I was in safe hands on Friday (29/09/2018) as Gerald MW0WML joined me as we activated Tryfan in more or less glorious weather. Mist kept forming on the summit but not enough to stop us getting some amazing views which are shown.
We had opted for 2m and 4m. The first radio related highlight of the day was an s2s with John GW4TQE/p on Cadair Idris GW/NW-009 who had gone out specifically to get an s2s with us…the camaraderie in SOTA is unbelievable sometimes…thank you John. Eleven chasers made our 2m FM log then a change to C4FM brought in a further 4 contacts.
Ian GW8OGI in Abergele was the only 4m contact with a 5/9 each way. Ian was really shocked and delighted as his 4m set up remains silent for months until suddenly we called CQ SOTA on Friday.
Great stuff, Allan, I enjoyed reading your blog entry. It sounds as though accompanying Gerald was a good call! I think I’d have to wear blinkers
I did listen out for you from Long Mountain, but nothing heard. Maybe I just missed you, or maybe it was the Adam and Eve screening effect. Anyway, glad you qualified the summit!
I have been up a few times, but only once for SOTA.
Don’t find that a problem; it’s getting down in one piece that I find quite difficult
Thanks for the QSO on Coity yesterday; much quieter than Wapley & Shobdon early in the week.
73,
Rod
Only been up once, many years ago, went up the sharp end. I remember thinking that every ascent of Tryfan by that arette follows a different route up 1000ft of mind-focusing scramble.
My most memorable ascent was when completing my summer MLC ( Mountain Leadership). At that stage the other candidate had dropped out so there was one assessor and myself, and I had set myself a somewhat optimistic ascent time going directly up the ridge, now with tent and overnight stuff for the next two days. Managed the ascent OK, and my assessor had a good play on the rocks on the way up, but was about 10 mins over and now shattered. Camped overnight on the way to Y Foel Goch and had a horrendous night nav task around the small lakes at Llyn Caseg Fraith which you will be interested to know were not particularly accurately mapped - great when you are trying to find one of the smaller puddles at 2AM!
Anyway - Passed the assessment - but have gone off Tryfan a bit.
Unfortunately my 2m slim jim failed so I was unable to try for the S2S from Birks Fell.
I think the last time I was on Tryfan involved an absail down a gulley in the dark. I had suggested we walk down the path but for some reason my more experienced climbing partner had better ideas.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been up Tryfan, certainly at the very least a dozen, but other than rock climbs it has always been by the north arete from the road, its not difficult that way, but with plenty of interest along the way and as I remember only one short stretch that needed both hands. Oddly enough I have only descended once by the south arete, it was rapidly getting dark and as my headlight battery failed most of the descent to the road got quite interesting! Of course, in those days headlamps did not use LEDs and went through batteries quite rapidly. Its very much a favourite mountain of mine and those photos brought back some pleasant memories.