Tom Read - click to email meBDXC ISWL WAB SOTA RSGB IOTA - see my radio page for more detailsLiam & Jimmy

Foel Goch 2007

 

    Click to return to summit index

 

After our activation of Mynydd Rhyd Ddu GW/NW-073 on Wednesday 11th April 2007, we took the very short drive to Llangwm, and beyond to the parking spot ahead of Foel Goch GW/NW-039. This, like the remainder of summits on the trip, was one that I had activated 2 or 3 times before, and that Jimmy had ascended 2 or 3 times before, but all before he attained his amateur radio licence. So they all needed to be revisited so he could get the points!

            Liam relaxes with a snack at the summit

The walk up was painfully slow, with Liam in reluctant and unenergetic mood. I tried to cheer myself up by reasoning that it was improving my fitness having an extra 11 stones of dead weight to shove up each hill! Extra to the 17 of my own. He's his father's son alright!

Jimmy on the other hand, one has to wonder. Nearly as tall as his father, but a stone lighter than his little brother, he skipped away from us and up to the summit. No problem though, this routine was utilised for the rest of the trip, and he would use his early summit time to send a SOTAwatch Spot using Spotlite on his mobile 'phone, and then have the SOTA Beam set up and ready for me to add the guys and feeder upon my arrival.

        Tom MW1EYP/P on GW/NW-039                Jimmy MW3EYP/P

In fact Jimmy also made his first contact - Ron GW4EVX - with his handheld while waiting for us, but then even with the FT817 and SOTA Beam, neither of us could elicit another response for 20 minutes. Then the remaining 3 contacts each required presented themselves suddenly in an 8 minute spell!

Down at the car, it was nearly five o'clock local, and would normally have seen an end of the day's activities. But we were booked in a local Travelodge, and the time was our own. Jimmy was allowed to navigate to get us across to Moelfre Hall, our preferred start point for Gyrn Moelfre GW/NW-049.  Many thanks to the following stations, all worked on 2m with 2.5 watts:

GW4EVX Mold Ron FM T, J
GW7AAV Connahs Quay Steve FM T, J
GW0DSP Connahs Quay Mike FM T, J
G4BLH Brierfield Mike SSB T, J