The CatCam showed no evidence of a road where the A537 was supposed to be this morning - it was all white. Clicking on the traffic update facility, I learned that the road was coned off at the Macclesfield end. The soup (New England Fish Chowder) was already in the flask and in the rucksack by now, so Jimmy and I set off anyway.
Human nature being what it is, we first drove up Buxton Road to see the cones for ourselves. And indeed they were there. “Gun” I muttered as we turned around to drop back down to the A523. This road was quite icy and snowy in parts even at low level as we passed through Lyme Green and Bosley, so I was less than confident that we would progress up the higher minor lanes to the usual Gun parking spot.
Initial progress up the Leek Old Road out of Rushton Spencer was OK, but then after turning left it was a different matter. The road uphill passing Heaton House Farm had compacted snow right across it, and my front wheels were soon spinning. But my car was moving forward, so I sat with it for the time being. Difficult progress continued, but at least it was progress, and we then found ourselves at the usual parking spot up above Meerbrook village.
Only one person had walked to the summit before us, and some of their footstep choices had not been the best, so progress was slow in snow up to 2 feet deep in places. It was absolutely beautiful though, with clear blue sky and bright sunshine illuminating the pure white landscape.
We set up the tent, 2m SOTA Beam and 80m dipole just to the north of the summit mound. Pegging anything was difficult due to deep snow, and frozen ground beneath. Passers-by, similarly enthused by the bright calm winter scene, remarked about our activity, but more knowledgably than in years past. “Oh, your more of these radio Marilyns people are you?” was one comment, while another explained “You see that one over there?” (pointing at Bosley Cloud), “There’s always someone doing this up there”. I came clean that it was probably me!
The activity was good fun. I kicked off with an 80m CW S2S with Peter G3TJE/P on Beacon Batch G/SC-003. Then it was a case of tail-ending Jimmy M3EYP/P and grabbing 2m FM S2S with David 2E0DAI/P on Brown Clee Hill G/WB-002, Pete M0COP/P on Long Mynd-Pole Bank G/WB-005, Nathan 2E0OCC/P and Brian M0OYG/P on Longridge Fell G/SP-014 and Walt G3NYY/P on Hegdon Hill G/WB-023. And that was all before the ‘official’ start time of the SOTA VHF Fun Day activities at 1300z!
Jimmy the took sole charge of the 2m FM station (VX-110 & SOTA Beam), and operated while I gave more attention to the chasers on 80m CW (FT-817 & inverted-V). Space was restricted with us both operating simultaneously in the tent, and it was hard to focus on our own operating with the noise being made by the other, but the tent did keep the cold off our hands and enabled us to conduct a 4 hour plus activity on this very cold day.
Things quietened down, and we suffered a few “getaways” that went in the SWL logs. Jimmy went outside for a walk, so I switched the SOTA Beam feeder into the FT-817, and had a go on 2m CW. Without a self-spot (because Jimmy’s phone wasn’t getting internet coverage), I called on 144.050MHz CW, and worked Mac M0TXR. We then went to 2m SSB, and made a series of further S2S contacts. These were Chris M1DTJ/P on Billinge Hill G/SP-017, Dave G7SKR/P on Winter Hill G/SP-010, Ian 2E0EDX/P on Hutton Roof Crags G/LD-052, Paul G4MD/P on Cracoe Fell G/NP-032 and Rob G4RQJ/P on Arnside Knott G/LD-058. Considering the weather, and the efforts and care everyone had needed to take to get out, it was a pretty decent haul. Added to our SWL logs were Geoff G6MZX/P on Sharp Haw G/NP-029, Keith G8HXE/P on Winter Hill G/SP-010 and Gerald G4OIG/P on G/NP-032.
Jimmy disappeared again, so I reconnected the 80m antenna to the FT-817. Again, no self-spotting was available, so it was just optimistic calling on 3.552MHz CW. DJ3XK responded, but asked me “QRP?”. I gathered from the activity on the band that a QRP contest was now in progress, so I responded in the affirmative and exchanged reports. I didn’t know if anything else was required in the exchange, but he didn’t ask me for anything else. No further responses to my calls, so I told Jimmy we would pack up, right on 3pm.
The path was much more trodden than in the morning as we descended it, but the snow was still deep in places even so. I took it very steady driving down the hills on the minor lanes to Rushton Spencer, but then it was plain sailing back into Macclesfield.
A very enjoyable and relaxed outing today. Many thanks to all callers on all bands/modes.
Tom M1EYP
