The forecast on Tuesday was not good with cloud, drizzle and cold gusty wind but the lure of the 1000 points on Winter Bonus only, was enough to get M0JLA in the car (somewhat later than usual as the weather was supposed to improve after lunch) and head for Talgarth and our favourite path up GW/SW-00, Waun Fach the top of the nearby Black Montains on the Welsh Border…
The sun when parking was a surprise and the cloud was lifting as we changed but he set off in fine style as the path is very flat for a bit
but then the almost endless slope begins but with a very good path.
By this time the cloud had already gone, we were protected from the wind so many layers of clothing had to be removed and put in the bulging sack. Why does that feel heavier than wearing them?? 300m or so of ascent later we reached the end of the boggy spur and started towards the summit along a slightly boggy path with an an unexpected hazard (they are usually further away).
It didn’t take long to reach the winding path up to the small summit ‘cairn’
MW0JLA reaching his 334th winter bonus summit - GW/SW-002 Waun Fach, the top of the Black Mountains which are the skyline from our home city of Hereford. He hurried off the eroded ‘top’ and headed across the bogs (now wetter and gaining green moss thanks the building of small wooden dams amongst the peat hags to retard the movement of water down the hill causing scouring and gullies). Good for the environment and we have seen great changes up here over the 10+ years of visits.
He found a depression to get out of the cool breexe and set up his station and mast but had to wander around for a bit trying to check alerts (he, of course, likes s2s) and put up a spot but, eventually was settled and started his way through the pile-up on 40m.
Note the VX7R on his left tready to pick up any s2s at a quiet moment or chat to me (M6BWA) behind another hag a small distance away.
A very organised set up and a page which is rapidly filling with 29 on 40m and 9 on 15m (a new departure). Eventually the contacts dwindled and the cold seeped in so everythig was packed away and he joined me for a rather late lunch. However he is not averse to the odd s2s on 2m fm if it is easy, so he had started with (on a small whip) GW1KGW/P (Colin) on GW/NW-007 Aran Fawddwy and interrupted his lunch for a 2m contact,
using the VX-7R and telescopic RH-770, with MW0PJE/P (Peter) who was battling with the interference on GW/NW-043 Cyrn-y-Brain.
On the longish walk back the horses were further away and the cloud was engulfing the Brecon Beacons but luckily didn’t reach us until after reaching the car.
So MW0JLA is the second in All G to reach 1000+ Winter Bonus points (G4YSS is far ahead - many congratulations and much admiration) and probably the 9th in the World looking at the All G database. … but there is a problem. Is he now a Mountain Winter Goat or a Winter Mountain Goat? Please vote here: - MWG or WMG??
Viki M6BWA
this takes some serious dedication and effort! Well done on achieving one of your 2023 goals so early on in the year! It’s been a pleasure working you on quite a few summits as a chaser and also having the occasional S2S on your journey. As Allan mentioned, you have a great partner in crime to accompany you on most summits 
and is also very close to hitting this goal too!
She is not as far behind as a glance at the database might suggest so we will be doing a few more before 16th March - all being well. (Hampered a bit by having commitments in the lowlands for the whole of the first 2 weekends in March.)
