Sugar Loaf - 596m, 2 points
Association: Wales Region: South Wales
Latitude: 51 51 46 N, Longitude: 3 3 30 W
Grid Reference: SO 272188, QTH Locator: IO81LU
I didn't arrive at the parking spot at Forest Coal Pit, on the Northern side of Sugar Loaf, until 14:45.
I had not approached Sugar Loaf from this direction before and so it was something of an unknown.
From the carpark it's an easy to navigate route with a well marked and trodden path to within sight of the summit. The last steep part of the ascent is a bit vague, you just look around for the obvious steps up to the summit!
It's a good 2 mile walk and I was not setup and ready until 1600. The sun was already low in the sky and the chill in the air was increasing.
This is a popular and busy summit, with very little space, so I was glad that most people were packing up and descending as I arrived. There were a few people who came over and chatted about what I was doing.
I started off on 40 metres and the chasers soon found me!
A straight run of 38 contacts in 27 minutes saw most of the regulars in the bag.
I tuned up on 14Mhz and made a couple of calls but nothing materialised.
Very conscious of the time, the setting sun, the 1 hour descent and my frozen fingers, I decided not to persevere but pack up and call it a day.
I packed up with the sun rapidly dropping towards the western horizon, now the only person left on the summit.
Only 38 contacts on 40 metres and no S2S, but a pleasant walk and much nicer than the southern route as there is no steep single track road to negotiate on the way to the parking spot!
Total distance was 4.2 miles and 1230' of ascent.
Daily Total of 9.0 Miles and 2057' ascent.
93 QSOs, 4 S2S.
14 activator points.
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| On the descent. The sun sets. |
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