Congratulations to Rick M0RCP on achieving Mountain Goat. Getting the final few points must have seemed like you were waiting for a bus and finally one came today taking you to the Old Man of Coniston. Well done!
73, Gerald
In reply to G4OIG:
I asked Brian when we we’re on Foel Fenli earlier if I’d heard Rick say he’d done the Old Man and he couldn’t remember. So we were sort of unsure if Rick was goated when we worked him when he was doing some WOTAs today.
Congratulations from me and congratulations from him! 
Andy (aka Florence Nightingale)
M0FMF
Many congratulations Rick. Activator MG is a very worthwhile achievement, and I’m sure you loved every minute of getting there. And the bonus is, like me, it doesn’t end. In fact, it can’t. Like Jimmy M3EYP, Thomas M3OOL will have his own sights on MG, so life goes on!
All the best,
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G4OIG:
Congratulations Rick, a real achievement.
Now, you have to grow a beard so that people will recognise you as a goat!
Barry GM4TOE
Well done Rick! MG is a huge achievement.
73
Richard
G3CWI
Congratulations Rick!
A fine achievement 
73,
Mark G0VOF
In reply to G4OIG:
Well Done Rick, puts my 101 points to shame !!
Nice summit to make it on as well!
73
Tony
Congratulations Rick.
73, Frank
In reply to G4OIG:
Well done Rick. From my 50 or so activator points perspective reaching 1000 seems amazing and very expensive.
I listened for you hard on 80m and heard all the others getting through. When the QSB peaked here I heard your call sign 3/1 at best so it’s 8 points for the SWL log today. The Barbarians v All Blacks on TV put pay to the 7MHz QSO for me drat! 500 chaser points by Christmas is slipping away …
cheers
David 2E0DAI
Congratulations Rick - and thanks for all the Chaser points you’ve given me
Well done !
73
Graham G3OHC
In reply to M6WOW:
Well done Rick. From my 50 or so activator points perspective reaching
1000 seems amazing and very expensive.
David
In many ways it is quite possibly the most difficult of all amateur radio awards to achieve. I find it amazing that so many have actually managed it in such a short time (14/370 in the English Association). As to whether it is expensive probably depends on your perspective. A Premiership football fan might well consider it cheap in comparison!
73
Richard
G3CWI
Well done Rick.
73’s
Robert
G0PEB
Congratulations Rick, brilliant achievement and one in time I hope to emulate :o)
Carolyn
In reply to G3CWI:
I agree with you, Richard. Every other award is shack or car based and uses operating skill, patience and persistance. This one requires physical effort and endurance on top. Mountain Goat is my long term ambition too.
I’ll be better able to afford visits to mountain areas and mountain walking once the mortgage is paid off in 2014. Mind you, exploring the Lakeland fells with my Dad is simply marvellous and the dear old goat seems to enjoy /tolerate an hour on a summit while I do SOTA.
Well Done Ric! Thanks for the Chaser and SWL points to date.
David 2E0DAI
Congratulations Rick on achieveing your mountain goat.
Jimmy M3EYP
In reply to G4OIG:
Thank you to all for your kind words and yes Gerald I had begun to wonder whether I would get there before the end of the year.
A suitable if brief weather window was enough to get me out and after an moderately early start was I parked up in the Walna scar car park and ready to go by 10. I waited out a shower in the car before setting of and elected to take a new, to me, route up past the quarry starting up hill at around SD283968, a route which rejoins the main path just below the summit.
Somewhat surprisingly the upper 100 or so meters of the path had significant snow/ice coverage. Crampons might have been appropriate but with care the path was passable. Despite setting off somewhat behind schedule I arrived on the summit within 15 minutes of my alerted time. Indeed the top of the hill seemed to arrive some 100m earlier than I expected!
Conditions at the top were fair i.e. cloudy with occasional showers but out of the wind behind the summit cairn I soon got to work and bagged 11 QSOs in as many minutes on 2m FM using just the hand held. First in the log was 2E0GHQ followed by G1OHH, G4RQJ and G1TAG.
I decided to erect the HF dipole away from the summit cairn (and away from the precipitous drop adjacent to it) despite this meaning that I had to operate in the open. Fortunately the air temperature was reasonably high and despite the exposed location conditions were tolerable.
Nine QSOs on 80m were soon in the bag, starting with GM7UAU. Best DX was ON4BB and a highlight was finishing with a S2S with GM4COX/P on GM/SS-261 who found me just in time. After a brief return to 2m FM for a spot (thanks M1AVV), I QSY’d to 7.135 for a further nine QSOs begining with OK1SDE. This time best DX was S51ZG and worst(?) G0TDM in Penrith who finally managed to get through after many attempts.
After packing up, and aware of the lack of daylight, I made my way along to Brim Fell (LDW-037), normally an easy trot, but made more interesting by a covering of ice. I’d imagine this route would be quite challenging were it to freeze completely but on this occasion progress was relatively unproblematic. On arrival I installed myself behind the cairn and rapidly made 3 QSOs G1OHH, G1KLZ and G4BLH on 2m FM. Setting off again I made my way to the point at which the Goat’s water path turns right on the way to the summit of COM (approx SD266982) before deciding I had time to continue up and around the ridge of which Dow Crag (LDW-047) forms a part.
There was considerably more snow on Dow Crag for some reason and I elected not to attempt to scramble over the very top on this occasion. I’ll save it for another time! I imagine the views from this point are particularly fine but today there was little to be seen. Four quick QSOs from this summit with G4BLH, G0LEE, MWOFMF/P and GW4ZRP/P, the latter pair on NW-051 brought the radioing to an end and it was time to get off the mountains before darkness descended.
The route down from this point was unproblematic, even in the ever present hill fog, the final descent down the Walna scar path being easy to follow even without the use of the head torches I was carrying just in case. I arrived back at the car around 4.30 just as the light failed.
Total distance traveled around 6 miles, height climbed around 800m, time elapsed 6.5 hours, Total travel time 5 hours, sandwiches eaten 0, hot chocolate drunk 0.5 flasks.
All in all a great walk. I’d recommend this route as an alternative to anyone wanting a change from the more familiar ones.
Many thanks to all who worked me on this outing and indeed to all who have listened out for me on previous expeditions. Walking the hills would not be nearly as much fun without the chance to do radio from the tops.
73 to all and look forward to hearing from you on the next one.
Rick.