Given the success of Gaulfest 2024 last year, I thought I would make a start of organising Gaulfest 2025. I am hoping to take part in the Gaulfest 2025 as well, but no guarantees of this though weather if I don’t like the look of the weather on the day Gaulfest 2025 is due to take place, I certainly won’t be taking part.
Gaulfest is traditionally an event that takes place on one of the days between Christmas and New Year where SOTA activations take place either on a G/WB SOTA summit in the Shropshire area or on a GW/NW or on a GW/MW SOTA summit near to the England Wales border, afterwards we would meet up at Mr Bun The Baker in Church Stretton for coffee and cake.
Gaulfest 2025 will take place on either Saturday 27th December, Sunday 28th December, Monday 29th December or Tuesday 30th December. The actual Gaulfest 2025 date will be confirmed much nearer the time. We will need to check the weather forecast and see which of these mentioned dates has the best weather. Just wondering if anyone is up for taking part in Gaulfest 2025 and more importantly, is anyone up for a meet up at Mr Bun The Baker in Church Stretton afterwards?
Hi Jimmy, I was only thinking about this the other day. I’m definitely up for joining in on a hill and for a meet up after. I thoroughly enjoyed it last year!
And this time, rather than rushing round 3 summits for a grand total of nil points - as I neglected to remember I’d already activated them earlier in the year - I’m thinking I might take things a bit easier!
Just got back into my account so I could find out if Gaulfest was happening this year. We (G4HQB and Me) shall hopefully be able to join you….probably not if it’s Saturday. Fingers crossed there will be some nice weather on one of those dates…
I’ll probably just do Pole Bank as it’s the only summit of the Shropshire five I’m not a fan of driving to, and prefer a walk up from little/church stretton.
Wise move! Who can really say the enjoy driving up to the top of the Mynd… although I always think going down the Burway is worse as then you’re on the edge…
Edit, I should be able to come along. May do Caradoc (again)!
I agree re. the Burway! When I activated Pole Bank last week I chickened out of driving up it, so came in from the west via Shelve. 11 miles round trip to/from the Stiperstones car park to the little car park SE of Pole Bank.
I mightn’t bother with it next year, too much driving on narrow, bendy, rough roads & PB poor for vhf I’ve found.
73 all.
I did enjoy cycling the Burway, big slog! I did have a go at Asterton Bank the once (up to the glider club) but my front wheel started leaving the ground so I abandoned the idea
You havent lived unless driven in blizzard conditions.
I did it last in June after recently getting a new car which was an automatic. That had problems going up. Fortunately it has manual override so could keep in first.
Shame the event is a Monday as I will be working, I wouldn’t mind doing stiperstones again sometimes soon.
Asterton is as steep if not steeper I think, plus there are less passing place if you are driving, although hardly anyone uses it. I’ve also done it on a road bike. Once and that was enough. I particularly like the defibrillator in the phone box at the bottom, almost as if to say you might need it!
I dislike both the Asterton Bank and Burway routes on and off the Long Mynd. Asterton is avoided at all costs in both directions. Burway is OK going up, but coming down I would only do in good weather. The route from Bridges has much going for it - even if descending that way (the long way round) back to Church Stretton. That route still needs care and also features an exposed edge, but it’s less terrifying than the other two. I did drive down the Burway on last year’s Gaulfest, but I never look forward to it and always have the longer route round as an option in my mind if I don’t fancy it!
