As I reached the Ponderosa Cafe after descending from Moel y Gamelin GW/NW-042 (Saturday 27th December 2008), the other six were already there, and some already tucking into their lunch. Despite the breakfast feast at Lymm Truck Stop, Jimmy, Liam and I were all hungry again. Jimmy and Liam both opted for chilli and rice. Well I did too, but only two portions remained. Instead, I had the roast turkey dinner, which was rather good, as well as aptly seasonal.

       

Jimmy M3EYP had just descended from Cyrn-y-Brain with Roger M0GMG and Greg 2E0RXX, having made the following QSOs on 2m FM, and taken many photos:

However, now the cracks were beginning to show. While my team of myself, Sean and the two Liams was all geared up for Cyrn-y-Brain, Jimmy's team was falling apart. Roger M0GMG had already indicated that he would probably just do one summit, lunch and then drive home to Wilmslow. And indeed, he confirmed that this remained his intention. Greg 2E0RXX reported he had been suffering with a back problem since the summer, that he was in considerable discomfort after the first ascent and would be sitting out the afternoon session. At least the Ponderosa provided a welcome refuge in this circumstance, and Jimmy M3EYP was sufficiently skilled, experienced and confident to undertake the Moel y Gamelin expedition alone.

   

Jimmy was happy to do that, and I was happy to let him. But Greg, nice guy that he is, preferred to put himself through more pain rather than let Jimmy venture alone. I told Greg that Jimmy was fine, and to stop when he had had enough, not to push himself too far etc. And off we all set again.

By the time Liam and I reached the summit, Sean MW0GIA/P and Liam MW3ZRY/P were already 3 QSOs in on 2m FM handheld. At this point, Jimmy MW3EYP/P called from Moel y Gamelin GW/NW-042. He reported that Greg 2W0RXX/P had made it most of the way, but had stopped on the shelf just before the summit. We all worked Jimmy, and then a short time later Greg called in to say he had now made it to the summit. It turned out that something had "clicked" in his back, and he was now pain free, an excellent outcome of deciding to undertake the second activation.

I set up on 80m again, and worked lots of stations. I kept forgetting I was GC4MWS/P, usually getting as far as "MW..." and then correcting myself. I did work Roy G4SSH completely as M1EYP/P though, so I called him back in and repeated everything under the guise of GC4MWS/P. Thankfully, Roy was still listening and kindly relived the QSO with me.

Conditions were weird on 80m at this time, as reported elsewhere. I received calls from Les G3VQO and Roger MW0IDX, but they disappeared when I called them in. I received strong 599 calls from Fred DL1FU throughout my activation, and I called him back every time, but he was never there when I called him in. Very strange conditions. I received a report of RST 119 from a Swedish station, which I acknowledged, as he did of my 599 report back. The thing is, if I was 119, how did he know it was me or get my report? Still, the two-way report was successfully exchanged, so I consider it a good contact.

Most of my HF operating was alone up there. In a repeat of this morning, Sean and the two Liams had commenced their descent leaving me up there 'on me jack'. After the run of twenty 80m CW contacts, just one 80m SSB QSO was made, with Roger G0TRB. After packing the 817 and 80m aerial away, I went onto 2m FM from the VX-7R. Ten QSOs were made on 2m, including S2S with Alun 2W0CYM/P on Moel Eilio GW/NW-022 and the rest of the Macc gang now down at Ponderosa signing /A.

We set off for home, via a pub stop somewhere along the A5104 towards Chester. I got a round in, since Jimmy advised me that nice man Greg had been plying Liam and Jimmy with teas and hot chocolates at Ponderosa prices while waiting for me! Unfortately, no real ale, and ice cold Guinness in a nearly ice cold room didn't make for the best pub stop ever.  Over the drinks, Sean and Greg thought I was joking when I informed them I would be doing two activations on The Cloud G/SP-015 either side of midnight later that night!  Little did they know!  Back home we were hungry again, and able to polish off the mounds of Southern fried chicken and pigs in blankets that Marianne had kindly prepared. It had been a very enjoyable, satisfying and rather gastronomic day.  Many thanks to the following stations I worked on my second activation of the day: