NW-031 Esgeiriau Gwynion Quick Report

Activation Reports
1

Meeting MW0TUB at Wrexham, Dave jumped into my car and we headed of for NW-031 Esgeiriau Gwynion. On arriving at the car park, Dave was a little surprised when I confirmed that I was taking the Collinear along plus a couple of poles and two SLABs. About 10 minutes into this walk, it became what can only be described a bog ‘n’ slog. The ground was a dreadful combination of peat hags and leg sapping bog. Even with a light load this summit would be fairly challenging, however with the approximate 20kg I was carrying, this was hard work.

We took a couple of short cuts in order to save some climbing and walking, however with the ground under foot very wet in places, I doubt we saved much time or effort. Approaching the last 800 metres or so, I finally relented and dumped one of the slabs as well as my coat, made a note of where they were in order to retrieve them on the descent. On reaching the summit, we were greeted by a tiny cairn composed of quartz rocks. We both set about assembling our antennas, Dave his linked dipole and and me the collinear. On closer inspection of the surroundings, I looked at Dave and suggested that with so many summits such as Aran Fawddwy and Glasgwm towering around us I may have I may have brought along the wrong antenna and could have trouble qualifying this one on VHF FM.

I had noted that the previous 26 activations of this summit had only yielded 401 contacts, 178 of then on 2m.

I put out a CQ on 145.500 and Nigel 2E0NHM, immediately returned my call and spotted me. Within 8 minutes the summit was qualified the fourth contact being a S2S with Derek 2E0MIX on G/LD-006 Pillar. From then on, it was all downhill, the calls rolled in with many stations surprised to hear what was for many of them a unique. Once again, the X-300 had performed its sorcery and all the hard work dragging it to the summit was paying off. The summit to summits continued, as did many other stations looking for this one. Prize for the most commitment, must go to Sharron 2W0OSH/M who couldn’t hear me so jumped in her car to make enough height to make the contact! Meanwhile, Dave was making progress on the paddle and mic, finding Rich N4EX as well as some great contacts on 5Mz.

We packed up fairly late and looked at the walk down …with very little enthusiasm.

Without doubt, this must be SOTA’s most depressing summit, an undulating slog, comprising of peat hags and bog, and even more depressing when using a microphone, the SOTA summit with the most unpronounceable name in the world :frowning:

Would I do this one again? Well, quite frankly, I’d rather stick pins in my eyes.

My haul for the day was 89 2m FM contacts, and I think Dave managed about 100 with a combination of many frequencies and modes

Thanks to all the chasers…

73 Mike
2E0YYY

2

In reply to 2E0YYY:

the SOTA summit with the most unpronounceable name in the world

Like all Gaelic/Celtic words, you simply say what is written down.

It couldn’t be easier, no special rules to learn as in English (e.g. Cholmondley/Bicester etc. are not pronounced as written).

As Roy Walker used to say on the telly everyweek “just say what you see.”

Andy
MM0FMF

3

In reply to MM0FMF:
Ooh, Andy, can of worms!

Abhainn an Fhasaigh = Avin an Ah-ssy, Fh and gh seen but not heard.
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan = Skoor nan cerranon, th and mh seen but not heard.
Sgurr a’Mhadaidh = Skoor a Vahty, this time mh sounds but dh vanishes.
Sgurr Dhonuill = skoor Ghonill, dh comes back.
Sgurr Dhearg = skoor yerrak, dh comes back again but sounds different.

I could go on but why waste bandwidth? I’m sure that there are rules that govern the appearance and disappearance of letters and groups of letters in Gaelic, but seen from the outside they cannot be discerned, leaving the sassanach with the options of memorising the received pronounciation or doing it his own way and making Gaels wince!

As an Englishman born but of Welsh family I have little trouble with pronouncing the names of Welsh hills, but even I find some of them eye-watering! Perhaps the pages for individual hills in the database should include a pronounciation guide?

73

Brian G8ADD

4

In reply to G8ADD:

I have a Welsh friend who kindly helps me get some of the pronunciation correct - as a general rule I find the Welsh names mind-blowing.

A pronunciation guide would be very useful I think.

Mhadaidh = Vahty? Surely it’s pronounced me-had-a-eider? :slight_smile:

Rob G7LAS

5

In reply to G7LAS:

Mhadaidh = Vahty? Surely it’s pronounced me-had-a-eider? :slight_smile:

Except it’s a Gaelic ‘Mh’ not and English ‘M’ & ‘h’.

See you just say what is written down. But remember, it’s written in Gaelic not English. They just happen to be using the same alphabet which causes the confusion.

Andy
MM0FMF

6

Dave

Nice to work you on GW-NW-031 whislt I was mobile on way home from works QTH - cracking signal into Shrewsbury

Regards & 73’s
Steve G6UYG

7

In reply to G7LAS:

Hi Rob,

I was really surprised to hear you pop in yesterday! Great contact from Derbyshire…

73 Mike
2E0YYY

8

In reply to 2E0YYY:
Hi mike thanks for the QSO from GW/NW031 yesterday, you were the only station I heard all day from N Wales let alone worked.Thanks again to you & Dave for all your hard work. peter M1CNL N warkwickshire

9

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Mike,

Good to make contact with you both from mid-Wales yesterday. We had fun too, with more walk than radio and fewer contacts from three summits than on one summit the previous day.

Sorry you didn’t like Esgeiriau Gwynion; my call is shown on the activator list but from your description I couldn’t believe we had done it.

The secret, but perhaps not with the weight you are carrying, is to start 300m lower and 2km further south at Blaen Pennant. An excellent path gaining height fairly painlessly and on firm ground. Turn off the path and up the South side of the SW spur of the summit; fairly steep and boggy in places but good going. Doesn’t get really boggy until into the AZ and even there we found some firm bits to sit on. Hard work but much more enjoyable than the bog slog.

Perhaps I should add this to the tips.

73,
Rod

10

In reply to M0JLA:

Good to make contact with you both from mid-Wales yesterday. We had
fun too, with more walk than radio and fewer contacts from three
summits than on one summit the previous day.

Thanks for the two S2S Rod, Vicky was struggling a bit with 2m on FM MW-030, however, it seemed she qualified it?

Sorry you didn’t like Esgeiriau Gwynion; my call is shown on the
activator list but from your description I couldn’t believe we had
done it.

March, is the one month of the year it is advised to give the ajoining summit Aran Fawddwy a miss and I suspect the same critrea can be applied to Esgeiriau Gwynion.

The secret, but perhaps not with the weight you are carrying, is to
start 300m lower and 2km further south at Blaen Pennant.

Seems like much a better option.

Perhaps I should add this to the tips.

Good idea, Rod…

73 Mike
2E0YYY

11

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Hi Mike… yeah we just about managed that one! Was in the garden testing my new 450ohm twin feeder based slim Jim, which I’m going to use for sota from now on. I couldn’t hear you at all on the old metal slim Jim, so this bodes well! It’s looking about a 4 s point gain over the old one!

Rob G7LAS

12

In reply to MM0FMF:

See you just say what is written down. But remember, it’s written in
Gaelic not English.

Quite so, but you need to learn the rules, and they’re not simple. In particular you have to discern phonetic distinctions that don’t come naturally to a NNS. This is true of pretty much all languages, of course.

And there are exceptions to the spelling-to-sound rules in pretty much every language. Fewer in Gaelic than in English certainly, but they exist.

http://www.munromagic.com/ has completely different pronounciations for GM/CS-040 and GM/CS-048, surely a proof by counterexample that there is more to it than saying what is written!

13

In reply to G7LAS:

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Hi Mike… yeah we just about managed that one!

I was on the H/H when you called and was unable to put any more logs on the fire. Later on, I switched to the 857 and managed to work G3XQE who has nightmares working North Wales on 2m. He couldn’t hear me on the H/H, however, 20 Watts up the white stick and he was in the log.

Was in the garden
testing my new 450ohm twin feeder based slim Jim, which I’m going to
use for sota from now on. I couldn’t hear you at all on the old metal
slim Jim, so this bodes well! It’s looking about a 4 s point gain over
the old one!

Good luck with the new antenna and your upcoming activation this weekend, …if you can find some fuel :wink:

73 Mike
2E0YYY

14

In reply to M1MAJ:

Quite so, but you need to learn the rules,

I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, that you would actually have to learn the rules to be able to read and pronounce a new language.

and they’re not simple

I’ll think you’ll find Gaelic speakers have few problems. Like most things, reward out is directly proportional to effort in.

different pronounciations for GM/CS-040 and GM/CS-048

Well that’s obvious. One is a Munro and the other is a Corbett.

Andy
MM0FMF

15

In reply to 2E0YYY:

…it became what can only be described a bog ‘n’ slog.

A read through the activation reports for this summit would have given you prior warning on this one Mike. I planned ahead and was able to activate it after a prolonged dry spell and didn’t have a problem with the ground, but granted it is a bit of a slog. The day after my activation it poured down!

I looked at Dave and suggested that with so many summits such as Aran Fawddwy and Glasgwm towering around us I may have I may have brought along the wrong antenna and could have trouble qualifying this one on VHF FM.

Ah, but they make a great reflector! Can’t say I recall having a problem and your DX antenna made sure you didn’t either. :slight_smile:

Without doubt, this must be SOTA’s most depressing summit…

Not in my book - I’d do this one time and again. I really quite enjoyed it. Now if you are talking depressing - ah well, it’s all been said before. Did I mention G/SP-017? Did I? :wink:

73, Gerald G4OIG

16

In reply to 2E0YYY:

The route from the parking area at SH913233, largely following the fence-line, I would agree has little to be said in its favour. However, after I had activated the summit last year, I noted a faint path that diverged at about SH894232 and ran a little downhill to the east and then to the north of the worst area of peak hags and bog. This was reasonable to follow, even if it faded completely from place to place, and much easier than the outward trip. I hope I can find it again next time.

73s de Dave, G6DTN

17

In reply to 2E0YYY:

could just about tell you were there but sadly not strong enough to make the contact

if we dont speak before see you on sunday

73
Matt M3WDS

18

In reply to MM0FMF:

I’ll think you’ll find Gaelic speakers have few problems.

They had to be taught though. Acquisition of spoken language just happens, but reading and writing have to be taught, often quite laboriously. Finnish children find learning to read and write much easier and quicker than English children, because the spelling to sound rules are regular in Finnish but hopelessly irregular in English. I would expect Gaelic and Welsh to be intermediate in inherent difficulty, and this applies to the native speaker just as it does to somebody learning later.

Well that’s obvious. One is a Munro and the other is a Corbett.

Well yes, that explains everything :slight_smile:

19

In reply to M1MAJ:

Finnish children find learning to read and write much easier and quicker than
English children, because the spelling to sound rules are regular in Finnish but
hopelessly irregular in English.

Also because Finnish children are still taught to read by phonic methods … not by “word recognition”. That is the reason why “dyslexia” is unknown in Finland.

Dyslexia is a disability inflicted by “progressive” reading teachers upon their students. It did not exist in this country either until the 1960s.

Of course this is also why victims of the modern British education system find it so difficult to learn Morse code. They cannot spell, therefore they find it impossible to send words letter by letter in code! Seemples!

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

20

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