So smitten was I with this whole SOTA thing of combining hillwalking and amateur radio, that I didn't think it was possible to have a thoroughly negative experience. Sure, some activations are better than others, but positives are always taken away. I enjoyed all my Cornish activations even though they were challenging in themselves, and I was discovering that Cornwall was not a place that agreed with me (brilliantly sent up in the otherwise dodgy second series of Nighty Night). I have enjoyed grubby little hills with no views, all kinds of weather and radio experiences. There has always been something to remember fondly.

Not so today. A SOTA day out where I wish I hadn't bothered. Where I wish I had not been so greedy to ensure that I got me five points for Black Hill with the winter bonus before 2006 was upon me. The weather forecast was for a shower early on, but for the rest of the day to be dry and sunny, and rather mild at 10 degrees Celcius. We parked on the layby where the (new) Pennine Way crosses the A635 between Mossley and Holmfirth and got out of the car to be greeted by strong icy wind and fine persistent drizzle. Even then I started reconsidering; shame I didn't see that process through.

Liam, Jimmy M3EYP and myself set off down the flagged Pennine Way with the depressing opening of descending about 80m from the A635 to ford a couple of streams before climbing around up to the summit. The further we went, the stronger the westerly wind was, and the heavier the rain. It was increasingly apparent that both my overtrousers and my jacket were due a reproofing session, as I was getting soaked to the skin beneath them in spite of their presence. Thankfully, Jimmy's and Liam's held out more successfully. Jimmy strode on ahead as Liam and myself ascended up Black Dike Head onto the summit plateau. Visibility was now no more than around 15 yards in the heavy rain, and it wasn't getting any warmer. Liam was given the option of commencing his descent from here, which he accepted. I pressed on to catch Jimmy up five minutes later at the trig point.

Jimmy placed his first Sotacache. We tried for a quickie activation on Jimmy's Yaesu VX-110 handheld, but the calls were not answered. We now resorted to setting up the SOTA Beam and FT-817, but still a scan from 145.225MHz to 145.7875MHz revealed only two repeaters in use, and nothing on simplex. More CQ calls, more beam headings, more silence. For the nostalgic, this would have been a welcome return to the formative days of the SOTA programme. I was cold, wet and funnily enough, not feeling nostalgic in any way whatsoever. However, I did find a station in Barnsley - David G4YER - on 145.425 who was calling his mate, Tom. Well, one out of two ain't bad, so I called him back, and he was more than happy to work me, and Jimmy. During the QSO his friend Eddie 2E0ENW called in, and Jimmy and myself both made the contact with him. This was pleasing, as Eddie is in Withernsea, which is the town just above Spurn Point at the mouth of the Humber; not a bad contact at all. On the back of this, two further 2E0 stations, also in Barnsley called in to complete the qualification for both Jimmy and myself. It was good when Eddie announced his delight that we were SOTA activators, as he is a chaser himself. I see that I was only the fifth entry in his Chaser Log. 

So, unusually, it was the basic old four contacts, and the same four stations between us. The Yorkshire guys we worked were fantastic in understanding the conditions and very quickly changing (even disrupting) their operating to suit our requirements. Much appreciated gentlemen. I let Jimmy set off first, with the idea that he could radio me on the handhelds when he had caught Liam up. I quickly packed everything up in the still increasing rain. It would remain raining all the way to the car, throughout the journey home. Mr Kettley - I am not impressed (on this occasion). As it was, I had my jet-power boots on today, and I caught Jimmy back up within minutes, and then to his horror pushed past him and opened up quite a gap. As we curled around towards the parking spot, around halfway with about a mile to go, the views ahead opened up very slightly, and the murky figure of Liam could be seen. To my relief, he was beyond the two streams so wouldn't require my efforts in helping to ford them or pull up the steep very-semi-scrambly banks out of them. The three of us converged at the A635 as if we had planned it precisely and peeled off our sopping wet outer garments, sacs and boots, to leave us in our dampish clothes and trying in vain to improve comfort levels courtesy of the car heater on full blast. The return trip of car - summit - activation - car was completed in just over two hours, so that wasn't too bad, except for the fact it was two hours of purgatory. Interestingly, this was also the last we will have seen of the Pennine Way before we walk the whole length of it in July/August 2006.

We dropped down into Greenfield on the outskirts of Oldham, and a large inviting pub that was serving food. Liam had the braised steak with mash, Jimmy had the chargrilled chicken with new potatoes and I had the JW Lees special pie. Unfortunately, this proved to be stone cold at all points under the tough pastry lid, and so it was returned for a refund. The lads' meals were then checked and proved to be as good as they looked, so I guess this was a one-off. Still, the JW Lees Plum Pudding ale went down a treat, then it was back outside to the rain and the drive home. Oh well, such is life. I just hope I haven't lost my knack of identifying dry mild days within the bonus season to rack up the points. I was wondering today!

Many many thanks to the following stations, all worked on 2m FM with 2.5 watts: