New Key!

After lusting after a Begali for many years, the opportunity came along to buy one for a price that I couldn't refuse!

I'm now the proud owner of the Begali Magnetic Classic.

Looking forward to giving it a good workout!

SOTA - Waun Fach - GW/SW-002

Waun Fach - 811m, 8 points
Association: Wales Region: South Wales
Latitude: 51 57 46 N, Longitude: 3 8 38 W
Grid Reference: SO 215300, QTH Locator: IO81KX

Well, I almost bit off more than I could chew today. For some reason last night, I changed my planned activation of Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse to Waun Fach.
The reason was primarily based around the forecast of severe icing above 400 metres.
There are two issues with that. The lane up to the Mynydds, from bitter (cold) experience, can be an ice rink.
The actual ascent of Mynydd Troed is very steep and probably needs crampons in these conditions.
For that reason I thought I'd go for a longer walk (8 miles in the end) on the easier more gradual ascent of Waun Fach.
Easier than what I ask myself. It was pretty obvious right from the start that this was going to be no walk in the park. The track up to the Grywne Fawr reservoir was a sheet of ice in places where the thaw from yesterday had frozen solid.
Luckily I was wearing my Yaktrax15 .

After a quick rest at the reservoir dam, I started out for the climb to the summit.



This is where I'd underestimated just how much snow there was! I was knee deep most of the time and at one stage entered a hole up to my waist. I had to sit and think about how I was going to get out of it

It took me an hour from the dam to cover the 1 mile to the plateau at 811 metres. I was so shot that I didn't have the energy to try and find the summit a few hundred yards away.



As predicted the temperature on top was minus 3ºC and with the strong wind it definitely felt like -10ºC.
And the wind was to have the last laugh...



I donned 2 extra layers, set up and got ready to operate. As I said the wind chill was quite extreme and before I'd even touched the key I decided on getting into the Bothy bag. I got tucked up inside but it was all wrong. I was facing the wrong way and the bag was covering my face. I tried adjusting myself without success, so decided to stand up and readjust the set up. That's when it happened!

A momentary lapse of concentration whilst getting up, the wind filled the bag like a spinnaker, ripped it out of my hand, and it went careering away towards South West Cymru. I vainly tried to run after it, pencil in mouth, ear phones in ears and thigh deep in snow. A bright yellow flash was last seen rolling and tumbling merrily across the valley towards Mynydd Troed, laughing as it went 

Gone with the wind!

There was a bit of cursing and swearing at my stupidity, thank god I'd already erected the antenna, because after my marathon attempt at chasing the runaway, when I first turned round I couldn't see where my kit was!



Anyway I had a quick run on 20 metres, all the time the snow was blowing and filling up every crevice it could find on my kit. When the run on 20m dried up I was pretty cold and decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and it was wise to pack up before the cold could become a critical issue. I'd had enough fun for the day so far. Apologies to anyone waiting for me to appear on 10 and 7. It just wasn't to be today.



So it was pack up time and just as I was about to leave another hiker appeared. I thought I'd the place to myself but just shows there are other mad people out there too. He of course was wearing snow shoes. Who was it that mentioned them just a day or so ago!

It was much easier descending, although still hard work. It was nice to be back on a solid path once I reached the dam, at least I could tell what was under my feet.

Beautiful day even with the loss of the Bothy.
Hope someone finds it that can make use of it .
More photos here.

SOTA - Mynydd Carn-y-cefn - GW/SW-014

Mynydd Carn-y-cefn - 550m, 2 points

Association: Wales Region: South Wales
Latitude: 51 46 9 N, Longitude: 3 10 46 W
Grid Reference: SO 187085, QTH Locator: IO81JS

The second summit of the day was Mynydd Carn-y-cefn. This was approached from a parking spot close to the West Monmouthshire golf club which is officially the Highest Golf Club in Great Britain! (or so it says).

There's a good track virtually all the way to the summit which is obviously regularly used by 4x4 vehicles, probably for tending the many sheep which roam the hillside. 

The first false summit ahead

We were quickly above the snowline and once again into cloud. I stayed on the track until the trig point was at 90º to my path, made the turn, and struck off across the heathland to intercept it without difficulty.

Trig point

The trig point "moat" was frozen solid, and the convenient scaffold pole stuck in the ground made a strong pole support.

I was soon on the air but without all the excitement of the S2Ss of earlier in the day. Luckily Peter, G3TJE/p once again came to the rescue and gave me a S2S from Wills Neck, G/SC-002 to add to the further 44 QSOs for the activation.

The descent was straight forward and the clouds cleared briefly revealing the valley far below.

A glimpse of the valley below

I got back to the car with the last vestiges of daylight after a fairly productive, enjoyable day.

Maybe next time the sun will shine again.

SOTA - Coity Mountain - GW/SW-012

Coity Mountain - 581m, 2 points

Association: Wales Region: South Wales
Latitude: 51 45 55 N, Longitude: 3 6 56 W
Grid Reference: SO 231080, QTH Locator: IO81KS

My first trip to South Wales for 2015 and I seemed to pick the only day of the week where the cloud never lifted above 300 metres!

Anyway today's pair were picked to provide a reasonably easy 10 points with the winter bonus in full swing.

Big Pit with Coity Mountain somewhere behind!

As per usual, the trip up Coity was from the Big Pit museum, firstly scrambling across the open bog land before arriving at the access road to the disused mine workings. This presented the usual issues of finding a path which didn't take you thigh deep in the bog. Today as well, there was no sign of the access track ahead, visibility was down to about 10 to 15 metres at best. The trusty GPS came to the rescue but I also took a compass bearing just in case things should go pear shaped. I was soon engulfed in the cold grey cloud , the Big Pit now lost in the mist behind me. Right on target I hit the access path and started climbing into the clouds above.

Track to mine workings

Upwards past the old mine workings and then we were completely "off piste".
Even on a clear snowless day, there are no obvious tracks to the summit, which is in itself a featureless unmarked entity.

I scouted around the cliffs at the back of the mine workings, took a bearing for the summit and headed off uphill.

Summit bound

It was quite tough going, the snow being quite deep in places. Eventually my reckoning and the altimeter told me I was either at the summit or pretty close, certainly well within the activation zone.

The summit.

I set up the station and got ready to go. Looking for a clear QRG on 14Mhz I stumbled across a pile up on 14.062Mhz This was Bruno, HB9CBR/p on HB/VD-035 - Le Chasseron, and obviously he was to be my first QSO and S2S of the day. Finding a clear frequency I was about to call CQ when the 2m handheld burst into life. This was Phil GW4OBK/p and Geoff 2W0NON/p on Mynydd Sylen, GW/SW-036, approx 70 Kms to the west. Needless to say I waited around to work them (an unusual occurrence for me to be on 2m FM) for my third S2S of the day.

Working 14, 10 and then 7 Mhz resulted in a further 28 QSOs before Peter, G3TJE/P on Dunkery Beacon, G/SC-001, called in on 7Mhz to make it 4 S2S of the day.

As I was packing up to leave the handheld burst into life again. Again this was Phil GW4OBK/p and Geoff 2W0NON/p, but this time on Mynydd Llangyndeyrn, GW/SW-039, some 75 Kms to the west. Those boys were moving along fast!

That made it 6 S2S for the day and 34 QSOs.
I packed up and retraced my footsteps (nice easy navigation!) back to the access track. After a quick bite of lunch and some coffee it was off to summit number two, Mynydd Carn-y-cefn, GW/SW-014

SOTA - Cleeve Hill - G/CE-001

Cleeve Hill - 330m, 1 point

Association: England Region: Central England
Latitude: 51 55 11 N, Longitude: 2 0 21 W
Grid Reference: SO 996245, QTH Locator: IO81XW

The first activation of the year and what was a "coming of age" activation for me too. Yes, it was my 21st activation of Cleeve Hill! You'd think I'd be getting bored with it by now.

With a few spare hours, a point available and not wishing to travel too far afield, it made perfect sense.

There was a bit of snow and ice on the approach road, but nothing that couldn't be handled by my vehicle.

At the car park the hill looked crisp and clean with the fresh snowfall from overnight.

There were not many people around and I set up in the lee of some gorse bushes to get out of the bitter wind. It was a balmy 3ºC when I started operations.

Whilst conditions were hardly sparkling, I worked all bands, 40 through to 15 metres, for a total of 50 QSOs and 15 DXCC.

As usual the handwarmer came in useful, especially after struggling with trying to collapse the upper section of frozen pole with bare hands.

A nice winter day, if a little grey.

SOTA - Great Rhos - GW/MW-002

Great Rhos - 660m, 4 points

Association: Wales  Region: Mid Wales
Latitude: 52 16 1 N, Longitude: 3 12 0 W
Grid Reference: SO 182639, QTH Locator: IO82JG

Trying to squeeze a final activation in before the end of the year, I decided on Great Rhos which would net me 7 points for the day.
Most of mid Wales had been snowed in over the last couple of days, but a thaw in the west meant that the main roads should be clear of snow.
And that is how I found it. A big thaw had set in and there were no issues getting to my usual parking spot opposite Haine's Mill on the A44 near New Radnor.

It's a 3 mile walk in with 1350' of ascent. The snow line was at about 600 metres but was easily manageable until the summit plateau, where there were deep drifts. I tried in vain to battle my way to the trig point, but was defeated by the deep snow and unknown terrain underfoot.

Ascending the track

I retreated to a convenient gate, well within the activation zone, which was both an ideal spot to mount  both the pole and set up my tarp as a wind break. Wind chill was well below zero in the keen wind although the air temperature was hovering around 3ºC

Convenient gate

Looking across the valley

The thaw really took hold

Stream alongside Haine's Mill

No live firing today.

Condx were pretty good with 42 QSOs in the bag including 2 Stateside.

Just one S2S this today with F6HBI/p on F/AM-415

Log2Map QSO detail

A nice outing to end the day, and plenty of HNY wishes from the chasers!

Cold fingers however :-)

SOTA - Titterstone Clee Hill - G/WB-004

Titterstone Clee Hill - 533m, 2 points

Association: England Region: Welsh Borders
Latitude: 52 23 52 N, Longitude: 2 36 7 W
Grid Reference: SO 591779, QTH Locator: IO82QJ

Another slippery drive to the car park at the base of Titterstone Clee ensued.

This was a busy spot, with lots of people still off work and out enjoying the post Christmas snow.
An easy climb up to the summit and then I found a relatively quiet spot well away from the crowds.

Once again the contacts came easily , but with the lowering sun the temperature was dropping like a stone too, and I decided to call it quits without attempting 30 metres. I was also keen to see the sun set whilst not operating. It was certainly worth waiting around for the spectacular show that followed.
Lots of keen photographers were setting up their gear to make the most of the show. A fitting end to a wonderful day.