Wales - October 2013 Trip - Day One: 2. GW/SW-016 Ysgyrd Fawr

Fifteen minutes after leaving our car park place for SW-020 Graig Syfyrddin we were parked up in a lay-by on the B4521 two miles north east of Abergavenny.

We then set off on the lovely path up to the sandstone hill called Ysgyrd Fawr (The Skirrid) - the most easterly outlyer in the Brecon Beacons. The National Trust bought the 486m high hill and the surrounding  land in 1939. The climb is steep once you enter the woodland but eases up as you approach the summit. It took us 40 minutes to reach the top. 

Once there we set up my VHF 2m transceiver and dipole and completed 11 contacts. The greatest distance worked at 141 Km (88m) was a contact with with Don G0RQL near Holsworthy in Devon. The views were outstanding from the summit as the sun started to set. We left the summit at 5.30 pm and it took 32 minutes to reach the car. 

Phil & Geoff on Ysgyrd Fawr where they operated as GW4OBK/P and MW6PYG/P

We set off back to the English Border for a meal at The Red Lion, a country pub at Stifford's Bridge near to Cradley where Geoff M6PYG / 2E0NON lives.

2 Summits: Distance walked 3.7 miles 1350 ft ascent