We couldn't quite squeeze all eleven GI/AH summits into
three days, but three-and-a-bit days is probably a competitive enough
record to withstand any future challenge. Until G1INK takes a visit over
there anyway!
So we did have to drive out North once again on the morning of Sunday
30th March 2008, and up the A2 Antrim Coast Road it was. This is a
lovely road to drive in daylight, for it clings right to the coast and
offers great views across the Irish Sea to the Mull of Kintyre, and
around each successive bay around County Antrim. From Larne, we passed
through Drains Bay, Ballygalley, Glenarm, Carnlough, Glenariff and
Cushendall, before we took the minor road that passes to the west of the
hill.
In 2005, we had ascended through farm fields from the East, but I wanted
to investigate a public road indicated on the OSNI 1:50,000 sheets. This
road turns left off the lane we were on, and was gated, although only
one gate was closed. There was a small parking area at the top, and from
here it was a trivial walk along the summit ridge through a couple of
fields.
Jimmy spent sometime agonising over the map and exploring around all the
possible candidates for the true summit. I made up my own mind quickly
as to where it was, and set to setting up for 80m. An almost full
day-off yesterday had reignited my enthusiasm for HF, and I was QRV at 2
minutes to 10 local BST. Not bad considering that the clocks went
forward during the night, and I had ordered a later 7am get-up to
compensate.
A steady stream of callers was worked on 3.557MHz CW, interspersed with
an interlude of four SSB contacts by Jimmy on 3.660MHz. I didn't bother
with lots of CQing after the pile-up was worked down, nor a blast on 2m
FM. I wanted to make the most of the easy descent and allocate the time
for the long drive south.
A very long drive south. Eighty miles no less, to
Knockiveagh
GI/MM-016. Many thanks to the following stations, all worked on 80m
with 5 watts:
GI0RQK |
Ballyclare |
Colin |
CW |
T |
G4OBK |
Pickering |
Phil |
CW |
T |
GM0AXY |
Edinburgh |
Ken |
CW |
T |
G3RMD |
Cheltenham |
Frank |
CW |
T |
G3OHC |
Selby |
Graham |
CW |
T |
GI0RQK |
Ballyclare |
Colin |
SSB |
J |
GW0VMZ |
Merthyr Tydfil |
Alistair |
SSB |
J |
G4OBK |
Pickering |
Phil |
SSB |
J |
G6MZX |
Thornton-in-Craven |
Geoff |
SSB |
J |
G4SSH |
Scarborough |
Roy |
CW |
T |
EI7CC |
Dun Laoghaire |
Pete |
CW |
T |
ON4CAP |
Oostkamp |
André |
CW |
T |
G4CPA |
Crosshills |
Geoff |
CW |
T |
MX0BCQ/A |
Crosshills |
Geoff |
CW |
T |
EI2CL |
Dublin |
Michael |
CW |
T |
|