Gentlemen,

It's a pity there's so little published information on this - the Clwyd-Powys people are sure it's within a few feet (at worst) of an confirmed site, although Coflein won't commit. As a result my field notes were based predominately upon folk memory gained from talking to local farmers and elderly walkers over the past 20 years or so - my sister was involved in the local archaeological scene and has always had an interest, shall we say. Also the fact that the peak is known as Carn Pica, signifying a long-standing folk memory, not to mention nearby Pen-y-Fan, Corn Du and Cribyn (at least) possessing confirmed funerary monuments.

In short it seems the current cairn - which was given a thorough rebuild in 2007 (I gather by the local TA or equivalent, but haven't confirmed this) - has been in existence as far back as anyone I've talked to can recall - that is before recreational walkers began to venture up here in any numbers. Therefore I wouldn't have thought describing it as a 'walker's cairn' holds much water and I can't envisage a shepherd toiling to build something this significant simply for navigation.. having visited nearly every 600m summit in Wales, that is.

Apparently there's been an ongoing problem with the cairn being damaged - I assume by the ever increasing numbers of walkers - over the years and subsequently repaired, which could well account for a slight drift in position? To be honest I think it's pretty conclusive that some significant ritual significance was attached to this mountain top in antiquity. It would have been pretty unusual had it not, given the context, so I would conclude the odds on the current structure being simply the latest incarnation of the original being very good indeed.

Having said that perhaps all this is missing the point and it is the mountain itself which is, after all, the authentic ritual site, just as the bend in the Boyne dominates what are, after all, somewhat fanciful modern reconstructions of chambered cairns - albeit fully excavated and documented ones. I'll post the remainder of the stuff I have and hopefully a local can take up the baton on this one. Don't envisage me hauling myself up there again in the near future. We'll see.

Cheers gents.