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This dieting / abstention from alcohol / calorie-counting / regular exercise / Fitbit watch / My Fitness Pal app business is all well and good. But I was now finding I’d got huge reserves of extra energy I needed to get through. Well SOTA can be quite good for that! Thursday 23rd August 2018 - Boulsworth Hill - Lad Law G/SP-008 Marianne was on a late shift, so I went for an early start so as to be back home mid-afternoon. Up with the alarm at 5am, then straight into soup-making duties. Today’s selection was Baxter’s chicken, broccoli and rice “super good” soup. Rather unusual, but nonetheless tasty and enjoyable. An hour up the road, and the McDonald’s at Baxenden (famous home of Holland’s pies and puddings) was the breakfast stop.
Just entering the postcode in my satnav did not land me at exactly the right point - the postcode must cover a wide area in this part of rural East Lancashire. So I turned back and drove up the nearest road that looked like it was going up a hill. Two minutes later, I was by the barrier at the start of the track I was intending to walk. This is a really easy route and a pleasant walk. For most of the distance, the track is fairly level, ending at a rough turning circle down a slight dip. From here, a clear “baggers’ path” continues off, over a ditch and strikes diagonally up the hillside. The rocky outcrop at the summit is clearly visible for quite a distance beforehand.
I set up on 20m and set to work immediately on FT8. Just six QSOs were made in 35 minutes of operating, but some interesting ones were in there - TF1A, YU2AX/MM and LX1HD for instance. Before heading down, I called on both 2m FM and 2m C4FM, but got no replies. I had to divert off the track over some very rough moorland at one point, so as to avoid risking upsetting a group of very long-haired cattle that were now breakfasting on or close to the path. They watched me closely as I passed, but seemed content with the distance I was respectfully keeping, and they soon resumed their grazing. Next, it was over to Pendle Hill G/SP-005.
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