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This summit was activated by me, accompanied by Jimmy and Ray M1REK on Sunday 23rd November 2003.
Sunday morning was Jimmy's chance to meet the Saturday-arriving participants at
breakfast, following which we all set off again on our activations. This time Keith G0OXV
and Stuart now taking up GX2OA/P activated Coniston Old Man
G/LD-013, Alan did Knott G/LD-023, Myke and Chris aimed at Seat
Sandal but G/LD-022 turned back at the Grisedale Tarn when too few daylight hours
remained and Shirley retraced my Saturday steps with Dale Head
G/LD-020 and Robinson G/LD-021, but returned to Honister
rather than down to Buttermere - something I will definitely do next time myself. Ray
M1REK decided to join Jimmy and myself for our crack at Stony Cove Pike G/LD-018. After driving to Ambleside and collecting a new fleece hat to replace my new fleece hat
that I probably left in the Bridge Inn the previous day(!), we drove up "The
Struggle" to the Kirkstone Pass, parking in the free car park opposite the Kirkstone
Pass Inn. We followed the path up by the left of the pub, which soon took us to some
scrambling as we pulled ourselves up onto St Raven's Edge. From here, we followed
the path which follows the wall virtually all the way to the summit. This was a very
pleasant walk. There were a few boggy bits to negotiate although nothing too difficult,
and the weather was again favourable with stunning clear views to the North, East and
West. There was cloud rolling in from behind us, but it was also not too cold, and I was
down to the base layer on the top half for most of the way to the summit. It soon turned nippy on the summit as the cloud caught up with us, and so we had to
multi-task by simultaneously (and quickly) adding extra clothes & jackets, setting up
the radio gear, eating food, drinking and working the contacts! We got
summit-to-summit with Shirley M0YLS/P on Robinson G/LD-021 (we
must have missed her on Dale Head G/LD-020 earlier) and with
Stuart G0MJG and Keith as GX2OA/P on Coniston Old Man G/LD-013.
We did miss Alan M1EYO on Knott G/LD023, but he had told us to expect no radio path
between our two hills the night
before anyway. By the time we had returned to St Raven's Edge, I was shattered for the
first time in the weekend, definitely feeling the culmination of the two days' walking and
a couple of late nights (one through rare insomnia, one through watching the rugby). Hence
I was pleased that Ray was with us, and more than happy to allow him to takeover from me
in talking Jimmy back down the scrambly bits and giving him the odd lift. I had in fact
decided originally not to do Stony Cove Pike after the rigours of the previous day, but
changed my mind back when Ray said he would join us for the walk. Back at the cars, Ray
set off back to Congleton for his birthday tea, while me and Jim went in the Kirkstone
Pass Inn so he could 'phone mum while I enjoyed a mulled wine and pint of Hawkshead
Bitter. Thanks to the following stations worked, all on 2m FM with 500 milliwatts, except for the third and fourth contacts were 2.5 watts was used:
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