Birthday Present

Nothing to be gobsmacked about Mark, it’s good to share a common goal :smiley:

I’m not the fastest, about 5km walk in, 350m total ascent it’ll take me around 1hr 45min to do that… be warned - I may need to fit you with a ball and chain…

You’re welcome to take HF CW I won’t be fighting you over that one!

Most difficult bit will be juggling schedules, the next few weeks are a bit busy all round for both Gerald and myself I’ll see how the man himself is fixed and we’ll see if we can sort a date out from that. Let’s hope he doesn’t chase it before we have a chance to get up there :-s

73 de Paul G4MD

This is one reason why I am tending to do ‘one person’ activations. My current fitness levels, or rather lack of them, would embarrass me if I were with other, fitter, people.

Common law of the mountains Dave - you travel only as fast as the slowest person. I would not be embarassed on account of a lack of fitness. We are all different (size, shape, weight, etc), we lead different lifestyles and have different amounts of time to put to the pursuit of fitness. Let the fit boast - it means nothing. What matters is what you achieve at a level that is relevant to you.

Neil 2M0NCM wasn’t at all embarassed when I dragged him around Galloway in September 2013. :wink:

73, Gerald G4OIG

P.S. I can certainly recommend finding someone of like mind when going out activating… and to that end, the speed of ascent is entirely irrelevant.

Thursday 19th July 2018 - Cadair Berwyn GW/NW-012

I made myself unavailable for supply teaching so as to be able to spend my birthday on the hills. Mind you, if a gig had come in, I would have found that irresistible - but it didn’t. I tried to get to bed at a decent hour on the Wednesday night, but all to no avail, and I still hadn’t nodded off after 2am. I realised that my 5am alarm setting was now moving into the “stupidity” category, and reset it for 7am.

When I awoke with the alarm, I was initially assuming my plans would have to change. Marianne had booked a local restaurant for 6.30pm that evening, so a daytrip to Greater Oswestry would surely not be viable - or would it? I did a bit of a schedule calculation in my head and realised it was still on, if I didn’t muck about.

Only thing was, I was now in the prime morning rush hour time bracket. However, the M56 was pretty clear all the way, and I was in the car park at Tan-y-Pistyll before 10am. A lady came out from the cafe to collect my parking money of £4. I could have parked for free a few hundred yards before the cafe, but I was happy to cough up for ultimate convenience. Since my last visit (excuse the pun), there is now a prison-style high metal railings enclosure completely around the toilet block, complete with turnstiles requiring 20p to activate. The mathematician in me started calculating how many 20p’s would be required to recoup the cost of the railings, less the reduced vandalism savings. Then I had a word with myself, grabbed my pack and poles, and made a start!

I started by ascending to near the top of the waterfall, then joining the wider track that comes up from the valley. Shortly after this, a surprisingly faint and narrow path leads off uphill on the grass. I knew the route though, having been this way a few times before. I had forgotten how many false summits there were though, and kept anticipating the route to level off on the ridge - only to be frustrated! I wasn’t carrying a map - perhaps if I was, I wouldn’t have kept suffering from these false expectations!

As I started to climb up Moel Sych, I surveyed the spur of the land off to the right for a possible descent route. I always enjoy the long path along the side of the valley back to the cafe, but not so much getting across to it, curling around above Llyn Lluncaws. The main path here goes far too close to a high edge with sheer deep drops for my liking, forcing me to walk on the long grass a few yards to the side, which isn’t so great underfoot.

Anyway the summit quickly got closer from here, and I was soon selecting my spot for setting up, right on the actual true summit. This was quite rare for me to set up here - normally, it has been too windy at this spot, or I was overnight wild camping, but today it was perfectly still, and I was only daytripping.

I set myself an approximate 1.30pm deadline for packing away, bearing in mind that evening’s restaurant booking. I’d made it to the summit by 1pm, so I had enough time, albeit not “plenty”. This being a selfish birthday activation, I just went for my current favourite working conditions. On 20m FT8, I made five QSOs, at least three of whom were known chasers responding to the self-spot on SOTAwatch. There were a few others who called as well, but from who I didn’t RX anything further after calling them - so they were NIL.

Operating on FT8 was pretty cool as it allowed simultaneous consumption of soup, which for today was a new one from Baxters - Fiery Fish Bisque. Very nice too. It was on special multibuy offer at Waitrose in Sandbach, so there was more bought in ready for the following week’s trip to Snowdonia with Jimmy M0HGY.

Before packing up, I called out on 2m C4FM (Fusion), and worked Gary M0XGS in Westhoughton (near Bolton). Despite a self-spot on SOTAwatch, and a note on the North West Fusion Facebook Group, there were no more takers, so I quickly tidied up and commenced my descent.

I managed to get myself through the section above Llyn Lluncaws that I never look forward to, and onto the lovely path along the glacial valley that I always do! I reached the car at 3.15pm - brilliant, all on schedule to be home in plenty of time for a shower before going out for dinner. Unfortunately, someone had had a big smash on the M56 just before the M6 interchange causing a one hour delay. I got past that and was about to exit at Lymm, just 30 minutes from home, when two coppers waved me to the left, forcing me onto the M6 North. Disaster! This meant going up over the Thelwall Viaduct to J21 and turning back there - and both sides were badly congested - another hour lost!

Ultimately, I had to just go straight to the restaurant and meet the family there. I was glad I’d taken a change of clothes with me and had changed at the Tan-y-Pistyll car park after my walk! The shower would have to wait until I got home after dinner though.

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Gosh! As long ago as that??!! Yes I enjoyed that wee dauner and you pecking (pun intended :roll_eyes:) behind me.

You may be a lot fitter in the last 3 years - I ain’t, but as mentioned the group should adjust to the slower walker. Only bad habit I notice with faster walkers while stopping for the slower one is, when the last catches up the faster ones head off again straight away not giving the slow one to catch a breath forcing them to carry on and ultimately not enjoy their hike which usually ends up with them giving up hiking.
I always wait until the slow one catches up and THEY say ok let’s go.

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Hi Neil,

The principle that you set out should be THE standard. Paul and I have always worked to that and where there is a question as to some aspect of the walk, we always establish agreement on it before proceeding. If we can’t agree, then we don’t do it.

This year will be our 11th of joint activations and to my mind the principles of respect and consideration lead to a long and lasting relationship. Many thanks Paul - I am really looking forward to more JAs once my “repair” is complete.

73, Gerald G4OIG

On my last adventure around G/LD014/ LD005 /LD001 I seen a few examples of people giving up with there friends trying to encourage them on anytime they caught up there friends were off again.

I always carry a bag of sweets this time it was foxes glacier mints and always pass a few out to few people sat down admiring the view, you would be surprised how much of a smile it brings to there face.

73
Graeme