Tom Read - click to email meBDXC ISWL WAB SOTA RSGB IOTA - see my radio page for more detailsLiam & Jimmy

Shillhope Law 2011

 

Liam on final approach to the summit    Liam on a halfway rest stop

Sunday 31st July 2011 began with the chore of unpitching the tent and packing the car. This is where it always becomes obvious the scale of benefit of having Craig with us. Him and Jimmy both worked hard to help me unpitch and pack up. Liam helped a bit!  After the now routine provisions stock up at Wooler Co-op, we now headed into the beautiful Cheviots. Liam and I reminisced about our last drive along this road into Upper Coquetdale, during our 2010 Pennine Way Road Trip - http://tomread.co.uk/road_trip_day_4.htm

Great view of Upper Coquetdale from the summit    Lunch at the summit

Snow had prevented us from getting to the top of the road on that occasion, so we resolved to do so after this activation. We parked in the car park at NT866103, just before the hamlet of Barrowburn, and we soon gazing into the deep water below the bridge as we crossed Wedder Leap, somewhat more successfully than the legendary sheep rustler who may have been an early candidate for a Darwin Award!

Craig    Jimmy setting up the SOTA Beam

From here we made a snaking approach to the gate at NT873101, through deep heather on steepish ground, so progress was slow. After then, it was a familiar SB slog uphill to the summit, where again, a large stone shelter cairn surrounded the triangulation column. I sat with Liam in there after setting up the aerial.  Jimmy managed five QSOs on 2m FM, whereas I made eight on HF CW, one on 10m, and the rest on 40m. Lunch eaten, and gear packed away, it was time to descend this final hill of the expedition and go home.

Jimmy M3EYP    Liam enjoying himself

We did follow the road up to the Pennine Way on the border ridge, then used the military ranges, which were open, to continue and drive down to the A68 at Byrness. Already, I was feeling tired, so a rest was in order before a very long drive south. We called in at the Byrness Hotel, where Jimmy and I had overnighted on the Pennine Way in 2006.  It was now open as a tearoom during the day, and Katy the landlady remembered us from five years ago. We had an enjoyable 45 minute break of tea, coffee, cakes and J2O, while chatting with Katy about subsequent progress in 2006 and events since.

Jimmy and the SOTA Beam    Tom M1EYP operating in the shelter cairn    Tom M1EYP

Suitably refreshed, it was back on the road, and down the A68, A1, M1, M62, M60, A34 and A537 to Macclesfield, with a loop to Bollington to drop Craig off. It had been a really successful outing with favourable weather, nice (long) walks, good company, radio, food and beer. But Jimmy and I agreed quietly with each other that we were astonished that Liam had managed that level of intensity of walking over the five days, and had done so cooperatively and cheerfully!  Many thanks to all the stations that called us on all the SB summits, and those below that called us on this last one:

G2ARY

2m

FM

J

M0BQD

2m

FM

J

G0CQK/M

2m

FM

J

G1GDM/M

2m

FM

J

YL7X

10m

CW

T

M1VHT

2m

FM

J

DL3HXX

40m

CW

T

DF5WA

40m

CW

T

G3RMD

40m

CW

T

G3RDQ

40m

CW

T

DL6KVA

40m

CW

T

G4ELZ

40m

CW

T

HB9AGH

40m

CW

T