Monday 6 February 2017

GW/SW-004 Waun Rydd

GW/SW-004 Waun Rydd

05/02/2017

We found a new path.

Leaving the crowded carpark at SO 056175 we started out on the stiff climb up to Craig Fan Ddu which took about 40 minutes.  
GPS track to summit including the new path
Busy Carpark
Misty waterfall on the way up
Craig y Fan Ddu in the mist
It’s then a long walk along Craig Fan Ddu and Craig Fan Las to the meeting of the ways  
at SO 056191. 

Being followed as we headed up to Craig y Fan Ddu
It took us longer than anticipated today as the ice and snow made the walking difficult causing me to alter our initial activation time on the Alerts…good phone signal on top.  
Looking back at Craig y Fan Ddu
Heading up Graig Fan Las for SO 056191 and the parting of the ways.
Looking back at Pen y Fan GW/SW-001 at the parting of the ways..mist in the valleys
 Val on the new path looking back at Pen y Fan
Val stepping further into the AZ
As we got closer to the parting of the ways something didn’t look right in the direction of the summit….I could see a smooth ribbon of snow winding it’s way towards the East. One obvious path takes you down to the plane crash Memorial but slightly to the left of this was a new pathway….we followed it and it took us up into the Activation Zone of Waun Rydd…brilliant no more bog trotting.

The 'Cairn' on Waun Rydd
Seat ready in the bothy bag
Cairn to the right and PyF in the mist
We set up by the ‘cairn’ in a convenient dip which took us out of the chilling breeze with 80m being the first band on the alerted  list….good run of chasers with good signal reports including 5/9 each way to regular SOTA activator Andy GM8OEG in Scotland.
12:34z
GW6DGU
3.5MHz
SSB
Roy
12:35z
EI9GLB
3.5MHz
SSB
Jim
12:36z
G0RQL
3.5MHz
SSB
Don
12:37z
G0VOF
3.5MHz
SSB
Mark
12:38z
G4FGJ
3.5MHz
SSB
Gordon
12:39z
M3FEH
3.5MHz
SSB
Karl
12:40z
G4ENZ
3.5MHz
SSB
Martin
12:42z
G6TUH
3.5MHz
SSB
Mike
12:43z
G3RDQ
3.5MHz
SSB
David
12:44z
MM0XPZ
3.5MHz
SSB
Steve
12:45z
G8VNW
3.5MHz
SSB
Nick
12:46z
MW0CFQ
3.5MHz
SSB
PJ
12:47z
GM8OEG
3.5MHz
SSB
Andy
12:48z
G1BLJ
3.5MHz
SSB
Steve
12:49z
G0VFH
3.5MHz
SSB
David
12:49z
M0MDA
3.5MHz
SSB
Mick
12:50z
G4ZCS
3.5MHz
SSB
Chris
12:51z
M6HMK
3.5MHz
SSB
Helen
The nice lady on Radio Rucksack tools informed me that Matt was up and running on 144.310 ssb so a quick change of antenna on to the FT817 and I was calling him on my vertically polarised cable tie dipole. In the log with 5/9 each way..well he did swing his beam around towards me from Titterstone Clee Hill G/WB-004…thanks Matt ..first s2s of the day in the log..
13:02z
G8XYJ/P
144MHz
SSB
Matt s2s
Mist filled valleys
I’d announced that I was visiting 60m and G6TUH had put up a spot to that effect so I quickly removed the loading coils and immediately Rob G0HRT was replying to my CQ SOTA calls. A good run of chasers once more with a few popping up again to give me call on a different band.
13:06z
G0HRT
5MHz
SSB
Rob
13:08z
G6TUH
5MHz
SSB
Mike
13:10z
G0FVH
5MHz
SSB
Dave
13:11z
GM8OEG
5MHz
SSB
Andy
13:11z
G0ELJ
5MHz
SSB
Dave
13:11z
G0HIO
5MHz
SSB
Mike
13:12z
GM4WHA
5MHz
SSB
Geoff
13:13z
G0TDM
5MHz
SSB
John
13:14z
G4ZRP
5MHz
SSB
Brian
13:14z
G1BLJ
5MHz
SSB
Steve
13:16z
G0RQL
5MHz
SSB
Don
13:16z
GW6DGU
5MHz
SSB
Roy
13:17z
G7BGA
5MHz
SSB
Geoffrey
13:17z
G0LGS
5MHz
SSB
Stuart
13:18z
EI6KI
5MHz
SSB
Laurence
13:19z
G6ENN
5MHz
SSB
David
As I closed on 60m Don RQL informed me that Esther and Ian were on 40m so I quickly changed the links and they were both quickly in the log from GI/SM-003 Mullaghaneany..thank you both.
13:27z
GI0AZB/P
7MHz
SSB
Ian s2s
13:27z
GI0AZA/P
7MHz
SSB
Esther s2s
QSY for a few 2m contacts
I thought about staying on 40m but the mist was making things a little chilly on top so a quick visit to 2m as promised on the Alerts brought Mal to the log followed by  Matt and Stuart in Cheltenham and Philip down in Clydach, Swansea….thanks.  I left the FT280 plugged in as I packed away then suddenly I heard John XOT.  John had just arrived on GW/MW-001 Plumlymon..he was very soon in the log that had been packed away…thanks John..nice surprise.. :)
13:36z
GW6OVD
144MHz
FM
Mal
13:38z
2E0MDJ
144MHz
FM
Matt
13:40z
G0LGS
144MHz
FM
Stuart
13:41z
GW7MMG
144MHz
FM
Philip
13:48z
MW0XOT/P
144MHz
FM
John s2s
13:51z
G0SDD
144MHz
FM
Chris
Quick pic of the waterfall as we left the carpark

My activation set up:-  (HF) Yaesu FT817 (5 watts) (4Ah LiPo),  UK-MX 50M linear (for 817) and (4Ah LiPo),  3 band link dipole (60/40/20 (+15m extensions +80m loading coils),  (VHF) Yaesu FT270 (5watts) into a ‘cable tie’ dipole.. Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.
Thanks everyone for the contacts
73 Allan GW4VPX

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