As we hit the ridge line, it was one of those evenings I predicted that we would spend entirely in the cloud. The plan was a dad-daughter evening ascent of Pen y Fan via the classic horseshoe route. I brought the 2m handheld for a quick SOTA activation if allowed, “Dad put that radio away, it’s so embarrassing”.
But Pen y Fan had other ideas
The cloud begins to clear
As we reached the summit, the mountain delivered a true spectacle — a stunning temperature inversion beneath the summit, just before sunset. What a view: floating above a pastel-hued sea of cloud, bathed in warm light, while the valleys below vanished into mist. It was one of those moments you can never quite capture on camera.
Temperature inversion hues
I did a quick 2m activation with just the Yeasu handie and a 3/8 wave whip. The radio didn’t disappoint, a very nice lift brought in contacts from the South East and Yorkshire, proving that sometimes the best activations aren’t about the points, but the experience.
For a change there was no queue for the summit !!
A Lift - DX without the right kit and not even trying !
All for zero points. I’d already activated GW/SW-001 earlier this year, so this one was purely for the joy of it.
Sunset
A perfect evening on Pen y Fan, Ive been bagging for 30+ years and this one was hard to beat: Weather Mountain magic, Radio magic, shared with Family…
Descent into the clouds
!