GW/NW-043 & GW/NW-042

Double activation day. The plan was to activate;
GW/NW-043 - Cyrn-y-Brain
GW/NW-042 - Moel y Gamelin

Park in the layby/car park opposite the Ponderosa Cafe./
I started with 043. After a 30min walk up to the summit I got the mast wedged into the rocks with the guy ropes out and setup for HF and 2m.

GW/NW-043 - Cyrn-y-Brain

The wind didnt help matters :frowning:

Once the mast was stable, and coax connected, off we went.
Called CQ on 2m and first in the log was G6KLB in Lancashire.
Managed 13 in total and a S2S on HF 14mhz with HB9DQM/P on HB/FR-041 and a mobile station on Isle of Man - GD0VIK

The rain started appearing and thought time to pack in.

Back down in 15mins. Put the phone on charge in the car and went across to the cafe for a bacon and sausage butty and a Yorkie bar.
Returned back to the car to munch and have a brew while pondering 042.

Time for 042. What a climb. It kept the legs working!
Made it to the top and was rather windy.

Tried CQ on a Baofeng handheld and got MQ1EYP/p on G/SP-015.
Decided the HH was not going to cut it and got the mast setup and the 2m antenna attached.
Kneeling on the floor into the wind, I had the mast leaning on my shoulder and wedged between my knees.

30mins later, I had 23 in the log and 2 x S2S. MQ1EYP/p on G/SP-015 and MQ0RWX/p on G/WB-013
Time to pack up and head back down.

Into the cafe for coffee and a slice of coffee and walnut cake and time to relax.

Thanks to all the chasers and the S2S for being out there.

Maybe a LD summit or two tomorrow when we head to Whitehaven

Cheers

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Thanks for the S2S today John!
I did sound very windy at Moel Y Gamelin (GW/NW-042) but pleased we managed to make contact!

73, Robert

No problem Robert. Good to get you in the log. It was a very windy summit and I am glad I go the mast up.
It got a bit of a pile up going on, slowly picking out the stations based on letters of the call sign or if /p /m just to weed them out. But we got there and bagged 23 in 30mins on 042

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Been there, done that, got the teeshirt… indeed there are several in my wardrobe. :joy:

Well done on bagging this pair under adverse conditions. It looks like the Ponderosa visit provided the fortitude required. :grinning: Personally I never have had the pleasure, but its reputation is well known amongst SOTA activators.

73, Gerald

Thanks Gerald.
It was mainly 042 that was the worst one. But job done and onto planning the next GW/NW ones
The Ponderosa is always worth a stop off and even more so with a decent sized bacon & sausage butty.

Cheers John