It’s not as if it wasn’t tall enough already but Snowdon has apparently gained a metre in height, according to amateur geologists!
We here at Snowdon.com like the iconic landmark so much that we named our whole website after it, but just like everyone else, it appears as if we didn’t know as much about it as we first thought. Three ramblers from North Wales and Cheshire have conducted their own ordnance survey with state-of-the-art technology and found that it stands at 1086m and not 1085m as first thought.
Being the spoilsports that they are, the OS will not be altering their official maps to reflect the new height but a plinth that was erected in 2009 now shows the changes. John Barnard, Graham Jackson and Myrddyn Phillips are the three analysts and have measured over 180 summits in total!
Mr Hughes, 53, said: ‘Our survey of Snowdon accumulated six hours of data which was later post-processed using Ordnance Survey state of the art software, which gave a result of 1085.67m, which is rounded up to 1,086m.
‘This result means that the highest part of the natural summit which is now buried under the summit plinth is approximately 1084.8m high or 1.085m.
‘So although the natural bedrock and the Ordnance Survey map height of 1085m will remain the same, it means that all those thousands of hill walkers who struggle up what they think is a mountain of 1085m in height are in effect climbing one extra metre and arriving at the top of Snowdon peering out on a land that is 1086m below them.’
Snowdon isn’t the first peak in North Wales that the trio have re-analysed as they previously put Mynydd Graig Coch up to 2000ft from its initial 1998ft. They have also quite impressively been responsible from upgrading two hills to full mountain status! Not bad going for a hobby at all.
Black Boy Inn hotel in Snowdonia is an old welsh Inn that provides comfortable accommodation and excellent pub, restaurant food and drink.
“Snowdonia Panorama” by www.flickr.com/photos/adrian_kingsley-hughes, license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0 – 17/10/2014
