	G7BGA	5MHz	SSB	Geoffrey
11:32z	GW2HFR	5MHz	SSB	Jonathan
11:33z	G8ADD	5MHz	SSB	Brian
11:34z	G4ZRP	5MHz	SSB	Brian
11:36z	GM4COX/P	5MHz	SSB	Jack s2s diff band

Nantlle below

As usual  40m was not working with only 4 chasers and one activator making the log. Barry called in just to give me a signal report with Sean MW3PZO booming in from Y Fron just down the road and Peter MM3PDM /M chasing my WAB square...thanks everybody.

11:45z	ON5SWA	7MHz	SSB	Francois
11:48z	M0IML/P	7MHz	SSB	Barry s2s diff band
11:48z	DK1WI	7MHz	SSB	Ed
11:48z	MW3PZO	7MHz	SSB	Sean
11:53z	MM3PDM/M	7MHz	SSB	Peter

Back on to 2m and a very good run of chasers with a few chats with many such as Neil and Karen, Derek and Simon who was still on Snowdon. A bonus 10 points was soon in the log with the gang on Scafell Pike G/LD-001 calling in so thank you Nick, Phil and Geoff.

12:00z	GW6DGU	144MHz	FM	Roy
12:03z	MW0JWP	144MHz	FM	John
12:04z	2E0TDX	144MHz	FM	Neil
12:05z	2E0XYL	144MHz	FM	karen
12:10z	GW4TJC/P	144MHz	FM	Simon
12:11z	EI9GLB	144MHz	FM	Jim diff band
12:11z	2W0RBW	144MHz	FM	Alan
12:14z	M6ANX	144MHz	FM	Peter
12:14z	2E0MIX	144MHz	FM	Derek
12:20z	G4OOE/P	144MHz	FM	Nick s2s
12:21z	G4OBK/P	144MHz	FM	Phil s2s
12:21z	2E0NON/P	144MHz	FM	Geoff s2s

GW4VPX/p on HF...Craig Cwm Silyn

Mindful that I still had to activate the trig at Carnedd Coch on the way back I spotted myself for 20m and had a good run of chasers including a Stateside contact and a couple into Russia. Quite a few familiar callsigns made my log but there were many which were new to me...I think I was on the DXCC cluster?   

12:29z	EB1IFK	14MHz	SSB	Santiago Creo
12:29z	EB7CIN	14MHz	SSB	Manuel
12:31z	EA7URS	14MHz	SSB
12:31z	SP9DPM	14MHz	SSB	Dariusz
12:34z	OM8AKX	14MHz	SSB	Peter
12:34z	ES5QD	14MHz	SSB	Vello
12:35z	OK1SDE	14MHz	SSB	Borek
12:36z	KA3RCS	14MHz	SSB	Karl
12:38z	R7AY	14MHz	SSB	Sergey
12:38z	EA7DZ	14MHz	SSB	Ferran
12:38z	EB7HQE	14MHz	SSB	Jesus Perez
12:39z	DL7MFD	14MHz	SSB	Dieter
12:39z	DG7ME	14MHz	SSB
12:42z	YA3GJA	14MHz	SSB
12:43z	OH1KFR/P	14MHz	SSB
12:43z	RV9DC	14MHz	SSB	Sergei

Time to pack up and make our way back to the trig.  It was a disappointing activation at the Trig (TP3318) but thanks Sean MW3PZO and Simon GW4TJC/P for responding on 2m. Simon was by now on Y Lliwedd GW/NW-008 so a few chaser points for me.  I gave a call on the WAB net calling frequency of 7.160 without any success until Andy GM8OEG/p came back with a trig to trig and a SOTA summit GM/ES-012..more chaser points..thanks Andy.

 Now where did I put the 817?...Carnedd Coch

GW4VPX/P on 2m...Carnedd Coch

 Cloud rolling in to hide Craig Cwm Silyn as we leave Carnedd Coch

Full zoom......the Welsh flag flying on Mynydd Craig Goch on our way down

My activation set up:-  (HF) Yaesu FT817 (5 watts),  4 band link dipole (60/40/20/15), (VHF) Yaesu FT270 (5watts) into a ‘cable tie’ dipole.. Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.

It had been an  exciting day to be on the Nantlle Ridge and activating a summit for SOTA...thanks everyone for the contacts....Mynydd Mawr GW/NW-026 report to follow tomorrow.

73 Allan GW4VPX