Pole Bank (Long Mynd) G/WB-005

Activation Reports
1

Since I haven’t used my radio since before Covid I thought it was about time to get out!

I have been ill of-and-on since I first caught Covid in 2020, and my health is very up and down still. I’m having a good run atm, and I have been trying to make the most of it with a bit of walking. I got my FT-817 (which I bought during Covid, but have not really used) out of the garage last night, crimped up a RG58 cable, and dug out a 2m dipole and my fishing pole.

I grew up around Church Stretton, so Pole Bank is my home turf. I tried to activate it with a dreaded Baofeng in howling winds some years ago, and only made 2QSOs to some very patient chasers. By then my teeth were chattering too loudly to hear, so I gave up ;). I’d failed previously on Caer Caradoc across the valley. I realised that something locally was overloading the front end of that radio and put it in the back of a drawer, like everyone else.

Pole Bank has another perfect feature for a sickly (and portly) boy like me…it is a very short walk from the car!

There was thick fog on my arrival, with visibility at about 50m. Since getting lost on Pole Bank would be an extraordinary achievement, I soldiered on to the summit. The wind was very slight, thankfully. I set up in a clearing in the heather, about 15 metres from the trig point itself. A nice young couple, who were trying to photograph the horses in the fog, got intrigued by my fishing pole and came over to see what I was doing. I got set up with the dipole about 3m up, spotted myself, and (rather nervously after a long break and a lack of success) called CQ. Boom, instant reply! The nerves settled and the fog cleared.

I soon had my 4 QSOs, including Summit to Summit. The calls were coming in dribs and drabs, so I took the leisurely rag chew approach, apologies to the chap I left waiting for ages! I twice went back to the calling channel and got a station very quickly. 12 QSOs from North Wales coast, West Midlands, North Staffordshire to Stroud. I could have winkled a few more with patience, but the sun was low, and the air was starting to cool.

All in all a great return to SOTA. Thanks to all the chasers. I’m putting together an EFHW so I can dabble in HF soon. I might try some POTA as well.

Any tips on equally easy summits?

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2

Equally easy:
G/WB-018
G/SP-013
G/TW-005
G/TW-004

Short walk with a small climb:
G/SP-017
GW/NW-071
GW/NW-070

Short walk but more of a climb:
GW/NW-076
GW/NW-060

It’s all a bit subjective though.

Thanks for the S2S, hope it’s the first of many.

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Great to get you in the log, thanks for the QSO!

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Hi James, welcome back!

Long Mountain Beacon Ring GW/MW-026 is an easy one. I park by the entrance to the access road, walk in and turn left through the gate immediately after the first mast. Follow the fence around the trees, until you come to a nice seat!
You can walk around the stand of trees in either direction, but it can be boggy in places after wet weather.
Your 817 should be fine, I’ve used mine on 2m and HF there without problems.

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Well done for getting back out there! :+1:

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Thanks to everyone for the tips and support.

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Yes, although, having run and helped on the https://longmyndhike.org.uk/ a number of times it’s quite impressive how tricky it is to navigate from Medlicott Cottage up to Pole Cottage in the cloud/fog through the heather. A number have even managed to find themselves waist deep in the pools just before Pole Cottage :laughing:

Seriously though, well done for getting out and coming back to SOTA! Only sorry that I was not able to have a QSO with you - next time.

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Great to get you in the log yesterday James.

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9

Many thanks James, for the QSO. You did very well on the Activation. and nothing wrong with your Radio Nor your Ariel, 5/9 into Oldham. I hope to hear you again soon. 73 de Paul, M0CQE.

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75 miles ish, you were my furthest contact!

I didn’t realise at the time, I heard you say Oldham, I wrote Oldham in my log, but my mind was thinking Oldbury! Oldham is much further. I’m really pleased with that. Elevation beats watts on VHF any day, doesn’t it.

Hope to see you further down the log. Thanks for the contact.

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Ha ha, yes it’s much trickier once you are off the plateau.

The Longmynd hike is quite an event. My wife tried it once. She twisted her ankle on Earls Hill and got the bus back to the school. It is another level once it gets dark. Do they still use Raynet for communication?

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12

Not exactly lost, but many years ago myself , Tom M1EYP and Richard G3CWI were doing Stiperstones, Corndon Hill and Long Mynd for winter bonus (Jimmy M0HGY was there but before he was licensed). I was in one car and Tom/Richard in another and we decided to meet up on Long Mynd after we did the other two seperately for the summit to summits.

In a heavy blizzard, both parties approached the summit from different directions and despite making contact on 2m with us all being in the activation zone, we didn’t see each other until I made it to the shooters box car park. I think at one point we would have been less than 50 metres apart, and even with Jimmy shouting we missed each other completely on the summit.

Ian
G7ADF

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13

Yes, I remember that day well which is nearly 19 years ago now when I was on Long Mynd - Pole Bank G/WB-005 with my dad Tom @M1EYP, my brother Liam, Richard @G3CWI with his son Lewis and yourself also. I do recall that the visibility was very low due to a blizzard and as a result, we did not see you until we all made it to the Shooters Box Car Park.

Jimmy M0HGY

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Very memorable day. Good job, as I don’t appear to have any photos from it!

Long Mynd - Pole Bank 2005

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Yes… We have a TTU unit between Shooting Box and Pole Bank to relay checkpoints back to Stretton HQ (2M main frequency with 70cm relay to Stretton), plus some PMR. This year we also deployed LoRa trackers with the broom wagons and I put a digipeater at the TTU site on a 10ft pole which filled in some big gaps in the Onny valley - this worked really well.

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16

Good stuff, James, I intend making my annual trip to Pole Bank early next month, also Corndon Hill to finish off the Shropshire Five for this year.
Logically the best would be to do PB first, driving up from Church Stretton, but that means driving up the horrible Burway which I don’t fancy. I drove down it many years ago, never again! Usually I’ve driven the long way round from the west, which I’ll probably do again, after Corndon Hill.
73 John G0MHF

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17

Yes, agreed John! Approaching from Bridges in the west is the least “hairy” of the three roads up to Pole Bank - and definitely better than the Burway. The third option from Asterton up via the gliding club is (in my opinion) steeper than the Burway but less of a precipitous drop off. However, there are fewer passing places, so you might end up reversing! :face_with_spiral_eyes:

I’ll keep my ears pinned for you when you are over this way!

Asterton - after my 89th stop while attempting to cycle up it:

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18

I find I can cope with the Burway in either direction better than Asterton. One of the most frightened I’ve ever been in my life was driving down off the Mynd down the Asterton road in sleet/ice conditions. By the time I’d got to them bottom, by thigh and calf muscles were burning so much from the clutch and brake pedal use, and so tired was I from the intense concentration and stress, that I needed a kip!

As others have said - the Bridges road up and down, regardless of where I’m heading next, or have headed from, tends to be my preferred option!

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If you are not in a hurry, you can park on the northern end of Longmynd - near Plush Hill - , and walk along the ridge to the top. It makes a very pleasant walk, with no traumatic driving…

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I’ve recreated the missing photos for you here:
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