After meeting back up following my descent from Foel Fenlli GW/NW-051 on New Year's Eve, Monday 31st January 2012, I strode out on the low path to Moel Famau GW/NW-044. Again I struggled with my fitness, and the pace was slow. So slow in fact, that as I approached the junction between the low path and the middle path, there was Richard ahead of me coming off the middle path and pressing on with his faster stride, presumably assuming that I was still ahead. I never saw him again until the summit!

 
The summit of Moel Famau was not as windy as it had been on Foel Fenlli, and the fact that it had remained dry throughout the ascent was a bonus. I could see Richard's 40m dipole erected by the fence. I decided to use a patch of the flat grass on the North-East side of Jubilee Tower to set up the 12m vertical.

       

This time, the band was in much more useful shape. Mike DJ5AV called me for the first QSO, then it was USA all the way, with eight consecutive QSOs into the US. I packed up, and to Richard's horror put out a CQ call on 2m FM with the handheld. To Richard's further horror (he is clearly a cold-blooded reptile like Jimmy, and gets cold when it's cold), I then enjoyed a run of seven QSOs on 2m FM. But it is good to consider the needs of the chasers who had not the opportunity to work the summit on CW, I always feel.

   

We walked back down to the car park, somewhat surprised at the vast numbers of ill-equipped people, some with toddlers in pushchairs, making their way to the summit in fading daylight and soon worsening weather. Sure enough, as we got to the car, the heavy rain began. Perfect timing!