I have a report, with pictures, of my activations of Arenig Fach and Moel Eilio in the snow at my blog:
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I agree on your last conclusion. In this cold season it’s very hard making long activations on several bands. It’s just too cold for that and the human body is not prepared to be outside in the cold like that. I know the chasers would like us to stay there longer and try all different bands and modes in order to give everyone a chance, but sometimes it’s just not possible. It’s too hard.
I amaze whenever I see those horses spending the whole day, day after day, night after night, in the mountains with nothing more than their skin!
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
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That makes three of us (Simon, Guru and I).
Definitely too chilly for lingering too long.
The issue is that it is almost impossible to prevent yourself getting a bit damp through sweating while on the way up and then it doesn’t matter how many layers you put on, eventually you will start to get cold.
Safety and (to a large extent) reasonable comfort, should take precedence over hanging about on a snowy summit.
You could of course carry a tent etc. but the weight just gets beyond a joke.
Great report Simon. Sorry I was too late for you on Foel Goch.
Nice report and pics Simon.
Make it 4. Whilst on a summer activation and with time to spare on your own it is nice to work various bands and modes, in winter and/or when accompanied by someone is a different business.
We activated last 2 Sundays Walton Hill on VHF for a change. Last one with a 2W Baofeng handy, which made it very quick to work 8 stations as I was hiking around the summit.
As I am often accompanied by the family I am considering doing more VHF with a better /p antenna and a “ultra portable” setup for HF. Not sure I will go as far as the HF pack - Pedestrian Mobile crew!!!, I am thinking of something for 20m and CW …a MTR/battery/key homebrew 1-box plug & play pack and for a rapid deployable antenna…a 5m travel pole and wire or even something like a whip (compromised)
Something that it does not take 15min to assemble…
Ref. clothing - I never leave in winter without my merino inner & mid layers from Icebreaker. Unbeatable IMHO.
73 Angel M0HDF/P
After having built my plug & play rack, I’m also thinking about possibly getting and trying a miracle whip or an HF mobile GP antenna, because I’d like to be able to do not only VHF with my HH but also some HF when I’m activating Mt. San Cristobal (EA2/NV-119) every Saturdays with just 15 minutes time for it.
Should that work well enough, I think I may stop carrying my 7m fishing pole plus the 4 wire radials for winter activations, particularly when the WX conditions are harder, and do it with a faster deployable antenna, accepting with resignation that the signals will surely experience degradation compared to a longer antenna like the 7m long I currently use.
I’m thinking about possibly preparing some sort of support for a light mobile GP antenna to remain attached to the wooden plug & play rack.
I’ll let you know if I do something like that.
Please, let us know and see when you had engineered your own solution.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
I’m looking into building some helically wound short antennas (1 or 2 metres long) that can connect into a mobile mag mount plus radials to see how that performs.
Andy
Gm8oeg
The artistic department here (Mrs. TJC) has kindly put together a movie of my Moel Eilio activation from my shaky clips and photos, with an original composition for piano and ukulele.
See the blog or view on Youtube
Probably another one will follow, featuring Arenig Fach.
Simon
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Nice one Simon, I wondered what the view was like from the top!
Unfortunately just cloud when I did it 
Good music composition there, sounds reminiscent of parts of Geoff Wayne’s War of the World.
I play Uke (badly) but no keyboards (other than the one I’m typing on…
Cheers
Pete
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Thank you very much Simon for s2s. In your blog you wrote F6LKW/P but my callsign is F5LKW/P
Thanks for your eQSL by the way.
http://youtu.be/t5biIUrnI9M
73 QRO
Roger
Sorry Roger - I have corrected the blog. Many thanks for recording. I don’t think I’ve heard myself sending Morse before. I like your video of Montagne de Régagnas too.
Thank you Pete - the talent is all Helen’s.
It was indeed a great view. The way up from Chwarel Fawr is quite easy, so it would have been a great oportunity to walk the ridge. Maybe next year in similar conditions I might be able to get a lift to the start, to walk back via Moel Cynghorion. That would make a great double.
Yes. I will be trying to speed it up. It’s tempting to go for VHF only, but it’s easy to find yourself wating for the 4th QSO this side of the bigger ranges. It would be really good to speed up my set-up / break-down times. I might indeed try to secure gear pre-connected in the pack a bit like Guru, leaving the antenna as the slowest part. I am considering an end-fed system, which could also lighten the pack.
Yes, something like that. MTR2 kit to make acquaintance with the soldering iron shortly!
73, Simon
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Video: 2009
Video: 2012
Video: 2014
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Excellent write up as usual Simon. You have made Moel Eilio look very tempting !
Thought I would share a few Images and a quick video showing the conditions on GW/NW-005 Elidir Fawr, which were much better then on Y Garn !
Summit of Y Garn
Total White Out
Llanberis through the cloud
GW/NW-005 at Sun set
Jonathan
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All very nice. Thank you. It looks like your boy enjoys SOTA too.
A bit windy then. 
Just a bit ! Best camera work ever there 
…
Helen has finished applying her magic to my raw pictures and video. You can watch a slide show with her musical accompaniment or you can see and hear more of me with less music 
[Blog page - Arenig Fach and Moel Eilio][1]
Simon
[1]: G4TJC: Arenig Fach and Moel Eilio
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