A midweek message from @GW4BML: How about a trip up Aran Fawddwy GW/NW-007 and Glasgwm GW/NW-015 with a super early start to allow for more family time over the long weekend.
That conveniently meant we could try DX to Australasia again… We settled on Friday and following a quick note on the reflector, arranged a long path attempt to contact Andrew @VK1AD on a summit down under.
We started left GW4BML’s HQ at 4.30am and were parked up ready to get cracking at 5.30 am. An extra early start to make sure we summited before the 8am sunset deadline in Australia.
We made a good start but the final third of the mountain took its toll. Aran Fawddwy is underrated; it is the 10th highest mountain in England and Wales and the final third was a slog; clag, wet snow conditions and a rocky summit made it treacherous! We had to stop to put our winter gear on, including convincing Shadow the cocker spaniel to don the orange jump suite of shame, as it was close to freezing.
Once on the summit Ben quickly threw up an EFHW, while Tim worked 20m with a 1/4w vertical. Sadly I missed a S2S with @VK1AD by a few minutes but I did manage to pick out an Aussie accent in a huge 20m pile up (Alot of interest in this summit from Europe at 8am !!!). This proved that the 14m Long path was open to Australia again! 24 in the log for @GW4BML on 40m and 29 for @G5OLD on 20m.
Summit of Aran Fawddwy, 10th Highest in England and Wales.
After about 30 minutes on the summit we headed off to Glasgwm, via a superb ridge which we got to enjoy as the weather cleared.
Around an hour later we summited GlasGwm, threw the antennas up and I worked 40m with 34 QSO’s while Ben focused on CW on 60m with 8 contacts.
Summit of Glasgwm
Ben had brought a stove and then made some Lunch (well it was more like a late breakfast) which certainly got the spaniel on his best behaviour.
Food is clearly better than playing radios…
After about 45 mins on the summit we headed for the descent back to the car. A fine trip, 6h30 very enjoyable.
A quick 2m QSO
And a (GW5OLD) Epilogue:
On the way home I decided to stop and do a quick activation of the Black Mountain GW/SW-041 . Except it wasn’t quick: 10m was on fine form, working the US, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Wales and Greece with great signal reports. 10m really was superb and turned a quick activation into a rather nippy 40 minutes on this exposed summit.
Thanks to everyone who chased.
Tim GW5OLD, Ben GW4BML
but we managed it. Looking forward to the next.
