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This summit was activated on Saturday 14th June 2003, by myself, accompanied by Jimmy and Liam. Driving away from our earlier summit of Penycloddiau NW-054, we first headed into St Asaph, where we enjoyed a very nice lunch at The Plough Inn / Paddock Bar. Here, no problems about remembering your table number when you order, as the tables were not numbered, but named after a famous racehorse. Our's was "Generous" - one of the only ones in the pub I had never heard of!
Upon exiting, we found that Keith GW0OXV/P had progressed onto Moel Famau NW-044, and was in contact with Brian MW0YDX (Roger MW0IDX's dad) in St Asaph. Reports were exchanged, although in actual fact I was to work both stations off Great Orme within the next two hours anyway. We hit the A55 and sped along to Llandudno Junction, up to Llandudno, and up to the main vistor car park outside the summit complex. From here, it was a short walk and climb up behind the summit complex and cable car station, up to the trig point. A typical "easy one-pointer", very similar in distance and ease to the likes of Bosley Cloud SP-016, Gun SP-013, Pole Bank WB-005 and Titterstone Clee Hill WB-004. However, that was not to be the perception of the amateurs and chasers out there who all wanted the contact, and so it was that I spent two full hours sat in the glorious baking sunshine and blue sky on the Orme, overlooking the Irish Sea and making 14 contacts. It was then time to honour a prior commitment to Liam for him to play in the large play area, as I overlooked from the terrace outside the summit complex bar with a pint of bitter. Thanks to the following stations, worked on 2m FM with 2.5 watts up to M3BZI/M, thereafter 500 mW as batteries began to wane:
A second activation of this summit took place on Monday 21st July 2003. It was not planned, or worth any points after the first activation above - we just fancied doing it! The original plan for the Monday was to again meet with Maggie MW3JAT and Josh MW3EPA and walk up and activate Creigiau Gleision NW-028. However, after Jimmy and I returned from Snowdon, Marianne asked if we would consider avoiding this third summit and instead have a family morning out visiting Conwy Castle. I thought this was more than reasonable and fair given the birthday present and tolerance for SOTA I had been given by my XYL, so I 'phoned Maggie to let her know and Conwy Castle it was. Bracing myself for a typically hugely expensive set of tickets for family entry into a tourist attraction, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a family ticket for the castle was just £10. Even so, I did not get my own money's worth, for after following Liam up one tower and wall walk, my legs had become too jelly-like to do any more, and I stayed on the ground floor! I wonder how Rob (G4RQJ) would get on in Conwy Castle hi? I was also getting a bit panicky and abrupt with Jimmy and Liam as they wandered happily and fearlessly around the walls and towers. Marianne explained to me that what I was going through was exactly how she (a non-swimmer) feels when she watches me with the boys swimming in the pool or sea. I accepted the analogy and toddled off on my own to read through the exhibition about castle churches, leaving the other three to explore free of my interference! After a chippy lunch in Conwy, we drove towards home on the A55, but it was a beautiful afternoon, and there was still a few hours of it left. We agreed to detour via the Great Orme, where we could take Liam to his very favourite park, we could enjoy a drink, and me and Jimmy could give the SOTA Beam another whirl and do our first repeat activation for the benefit of chasers.
No response to my initial CQ calls, so I QSYed onto GB3MN (Stockport repeater) for a short while to at least verify that everything was working, and spoke to a couple of the regulars on there (but didn't count them for SOTA of course - not that I needed to anyway, having already activated this summit a few weeks ago!). When I tried again on S20, two stations in Llandudno came back, including Jenny MW0BET/M, who then kindly decided to drive up and say hello! I remained in QSO with Jenny as she made her way up the Orme in her camper van, before she joined Jimmy and myself on the summit a few feet from the trig, our spot marked as ever by the SOTA Beam! Four more stations were worked including Brian MW0YDX and Barbara MW3GBD in St Asaph. After packing up, Jenny treated us all to a drink in the pub and we had a pleasant chat. We got home around 7.35pm BST after a brilliant weekend. 91 activator points now - I'm getting there! Only slight disappointment is that I am threatening to creep over the 2 points per expedition average! I am very proud of my long standing record of my 1.xx average achieved over 40 odd summits, mostly with young children in tow! Thanks to the following stations, worked on 2m FM with 1 watt, apart from the first two contacts made on 500 mW:
Many thanks to Maggie, Josh and Jenny for their excellent company and friendship over the three days. Marianne has now accepted that all radio amateurs aren't anoraks like me, and I'm even making a bit of headway in getting her to consider taking up an M3 licence! |
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