400 Is The Magic Number For Welsh Hill Walkers

A serious challenge is being made to Welsh Hill Walkers by walking enthusiast Myrddyn Phillips of Welshpool, Powys. He has identified what he believes is the definitive list of every hill in Wales that has a height between 400 - 499m (1,312 - 1,637ft). They have been nicknamed “The Pedwars” after the Welsh word for four, and so far it is suggested that only one person has climbed all 447 of them.

Proving that metrication is a blessing after all, Mr. Phillips said, "The list is a tool to get people out into the beautiful and varied wild places in these crowded islands, in all weathers, to encounter fascinating wildlife and stunning views." Such outings lead to memories that last a lifetime."

Giving such peaks nicknames seems to be a national pastime, with Munros in Scotland being mountains with a height of more than 914m (3,000 ft). A Marilyn is a peak that rises above other hillsides around it by at least 150m.

You also have the Hewitts and Nuttalls - peaks that reach 610m (2,000 ft) with relative heights to other summits of at least 30m and 15m, and the Deweys are peaks reaching above 500m (1,600 ft).
"The Pedwars can be seen as a natural extension," suggests Mr Phillips. "Anyone who has climbed all the Pedwars, Deweys and Hewitts in Wales (a very considerable undertaking) will have gained an intimate knowledge of all the upland areas in the country."

Step forward Rob Woodall, who is cited by Mr. Phillips as being the first known person to have completed the Pedwars. Identifying the list of Welsh Pedwars has been a massive undertaking and labour of love, especially as each hill name had to be fully investigated and researched. Early maps and local farmers were prime sources used by Aled Williams who has been the Welsh language and place name adviser.

"Research into the names of the Pedwars proved a great challenge. As well as the 447 hills in the main list, there are another 270 hills in three sub-lists," he explained.  "So with over 700 hill names to research and analyse for their composition, any free time I've had for the last few months has been spent either walking the hills or doing research into their names."

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