GW/NW-062 Today

Barry M3PXW contacted me to see if I fancied a late afternoon activation of Raw Head G/SP-016 and we made our arrangements that Barry would pick me up at 14:30 (nice to have normal clock time back, hi).

Barry was held up somewhat and decided to activate and take his xyl Sam and his three little terrors out for the walk. With this in mind I told him to go direct to the summit and avoid the extra mileage involved in picking me up and then dropping me off again afterwards. I made the decision to head for “the office” and offer Barry a S2S as I can see Raw Head from Hope Mountain.

As I pulled up at the radio station gate, the parking spot for NW-062 I was called by Frank G3RMD/M on his long journey home after his activation of Blencathra G/LD-008. I explained to Frank that I wasn’t in the activation zone, but would climb over the gate and walk up the tarmac road with the view to call Frank first and hopefully give him the 1pt from the summit.

I decided to just take the FT-817 and rubber duck antenna, not a method of activation I am fond of. I did however take a 3ah SLAB which would give me the 817s full 5 watts output.
As it happened, when I reached the top, I managed to work Frank with ease and informed him of Barry’s imminent activation of SP-016 and Frank said he would remain on the frequency and possibly pick up another chaser point while heading home.

To my delight Eleri MW3NYR/P called in from Penycloddiau GW/NW-054 where she was activating on 2m-fm along with hubby Ian GW8OGI/P who was “playing” on 4m. After our successful s2s I gave the frequency to Eleri who also managed to work Frank for his second /m chaser point of his journey. Frank managed the hat trick when Barry called in from SP-016 shortly afterwards. I think we all made our S2S contacts, even Ian later on as we were all ready for our descents.

A very short but enjoyable activation with a total of 10 contacts including the three S2S contacts with Eleri, Ian and Barry. Thanks to those who offered to spot me, but I had to decline in the quickly worsening weather, I had only just got back to my car when the heavens opened.

Thanks to all stations for the contacts and for the S2S QSOs…

G7ICY/M, G3RMD/M, 2E0OTE, MW3NYR/P (S2S NW-054) 2E0HJD (ssb), G4BLH (ssb), GW7AAV, M3PXW/P (S2S SP-016), M0SGB/M, GW8OGI/P (S2S NW-054

73 Mike GW0DSP

In reply to GW0DSP:
I was mobile on the M6 making my way down to Birmingham (yes without Sat-Nav),
I was tuning around when I came across Elri for my contact onto NW-054, Tnx 4 qso.
I put the radio on scan again and found the whippet on frequency, made my contcat with Barry, And also heard Mike was in the office,
Thanks for the 3 points guy’s.

but what happened to the spots, these are what I saw wheni got home ===

16 spots in the last 24 hours | new spot
Sun 17:16
M3PXW/P on G/SP-016
145.300 fm
1723 now going QRT due to WX (Posted by GW7AAV)
Sun 17:12
MW3NYR/P on GW/NW-054
145.350 fm
Eleri qrv now (Posted by 2E0HJD)

no posting saying that Barry and Mickwhere activating on going qrt,

What is happening on here again, or is it that no one listens anymore,

Steve m0sgb after a night-shift.

In reply to M0SGB :

Barry was spotted Steve and several stations offered to spot me as always, but due to worsening wx I requested that I wasn’t spotted so as to be able to make a sharp exit from the bad wx.

73 Mike

In reply to GW0DSP:
don’t understand why Eleri can still be on a summit for 1/2 hour longer, and has further to walk back to her car, than other avtivators, all under stood about Barry and the ankle biters, but would it not have been possible to go out and do those summits earlier on on stead in the dark, after what has been happening in the welsh mountains latley, also its a bit warmer in the day light,

Steve m0sgb

In reply to M0SGB :

Read my activation report again Steve and you will see the explaination of why I was on NW-062 late in the day.

73 Mike

In reply to GW0DSP:
so if you knew at 14-30gmt about the activation being late, why not go out early on your own, and you never know might have had more qso’s in the log, and doneother modes, who know don’t say god knows because he doesn’t either,

Steve m0sgb

In reply to M0SGB :

If you read my activation report Steve it says that barry was going to pick me up at 14:30 but obviously he was late and it was nearer to 15:30 when he told me he was going to activate the summit and take his xyl and kids. That was when I first even considered NW-062 and told him to go direct to his summit rather than waste time coming to pick me up and drop me off after the activation.
Due to the above, I didn’t set off for NW-062 until approx 16:00 and after reaching the parking spot, then climbing the gate and walking up to the az, I made my first contact at 16:42. Due to the clocks going back, it was dark 1 hour earlier plus the fact that the sky was black and it was freezing.
Because it was a last minute decision to activate, I intended to use the 817 and rubber duck, something I never normally would do. As for more calls in the log, I didn’t need them, I have done the office approx 72 times now Steve for 1 activator point and at great expense fuel wise to give a few points back to the regular guys, so I don’t consider myself as selfish to do a ten contacts and run activation.

73 Mike

In reply to GW0DSP:
Hi Mike thanks for the S2S contact.

73 Barry M3PXW (The Whippet)

Glad you missed the rain guys, 'cos we didn’t!!

It’s only a km or so down a very easy path that’s burned into my memory from growing up in the Clwydians so no worries!! Back to the car and the heater on full - back home in 30 mins and the kettle on and the fire lit.

(Safety info - Even though it’s a small, local hill we both know very well, we still had full waterproofs, spare jumpers, map, compass, GPS, torches, flask of hot tea, butties, stout boots, mobile phone, spare socks etc etc.)

Cheers and thanks for the contacts everybody,

Ian & Eleri

I can’t remember who it was that told me, very early into my SOTA interest, that you pack everything, pretty much the same for winter at any time of year. I always have done ever since, and it has been good practice considering the vast number of occasions I have had to use fleeces, coats, gloves, hats, soup etc in “summer” expeditions, even short, normally trivial walks.

I don’t take stuff like ice axe, crampons etc, but I tend to stay below 2000 feet in winter and make best use of the 3 point winter bonus, and never “take on” expected poor weather.

I’ve rarely encountered snow on activations. Corndon Hill was covered on my first visit for ‘Gaulfest’ 2003, but there was nothing coming down, and it was a beautfiful, crisp sunny day. It was lightly snowing on Long Mountain-Beacon Ring on my first visit there, and I’ve been up Shining Tor in snow a few times, but nothng major.

The worst weather experienced was on the Pennine Way, and was the only time I have been caught out in terms of not carrying something I needed. The first day, Edale to Crowden (via an activation on Kinder Scout) was 33 degrees, and our 3 litres of water each was not enough. We got quite dehydrated, but made it through, nonetheless. The question is, if we had carried 4 litres each, would we have got through it just as fast anyway because of the extra load? Purification tablets would have been no good, for the whole of the Kinder and Bleaklow massifs were parched, the streams bone dry. Only a few days later, we were absolutely freezing on Great Shunner Fell (in August), and coats, fleeces, gloves and hats were all on. On the final day on The Cheviot, it rained so hard that we had to utilise the full change of clothes each we were carrying. Good job we were!

In reply to M1EYP:
Just out of interest, do any of the winter activators take duvet jackets or waistcoats nowadays or are they a thing of the past: I take mine out but rarely unpack it!

73

Brian G8ADD

In reply to G8ADD:
Hi Brian

Well considering I had to wear two fleeces and a light, padded jacket in relatively easy Autumnal weather on Win Green the other day, you can be sure that if I activate any summit from now on, I will pack my ME duvet! It’s light, warm and mine is waterporof so it would seem a good bet.

I must be going soft in my old age :slight_smile:

73 Marc G0AZS

In reply to G8ADD:

You cant go wrong with a buffalo special 6 jacket - Ive had mine ages & its starting to fall to bits from damage picked up whilst descending Glyder Fawr on my back over an ice field. It`ll be a sad day when I part company with it.
Steve.

In reply to G0AZS:

I must be going soft in my old age :slight_smile:

Yer big southern softie! :wink:

The only differences between Winter and Summer bag contents is the quantity of water carried, the number of fleecy things and the number of gloves and hats. Of course suncreme and midge repellent don’t get carried after Summer/Autumn!

The weight of extra hats and gloves is normally negligible compared to everything else so that it’s not an issue. It’s been brought home to me enough times when out on the hills that it may be May and warm and sunny in the car park, but 2500ft higher up it can be sunny but perishingly cold! So there’s always 1 fleecy thing and a pair of gloves/warm hat in the bag in Summer.

As I’m built for comfort, I do leak a lot when exerting myself. So I find that apart from strong icy wind and/or heavy rain, I can get away with just a T-shirt up top most of the time. As soon as I stop then I need extra layers of course. I can clearly remember climbing Black Hill last December on a brilliantly clear day. There was lots of ice on the ground in the shade at the foot but with my lardiness, the sun and the exertion I was too warm with a sweatshirt when climbing. It did seem strange to be walking over semi-frozen ground in only a T-shirt and not be shivering.

Sarah is completely different and often ends up with more layers than The Mummy after a few minutes sat around at the summit. There again she feels there’s too much radio tomfoolery involved which means far too much time is spent sat about whilst I waffle away!

Andy
MM0FMF

In reply to MM0FMF:

I must be going soft in my old age :slight_smile:

Yer big southern softie! :wink:

Yes, yes I know… and we all drink shandy :wink:

… but like you Andy I dont have a problem when I’m moving as my frame and robust weight keep me toasty… and for short stops, a fleece and windproof top will suffice.

But I have found that, when I sit in exactly the same spot for 1 hour just working CW, I seem to get really cold. Hence the extra layers I donned…

Shelter is also a factor too. Even a gentle breeze is going to make a difference over that period.

73 Marc “soft as whatever” G0AZS

In reply to MM0FMF

‘As I’m built for comfort, I do leak a lot when exerting myself’

Im in your camp Andy. I only wear a Berghaus base layer long sleeved shirt when I am walking all year round except in heavy rain when the Goretex goes on (occasionally I have been known to wear trousers as well!!!). If the wind is very cold then I will put a Berghaus Airfoil ultra lightweight jacket over the base layer and wear fingerless gloves. However, as soon as I stop the fleece goes on and if necessary the Goretex jacket plus the wooly hat. I find that will keep me warm on the coldest summit for about an hour which is usually long enough for an activation. Always carry water and hot coffee summer and winter. However, all the above mentioned items of clothing are carried all year round as Scotland only has one season - winter.

Glyn

In reply to GM4CFS:
You can always tell when its summer in Scotland - the rain is warmer…and the midges are surfing on it!

73

Brian G8ADD

In reply to G8ADD:

You can always tell when its summer in Scotland - the rain is
warmer…and the midges are surfing on it!

The midge thing is starting to apply to spring and autumn as well now. I was eaten alive last weekend in Pitlochry.
Glyn

In reply to GM4CFS:
Midges = Avon Skin so Soft Dry Oil Body Spray!!

In reply to 2E0KPO:

Midges = Avon Skin so Soft Dry Oil Body Spray!!

What does this do Steve - act like a grease layer so they can’t get a grip?

I use a natural Neem based spray. Works a treat on English and Welsh mozzies, though one Scottish midge did get through on Cairnsmore SS-170 to bite me on the back of my hand. I also forgot to spray my hair before ascending Myarth SW-035 and because I am now more folically challenged on top than I used to be, they went for that spot. If I used a cream, then I’d definitely have to wear a hat!

73, Gerald