New MG for GI

Congratulations Ian GI0AZB on reaching the herd - and especially as you are only the 3rd from GI. Glad that G/WB land has been able to help you (slightly, they are very small) in this herculean task. Very sorry that a celebratory s2s was not possible on this occasion - I think hoping that 2m or 70cm (!!) would travel the 400+km to a bitterly cold GW/SW-014 was beyond the limits of even my eternal optimism!! Assuming that your conditions were anything like those down in GW/SW (the first reports I received from fellow activators were of broken equipment and the number of times the mast had fallen down - I think 5 was the winner) then many congratulations on actually reaching that lonely summit and staying up there for some time.

I raise a glass of the black stuff :clinking_glasses: to you and Esther and look forward to doing so in person as soon as possible. I know you will be elated (and rightly so!) at present but soon you will start to think… what can be the next goal?? There is always MG on 70cm … - I look forward to assisting!! Meanwhile gather as many winter bonus points as you safely can - there is another target for you…!
73 to you both Viki

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Well done IAN and thanks for the QSO from GI/SM-001 yesterday.

73’s David

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Congratulations, Ian! A great achievement.

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CONGRATS, IAN!
73 & Baaa!

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Great achievement Ian, very well done. I feel privileged knowing that i am in your logs for some of those activations. 73 Syd MI5UTC

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Many congratulations Ian. It’s always a pleasure to speak to you and Esther when I’m out on a hill, though I don’t often work you when I’m the chaser. Must do better!

All the best for the future.

73, Gerald

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Well done Ian. A great spurt to the finish.
Hope to catch you before too long.
73,
Rod

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MG Achievement
Many, many thanks for all the messages and congratulations on my milestone, achieved on the 5th of December on GI/SM-001 Sawel Mountain in the Sperrin range.
I was elated, proud, on cloud 9 and on the descent so many memories of some of the 309 summits which I’ve walked and hiked to on this path to Mountain Goat.
I’ve so many people to thank as the award isn’t just a solo effort, but to try and include everyone would be impossible and probably wouldn’t be fair as the pecking order of thank you notes might not be in the order of merit!
I’ve made many, many friends on the journey, the radio amateur fraternity stretches near and far and is also full of genuine helpful souls as a mortal activator battles with summit information, log formats, spotting situations and generally staying alive in so many different weather conditions. Thank you one and all.
In closing there has to be a mention of family and the support I’ve received from all. I have three licensed operators at this address, each and everyone one of them keep tabs on my exploits and I know have interests in each and every time I pack the gear for an adventure. In particular, as many have commented, Esther GI0AZA, is always there, from the beginning at my side and more recently on the chasing band to ensure I don’t drift from the activation.
MG is an award, to me the effort and fun in getting here has been the reward, my focus from now will be on another target, hope to speak to you all very soon

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Yes- many congratulations Ian on achieving Mountain Goat on Sawel GI/SM-001, a summit close to my heart as it was the first mountain I ever climbed as a teenager and one that we view from the farm. It’s a mighty achievement over the past 5 years - we started out in 2016, and between my illnesses and covid you lost well over a year of potential activating. You have been the best support anyone could ever ask for and the only thing I would have loved more than being your 4th and qualifying contact on the summit was to have been there with you. Hope you enjoyed your Guinness and (yellow of course) bag of Tayto! Bloody well done!!
73 & 88
Esther

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Congratulations Ian on achieving MG! Thanks for the VHF contacts from EI.
73, Phil ON4TA

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Well done Ian. My best QSO with you was on 70cm from Howth Head to you on the Mournes from a HT on 5watts. I was impressed.
Congrats and good luck on many more summits.
73,
Frank EI8HIB

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Well done and congrats Ian always good to hear you. 73 Don. G0RQL.

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Well done Ian, hope that I continue to hear you as you head towards the double goat… :slight_smile:

73 Paul

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