Thursday 16th February 2012 - Day 2

       

Liam and I munched through our cooked breakfast at the Queens Head and he informed me that Pandy was the next objective along the ODP route. However, on a bright dry morning, I decided it would be good form to take the short drive back over the border into the Forest of Dean for an activation of Ruardean Hill G/WB-021. After driving around Ruardean and Ruardean Woodside trying to remember where Ruardean Hill was (without the benefit of an OS Map or a JimNav) we eventually found the Sports & Social Club, and parked opposite.

       

A short walk involving a final ascent of a few centimetres, followed by a descent of a few more centimetres, took us to the grassy area around the beacon. Here I set up, again for 40m CW, on which I made 21 QSOs. With the handheld, I added one more on 2m FM before we returned to the car and headed back into Wales.

Liam directed me to Pandy where we located where the ODP crossed the A465, before returning a little way south to pick up the road for Capel-y-ffin which we knew would eventually lead us onto Gospel Pass. The car park here was quite busy, but we got a space and changed into our boots.

       

This was probably the easiest 9 points I have ever collected in SOTA. From Gospel Pass, there is an intial pull up onto the plateau, but there follows an extended stretch of flat walking, where the only challenge was avoiding the numerous boggy bits. Most of the families out walking were treating the trig point on Hay Bluff (677m) as their objective, but of course we had to press on. Almost doubling back on ourselves, we proceeded along a flat flagged section until we joined the route of the Offa's Dyke Path, before making another ascent which takes you above the 680m contour, and into the activation zone.

   

Opting not to walk a further kilometre south to the summit true, I set up in this area for my 40m CW activation. 26 QSOs were made, followed by a blank on the 2m FM handheld. After packing up and leaving the AZ, I soon met Dave M0MYA and partner on the flat bit between the edge of the AZ and Hay Bluff. We exchanged pleasantries and I revealed that the six foot 14 year old they had passed a few minutes before was in fact Liam. Liam had waited for me, as requested, at Hay Bluff trig point, before we completed the descent to Gospel Pass together.

We now drove down into Hay-on-Wye, where we paused for a steak & kidney pie from the butchers, and a photo by one of the many bookshops. The next objective, according to Liam, was Kington. I decided to ignore Hergest Ridge G/WB-008, but have a look at Bradnor Hill G/WB-011. I made use of the public road that runs up to and beyond Kington Golf Club, and gains quite a bit of height to a parking area, marked as "no public vehicles beyond this point".

       

We walked on the allowable pathways between the greens and fairways and found the collection of rocks that marks the summit. The daylight was ebbing away and a cold icy wind was blasting across the golf course. A few feet away from the summit was a wooden shelter with a bench inside it. With no golfers out on the course, I reckoned it could be our shack. I set up the 40m dipole accordingly so that the feeder could connect to the FT817 inside the shelter, and enjoyed the opportunity to activate out of the wind. The only disruption was the eerie racket being made by the wind outside!

       

15 QSOs were made, and there was no response to a call on 2m FM. We walked back to the car in the last shreds of daylight and drove down to Kington. One more driving leg was completed into Knighton, where I found a twin room over a pub - the George & Dragon Inn. We walked down the road to a nearby curry house for our supper, which was excellent, before returning to the pub for sleep.

       

I reflected that I had now done four SOTA activations in two days of Liam's Road Trip, and he was still really happy and enjoying himself. What a marvellous design concept the Nintendo 3DS is!  The following morning would kick off with View Edge G/WB-018.