GI SOTA reports

Knockiveagh GI/MM-016

From Cross Slieve GI/AH-011, it was a long drive of 80 miles, via Ballymena, Antrim, Lisburn and Banbridge, to the vicinity of Rathfriland in deepest County Down.

We were now into bonus territory, with the GI/AH summits completed ahead of schedule, and with nearly two full days left to do more. I had originally alerted for GI/CA-001 Slieve Gullion and GI/CA-003 Carrigatuke, but we now had an opportunity to take on more summits if we could pick them strategically. At the back of my mind, I harboured secret ambitions for Northern Ireland’s highest summit Slieve Donard GI/MM-001 and its neighbour Slieve Commedagh GI/MM-002 for tomorrow, our final day. But let’s see what we can do today first, I figured.

Our original target for Knockiveagh was the car park, shown on the OSNI 1:50,000 sheet at J179376. Jimmy navigated us successfully to that point, but it was clear that there was no access to the land or the hill from there. We drove around to Edenagarry, from where a track up the hill is indicated on the map. Indeed, this was a tarmac road up to a control facility for an underground reservoir. We parked in a pull-in close to this, and then walked from here continuing to follow the tarmac road. This started to spiral upwards and inwards towards the summit, which we reached to find a fine trig point surrounded by bushes.

It was approaching half-past two in the afternoon, and I wanted to do two summits after this one in the day! So, with this in mind, I went for a 2m HH RSS activation for MM-016. This worked out rather well, with some pleasing DX into EI - County Monaghan, a fair old distance away, and also into Strabane, County Derry (GI, but on EI border). Three other, nearer GI stations were worked, as our plan for a rapid unique-bagging operation bore fruit.

We were back down at the car within ten minutes, and driving southwards to Gruggandoo GI/MM-013.

Tom M1EYP

Gruggandoo GI/MM-013

From Knockiveagh GI/MM-016, it was south to Rathfriland on the B10 and continuing towards Rostrevor on the B25. However, just after Hilltown, we turned right onto the Mullaghgariff Road which climbed high into this range of western outliers of the Mournes. Jimmy, with the OSI Road Atlas of Ireland, and the OSNI Mournes 1:25,000 sheet (a rare 1:25,000 map in GI!) on his lap, carefully counted the tracks striking off into the hills until identifying the one we required.

There was enough space to pull the car in at the side of the road near the start of the track, and then it was simply a case of walking up said track. We tried a left at the T-junction at J196258, but backtracked a few minutes later realising this to be non-starter. The other direction, while dropping initially, soon bent around to set up a logical final approach to the summit, and the fence to be crossed had a tiny gate in it that could be stepped over.

It was quite nice on the summit, decent weather and a cracking view across to the main cluster of the Mourne Mountains. That is where we intended to be tomorrow.

Although it was after 5pm local, I knew that the intended last summit of the day - Carrigatuke GI/CA-003 - was only a short and trivial walk, so I decided there was time and opportunity to set up for 80m. Jimmy sent the spot while I prepared the dipole antenna.

A good run was enjoyed on 3.557MHz CW with 13 stations worked. Also heard calling, but not worked successfully, were ON4ON and F5NEP. Jimmy then had a decent run of ten contacts on 3.660MHz SSB, and I tied the ribbons with a single 80m SSB contact with Phil G4OBK.

We left the summit before 6pm local BST, and were back at the car with another twenty minutes. Physically, this was turning out to be a useful and appreciated “rest day”, even though it contained four unique summits. Since returning home, I was surprised to discover that this summit had never been activated before, so I had the pleasant bonus of picking up my first “first activation” for many years!

Back in the car, we headed over to Carrigatuke GI/CA-003 on the opposite side of the city of Newry.

Tom M1EYP

Carrigatuke GI/CA-003

After Gruggandoo GI/MM-013, we took the B8 into Newry, exiting the city on the A25. Jimmy commented on how this part of Northern Ireland “looked very different” to the Northern Ireland he was used to. Certainly, there were Irish republican tricolours - the version with gold instead of orange - flying in abundance, and lampposts emblazoned with two feet high cardboard letters stating “IRA”. While driving, my car radio churned up another new radio station - Down FM 105.0 - in pre-launch mode.

Soon, high on our left was Camlough Mountain GI/CA-002, but reportedly inaccessible due to military activity and/pr lack of public access. However, interestingly, Wikipedia states “Camlough is at the foot of its own mountain and at the top on a good day, one of the finest views in South Armagh” - so perhaps hope remains.

Beyond Newtownhamilton, it was only a couple of miles on the A29 before our right turn, which was actually signposted for Carrigatuke. The road up didn’t lead us to expect we were heading to a beauty spot; it was more indicative of an access road to a council tip!

I pulled the car in and first discovered another new radio station - Ocean Sound 102.5 from County Longford. We walked the rest of the way to the summit, beyond the car park barrier and over to a corner of a wire fence which seemed to be a useful activation point. I slotted the pole into the fence, and then ran the 80m dipole legs out more or less at right-angles to each other, following the edges of the car park. We bedded down under the trig point, using it to shelter from the ever-present wind, and opened up on 3.557MHz CW.

It seems all were aware of where I was going to be. Indeed, I had mentioned to Phil G4OBK “We are doing one more today, in about two hours” when I closed on SSB on Gruggandoo GI/MM-013. Phil had spread the word, and I worked 25 stations on CW in just 32 minutes. 10 DXCCs worked were G, GM, GW, GI, EI, DL, F, HB, OK and LA. Jimmy took over on 3.660MHz SSB, and worked four stations in four minutes, following which the frequency was empty. His incoming reports were not terrific, indicating that his chasers were struggling with the QRM.

QRT at 8.35pm, and now in darkness. We packed up swiftly, and wasted no time marching down to the car. A quick scan around the car radio brought in Country Mix 106.8 from Dublin, and we were driving away by 9.05pm. We must have been feeling over-satisfied with our four-summit day, for we continued on the A29 at Newtownhamilton, not realising our mistake until the mileages for Dundalk and Dublin were getting successively lower! Our escape route was the B30 back up to Newry, which led us to a chippy in Silverbridge. Fish and chips twice was enjoyed in the car, before we got back to the business of driving back up to Larne. Which was a long, long way away to the North! We arrived back at Grandad Jimmy’s place on the stroke of midnight. What a long day for four easy summits!

But, although we had given up on Slieve Gullion GI/CA-001, we had really done everything we wanted to do, and a full day ahead of schedule. We could now give ourselves a real treat and icing on the cake tomorrow, by getting into the Mournes proper, and activating Northern Ireland’s highest peak.

Tom M1EYP

Slieve Donard GI/MM-001

Just five and a half hours sleep later, and the alarm was going off again. Jimmy had slept through his, so I gave him a shout. He was looking pretty tired! I went down to make the soup, refill the bladders, pack the car, and extract suitcases etc from the house in Larne. We wouldn’t be returning, planning to drive directly to the docks at Belfast after our walking today.

By the time he reached the passenger seat of the car, Jimmy had awoken sufficiently to provide directions. We took the A8 and M2 into Belfast, and then then A24 and A2 south to Newcastle. Parking was free in the appropriately and conveniently named Donard Car Park, and we were walking through the local municipal park and into the woods just before 10am.

The path began to climb steadily as it followed the Glen River uphill. There were plenty of attractive and interesting waterfalls and cascades to demand our attention, but we knew we had set ourselves a major challenge to activate Northern Ireland’s highest two summits and still get back to Belfast in time for the ferry. The top of the forest came after about an hour’s walking, and we were into an open glacial valley, heading towards what appeared to be a high vertical wall at the saddle between Slieve Donard GI/MM-001 and Slieve Commedagh GI/MM-002.

At the foot of this “wall”, a steeper cairned path wound its way up on the left, and Jimmy and I shared a bar of chocolate covered Kendal Mint Cake before we ascended it. A look back to the beach at Newcastle showed how high we already were - 500m out of the 850m already attained, on a climb that commenced at near sea-level. Quickly that became nearly 600m, as we rested by the Mourne Wall at the saddle between our two target summits.

It was a lovely day, and we were walking in T-shirts. However, there was, in places, half a foot of a snow lying by the Mourne Wall, which we were following steeply to the summit. Jimmy and I left the main path and clambered up on the nearby wet grass, it being marginally safer than the snow covered scree path. This was tiring stuff, and so it was uplifting when I heard Jimmy’s voice from fifty feet in front of me. “I can see the trig point!” he cried, putting a notable spring in my stride.

The Mourne Wall turned southwards on a perpendicular corner at the summit. Into this corner, a turret-like shelter was built, with the trig point standing high upon it, a good eight feet off the ground. We chose a spot on the other side of a large summit cairn, for it gave both shelter from the wind, and great view over Dundrum Bay. We initially debated whether to do a really good activation on 80m CW & SSB and have a one-summit day, or go for a quick 2m HH RSS effort and ensure we got GI/MM-002 in as well.

Jimmy opted for the latter, preferring an extra unique to a better quality radio activation. However, after a short rest and spell of contemplation, I realised that we could afford an hour on summit and a visit to the neighbouring hill also.

Just one contact - G3RDQ - was made on 3.557MHz CW, so we went to 3.660MHz SSB with Jimmy operating. He made five contacts, although a further three stations called. Sadly, Graham G4JZF couldn’t hear his report, and Geoff G4CPA + MX0BCQ/A didn’t receive his. We tried several times to call these stations back in, but they disappeared completely. It seemed QSB was at play again!

That certainly seemed to be the case, with just four more contacts for me back on 3.557MHz CW. All of a sudden the views disappeared, it got colder, wetter and windier. The weather was closing in big-time. We swiftly packed up and began our descent. The route being so steep meant that we were soon back out of the poor weather and under the cloud in which things were not so pleasant. It didn’t take long to drop the 260m or so to the saddle. A check on the watch confirmed we still had time to do the second summit - Slieve Commedagh GI/MM-002.

Tom M1EYP

Slieve Commedagh GI/MM-002

After Slieve Donard GI/MM-001, I was pretty tired and questioning my own enthusiasm for the second summit. However, having given Jimmy the go-ahead, he was soon climbing purposefully ahead of me, so I had to follow. In actual fact, the climb on this side was less steep and easier on the legs than Slieve Donard, and we made surprisingly rapid progress. The turret like shelter on the Mourne Wall, 250m South-West from and 10m vertically below the true summit, was reached in good time. We turned right in poor visability to bag the summit and take some photographs. The weather was hostile and unpleasant on this most exposed summit. It was at this point I checked the map and confirmed that the Mourne Wall and turret shelter were well within the activation zone. “We’ll activate in there” I announced. Jimmy did not contest the decision.

Jimmy looked a bit cold and tired, so I told him he could sit in the shelter and didn’t have to help with setting up. I was feeling good, so I remained outside the turrent initially, working a few GI stations on the 2m HH RSS set-up. At about 3.55pm, I began to set up the 80m antenna. This involved a couple of recrossings of the ladder stile on the Mourne Wall to peg out the guy string. I managed to site the mast such that there was plenty of feeder length to take right inside the turret.

It was now absolutely vicious outside, squally rain being whipped up menacingly by strengthening wind. We were glad to be inside, finishing our soup in total shelter. At 4.10pm, I opened up on 3.557MHz CW, but only worked two callers - G3OHC and G3WPF. Jimmy then called on 3.660MHz SSB, and the second caller was Geoff G4CPA, so we were able to let him know the bad news of the incomplete QSOs on Slieve Donard GI/MM-001 earlier. I was disappointed with only two contacts on CW, so I had another go on 3.557MHz. Four more stations were worked, but these were clearly not 80m friendly conditions.

As we edged towards 5pm, there was no question of having a go on 40m though, so I packed away and informed Jimmy, still cowering in the turret, of our impending departure. Jimmy emerged to be reunited with the weather. “I’ll be so glad to be back at the col” he said. Me too, and soon, we were.

We had cut things rather fine. “We need to crack on a bit on this walk back to Newcastle” I told Jimmy. After dropping off the Mourne Wall into the Glen River valley, we lengthened and quickened our stride, and were helpfully propelled along as we chatted to two faster-paced walkers for twenty minutes or so. I had forgotten how long the lower walk through the forest was, but we continued apace, both smugly satisfied with an 18-point day, having achieved the highest peak in GI, completed the GI/AH Antrim Hills region and 16 activations - three more than originally optimistically planned.

The car park was reached just after 7pm. A junior football coaching session was taking place in the park adjacent to the car, as we removed boots, gaiters, socks, gloves, hats, rucksacks and jackets. Having the holiday suitcase in the boot, I afforded myself the luxury of an early change of shirt, to improve the comfort-factor of the drive up to Belfast. A can of Red Bull was necked in order to assist the concentration for the driving, and we set off.

We pulled into the Norfolk Line ferry car park at 8.20pm, and were invited to drive up the ramps onto the Mersey Viking ship just 25 minutes later. Our en-suite cabin facilities were utilised fully, with us both taking showers, before going down to dinner. We both gorged on steak pie, roast potatoes, new potatoes, carrots, peas and gravy, after starters of pate and bread or soup. Desert was fruit crumble and custard, and all washed down by a pint of Smithwick’s bitter.

We settled into our bunks by 10pm, anticipating a restful night. Jimmy got his wish, sleeping soundly through everything, but I did lay awake for a while in the middle of the night as the ship was thrown up and down on the Irish Sea. I had sneaked into 4th place in the G Activator Uniques table with 168, while Jimmy now joined me in the top ten, reaching 9th with 141. The other 27 that he has climbed but before being licensed, will no doubt remain high on the hitlist, but none remain overseas!

Thanks for reading.

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:
Tom & Jimmy - many thanks to you both for this “expedition” and giving so many points to everyone chasing. Reading the account of your activations has been most interesting particularly as I managed to work you on most of them.
Congratulations and well done on your efforts !

73 Graham G3OHC

Tom And Jimmy,
Greatly enjoyed your account of your travels in GI. Thank you for your most informative description of journeys and routes, which I may put to good use on my next visit. I have rather a soft spot for the Mournes in particular, as I used to walk and youth hostel there in my youth (a long time ago),but also have fond memories of holidaying on the Antrim coast, in the Glens. Thank you both for all your hard work and dedication; very well done.

73,
Frank

In reply to M1EYP:

hi tom and jimmy

well done both, and to jimmy in particular thanks for the points chaps .

73s alistair gw0vmz

Thank you to yourself Graham, and to others that seemed to be ever-present for us on 80m. Thanks to Alistair and Frank for your kind comments also. It was our pleasure. Here is a fun list of how many of the GI 16 summits the chasers caught us on (you missed the ‘cut’ by one Frank!):

12: G3OHC
11: EI2CL, G4OBK
9: G6MZX, G4SSH
8: G4OWG, GW0DSP, G4CPA
7: MX0BCQ, GW0VMZ, G3RDQ, GM0AXY
6: G0NES, ON4CAP, G3WPF
5: GI4SRQ, G4RQJ, MI3VIN (leading VHF chaser), GW7AAV
4: M0COP, EI7CC, G3TJE, GI0RQK

…and many more (too many to list) that worked us on 1, 2 or 3 activations. I have to say I feel a considerable sense of gratitude that our SOTA friends were looking out for in the manner illustrated above. Fantastic effort by Graham G3OHC who only missed one out of 13 HF activations. I found Graham’s hand-key morse to be instantly recognisable and the easiest to pull out of virtually every pile-up. His consistently strong signal, even in poor QSB conditions served him well too. In fact, when QSB took hold and the absorption layer was rising, the most reliable contacts were with Graham G3OHC, Phil G4OBK, Geoff G6MZX and Geoff G4CPA. Some geographical significance there, or do Yorkshiremen just shout the loudest? :wink:

Anyway, what a fantastic and hugely enjoyable SOTA holiday. Up there with the WB 27 in 6 days and the Pennine Way of 2006.

Thanks everyone.

Tom M1EYP & Jimmy M3EYP

In reply to M1EYP:Many thanks to you both for persevering to work us all some times under very difficult conditions .You both did a sterling job Thanks again Geoff G6MZX

In reply to M1EYP:

Hi Tom,
I really enjoyed reading all your summit reports - lots of helpful information for locals as well as visitors!
In your Knockiveagh write-up you didn’t mention that this summit is on private land. When I activated it I got permission from the landowner who lives in the house at the bottom of the track leading up the hill.
In Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, there is no Countryside and Rights of Way Act. We don’t have a network of public footpaths. While this doesn’t normally present a problem in the more remote areas, it’s worth bearing in mind for lower summits like Knockiveagh which are in farmland.
Hopefully future visitors will find this information useful.
Best 73, Fred

As you say Fred, although GI doesn’t have CRoW, it is actually much easier to get permission where necessary than in G/GW. Basically, everybody is very friendly and they all always say yes! So far anyway; fingers crossed for the future.

Tom

OK, anyone who’s interested can now start to see as well as read. I have started updating my website with all the GI reports, with the photographs and other bits and bobs included.

The first three summits - Divis GI/AH-004, Tobernaveen Hill GI/AH-009 and Big Collin GI/AH-008 - are uploading now. My website is also up-to-date with all Cloud G/SP-015 activations and photos, and everything else up to the GI trip.

http://tomread.co.uk

Now added Carn Hill GI/AH-010, Agnew’s Hill GI/AH-005, Slemish GI/AH-007 and Trostan GI/AH-001. Also part-way through placing my entire site on a different host, so that the pages (and photos!) should be much faster to download (when I’ve completed the process).

http://tomread.co.uk

My website is now completely up-to-date with my activation reports and photographs. Hence the GI SOTA tour is there in its entirety - 16 activations from Divis GI/AH-004 to Slieve Commedagh GI/MM-002. There are some good photos in there, particularly from the last day - Slieve Donard GI/MM-001 - Northern Ireland’s highest point. (The photos from our Kinder Scout G/SP-001 activation, the day we later sailed to Belfast, are well worth a look too!).

I know that of more interest to some will be that I have finally got the site housed on a new host now. No more endless waits for QSL.net to download all the photos (although one can hardly complain at what is a free facility).

The site is still http://tomread.co.uk - I hope it is of interest to those that followed the GI activations.

One of those - Geoff G6MZX - actually turned up in person in Witton Park during the ARDF this morning, according to him to thank us personally for the GI activations! UFB! Nice to see Stuart G0MJG and Keith G0OXV there too.

Other things on my website that might be of interest (now that you don’t have to wait for the photos!):

Pennine Way journal
Gritstone Trail journal
Every one of M1EYP and M3EYP’s combined 772 activations
My amateur radio QSL collection
My broadast (HF, national & local radio) QSL collection
Radio awards
Offshore pirate radio 1990-2007

…and some other things that are nothing to do with walking or radio!

Thanks to Roger MW0IDX for the recommendation for the new hosting facility.

Tom M1EYP