Setting out from Tadcaster, where we'd overnighted in the Travelodge, I made my way north for some SOTA action ahead of the next gig, which was up in Scotland.  After breakfast in a portacabin in a layby near the A66, I drove up to Hoove.  I quickly decided against it; without a map, without Jimmy M0HGY, there was too much potential to run into time-consuming navigational issues on this very featureless moor.  A glance at the road atlas revealed I would be passing very close to the Mell fells.

This was definitely a much more sensible choice than Hoove G/NP-024 (my original intention) on Thursday 7th December 2017, even if the gale force winds were frightful on the steep ascent and summit.  Although it was a lung-buster and calf/thigh burner, it was relatively short and most importantly, well defined (which Hoove is not!). 

I was grateful and relieved beyond belief to be greeted by four chaser calls when I called CQ on my handie at the summit. It was obvious even from the parking spot that there would be zero chance of erecting an antenna in that wind.  I must admit, I hadn’t checked the weather forecast in detail, other than being aware that Storm Caroline, busy battering the Shetlands, would likely be contributing some more-than-significant breeze a few hundred miles south - which it was.

So content with my four contacts, I ambled back down in a fairly relaxed mood, just making sure that I didn’t slip up, especially with not having my trekking poles with me.  I stripped off my waterproofs and boots, and got in the car.  On went the radio and the heater.  And almost immediately came the mother of all hailstorms.  How lucky was I not to have been caught in that!  I watched the hail for a while, but then needed to get going to that night’s gig in East Kilbride.  Following which it was a slow drive home through some very wintry weather.