Saturday 29th August 2009:  From the car park for Pen y Fan GW/SW-001, we reversed our route back towards Brecon, along the A470 and A438 to Glasbury, and then through the narrow country lanes towards The Begwns GW/MW-025.  Progress became slow behind a tractor trimming high hedges on the narrow lanes, but after completing a section, it did pull over to let us pass.

       

We parked on the firm grassy area at the highest point of the road, and set off up the wide path to the summit. After the long walks of the previous two days, Jimmy's mate Craig was quite surprised to be able to see the summit so close and clear. We had been doing some serious hiking though, and it was time for the antedote of an easy one.

   

On arrival at 'The Roundabout', Jimmy and Craig went off exploring the small plantation before setting up the 2m SOTA Beam. Liam found a sheltered spot to relax with his Nintendo DS, while I strung up the 40m dipole.  Jimmy made four QSOs on 2m FM, including S2S with Steve G7AAV/P and Helen G7AAU/P on Hergest Ridge G/WB-008. I enjoyed a leisurely activation of 12 contacts on 40m CW.

Shortly after 4.30pm, we packed up and drove back to Talgarth for a slightly earlier evening meal at the Bell Inn. Scrummy, filling, tasty, homemade and cheap. What more could you want from pub meals? We told Sydna we would be going home tomorrow, and thanked her again for her kind welcome, just like four years ago.

   

We were back at the campsite at 8.30pm, but unanimously decided to go to bed! A good sleep was disturbed by an adjacent tent playing music on a ghettoblaster at 3am, with the males in the tent shouting and swearing, and the females shrieking with loud drunken laughter. Having politely asked them twice if they would keep the noise down, they became abusive and louder, even turning the music up. I 'phoned the warden number on the signs, and was most impressed when a Land Rover pulled up in less than five minutes. After a "word", the rabble quietened - until the Land Rover drove off, then the shouting, swearing, laughing and music recommenced. In the morning, the excellent staff at the site told us that several further complaints had been received that morning, and that the rabble were being ejected from the campsite at that very moment!

Other than that incident, it was an excellent campsite with good facilities and staff. We have plenty more SW summits to do, so I expect that we will be back at this site - and the Bell Inn at Talgarth - in the future.  Thanks to all the following stations worked by us on this activation: