Moel y Gamelin, GW/NW-042 - 578m ASL - SJ 176 465 - OS Explorer 256 - 2 SOTA points           

Tuesday 28th December 2021 - Moel y Gamelin GW/NW-042, Cyrn-y-Brain GW/NW-043, Foel Fenlli GW/NW-051 & Moel Famau GW/NW-043

I set off from home around 5am having woken up just after 4am. I was parking on Horseshoe Pass A542 opposite the Ponderosa Cafe at 6.50am. The entire ascent route to Moel y Gamelin GW/NW-042 was in darkness - and thick fog, and even with a good headtorch it was rather disorientating even on such a very familiar route! More than once I stopped and double-checked where my OS Maps app thought I was!

I reached the summit just as the first hints of dawn were occurring.  0756 to 0809z - 2m FM - 8 QSOs

I was back down at Ponderosa by around 9am. The cafe would still not be open until 10am, but the fine drizzle coupled with blustery wind had soaked the top half of me. The bottom half was well protected with brand new boots and brand new waterproof overtrousers, but my coat is both rubbish and knackered - and my base layer shirt, fleece and SOTA woolly hat were all soaked.  I got in my car for a 15 minute blast of the heater - and to change hats!  Fortunately I still had my two novelty Christmas hats in the car - I would need them both! Next it was off up the road track behind the cafe, and up onto Cyrn-y-Brain GW/NW-043.