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

Slieveanorra 2008

 

Despite being a four-pointer, I recalled this as being a very easy and safe walk. We drove Westwards along the B15 from Knocklayd GI/AH-002, and then Jimmy, complete with the OSI Road Atlas of Ireland upon his lap, directed me along country lanes. He was customarily successful I taking me to the start of the access track at D144278. There is plenty of space to park here, so we did, and just after 6pm, we were wandering along the stony track, part of the Moyle Way, and into the forest. Our boots were pretty wet after Knocklayd GI/AH-002, so we stuffed them with newspaper and left them in the car. Trainers would suffice for Slieveanorra, with its hard access track all the way up to the transmitter complex on the summit.

Tom MI1EYP/P on Slieveanorra    Mast on summit of Slieveanorra    Jimmy MI3EYP/P

A short distance into the forest, and we spotted a yellow tent at the side of the track. A chap was preparing one of those packet hiker's meals, the types they sell in Millets and Yeomans. I have never tried one myself. We chatted to him for a while. He was a Scotsman, and was walking the Moyle Way in two days. Conscious of limited daylight, we got on our way again, and made swift progress as we wound our way up the weaving track to the summit.

After a rest, a natter and a few photos, I eventually switched on the VX-7R hand-portable, fed to the RSS (SOTA Beams Rucksack Special) antenna standing above my head. It was nearly 7 o'clock, and if I recall correctly, we initially got going by gatecrashing an existing QSO, having been unable to solicit any action from the calling channel. However, after the two stations in Scotland were worked - and they left us their frequency because they were going QRT anyway - there was a steady stream of GI callers until we closed down at nearly 7.30pm.

View Eastwards in the fading light    Just prior to commencing our descent

The only packing away to do was placing the VX-7R in my jacket pocket and the logbook and pencil back in the zip compartment of the mapcase. The target was to be back at the car by 8pm, just about in the last dregs of daylight. As we passed the tent again, there was no sight nor sound of the Moyle Way walker, who was either fast asleep, or somewhere in the dark of the adjacent forest hunting for his supper!

We reached the car ahead of our target time of 8pm, and commenced the drive back to Larne along the A2 Antrim Coast Road. The menu in the chip shop we called in at offered a full Chicken Maryland meal, so I ordered a couple of those to devour back at my father-in-law's house. The battered chicken, battered pineapple rings, battered banana, sausage, bacon and chips were washed down with a couple of cans of Harp lager, all in good time for the commencement of Match of the Day on BBC1. In the meantime, a check on the text revealed that Macclesfield Town had won 2-1 at home. What a great day!  Thanks to the following stations, all worked on 2m FM with 2.5 watts:

GM0GOV Dunlop Fred T, J
2M0TSR Stewarton David T, J
MI3DNK Coleraine Mike T, J
MI3VIN Loughgall Everett T, J
GI4SRQ Armagh George T
MI3DKN Derry Martin T
MI0BRC near Newry   T
MI0BWK Portadown Fred T