GW/NW-015 Glasgwm

Turned into a circular route......

GW/NW-015 Glasgwm

11/08/2015

Having activated Aran Fawddwy GW/NW-007 a few days ago and as it had promised a nice day I just had to get back to the magical valley of Cwm Cywarch and bag Glasgwm for SOTA.

My GPS track

Taken a few days previously..our route up the cwm to Glasgwm

It’s a hard slog up through the valley past Bryn Hafod (mountain climbing hut) on the right and Craig Cywarch towering above you on the left.   

Craig Cywarch on the left

Val and I easily found the wooden bridge that crosses the stream which is fed by many small tributaries further up.  It’s a case of zig-zagging your way up following a faint path amongst all the boulders and alongside a steep sided chasm.  

  Cross the bridge then zig-zag up

It’s boggy on top and it was the case of trying to follow the trail and avoiding the really wet bits.  Our aim was to pick up the fence that would lead us all the way up to the summit of Glasgwm...another stiff climb :(

Glasgwm in sight....follow the fence

I promptly replied to a text from Mal asking if I was nearly there... a text or photographic opportunity is always a good excuse for a short break:)  We were some 30 minutes late arriving on summit so I quickly set up the Band Hopper 3 and home-brew 2m dipole, quickly called Mal who made it into the log followed by Jim and Roy.

12:02z	GW6OVD/P	144MHz	FM	Mal
12:06z	EI9GLB	144MHz	FM	Jim
12:07z	GW6DGU	144MHz	FM	Roy

Aran Fawddwy from Glasgwm

I had told Mal that I was moving to 5.985.5Mhz but I found Rob G4RQJ/p already there calling CQ SOTA from G/LD-034 Hard Knott with Audrey in charge of the log...thanks both for the unexpected s2s.  I announced a QSY to 5.403.5Mhz and with Mal having already spotted me I was away with Jim EI9GLB booming in from EI once again. Now whether it was the time of day or band conditions only another 3 made the log despite repeated calls so I made preparations to move to 40m.

12:10z	G4RQJ/P	5MHz	SSB	Rob s2s
12:13z	EI9GLB	5MHz	SSB	Jim
12:15z	GW6OVD/P	5MHz	SSB	Mal
12:15z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don IO70uv
12:17z	GW6DGU	5MHz	SSB	Roy

My link change was interrupted by an s2s with Alun MW0YCC/p on GW/SW-007 Fan Nedd..another surprise activation so thanks Alun and also for the ‘heads up’ that John MW0XOT would be on another summit shortly.

12:20z

MW0YCC/P

144MHz

FM

Alan s2s

A call on 7.118 brought a reply from Barry M0IML with a 3/3 report although he was 5/8. By this time Val had sent a spot which coincided with Barry’s...thanks Barry. The expected pile-up never materialized as after Mike G6TUH had contacted me and Frank PC2D thanking me for an unique summit for him an EU station started up and my working conditions became very difficult. Despite some protesting from chasers that the frequency was in use it was hopeless and I pulled the plug....sorry.  I had left the linear in the car as I knew we would need to travel light for this summit..I wonder if..?

12:29z	M0IML	7MHz	SSB	Barry
12:33z	G6TUH	7MHz	SSB	Mike
12:33z	PC2D	7MHz	SSB	Frank
12:35z	HB9AGH	7MHz	SSB	Ambrosi
12:36z	PA0SKP	7MHz	SSB	Sake
12:42z	EB2CZF	7MHz	SSB	Jose

 Cadair Idris in the cloud

I decided to have a quick listen then a call on 2m in the hope that John XOT might be around. Not as yet but I did have a nice chat once again with Adrian G4AZS...now Adrian will be interested in the route we took to get off the mountain.  With some nice QSOs I once more had a quick listen for John and there he was....5/9 both ways  using his Moxon antenna from Fan Brycheiniog GW/SW-003. Thanks John and I think you had a pleasant afternoon on summit as we listened to you for some time on our way down.

12:46z	G4AZS	144MHz	FM	Adrian
12:54z	M3BJH	144MHz	FM	Brian
12:57z	GW3NPJ/M	144MHz	FM	Alan
12:59z	GW3XRM	144MHz	FM	Dave
13:07z	G0PEK/P	144MHz	FM	Kevin LDW-035
13:11z	MW0XOT/P	144MHz	FM	John s2s

Always listening for an s2s before leaving summit :)

Having pulled the plug on the activation Val and I had a quick chat as to an alternative route off the summit. I had looked at one the previous night so we decided to go for it and very pleasant it was too. I had thought of cutting down directly South from Llyn Fign and to hit the fence leading down to Bwlch y Gesail and above Craig Cywarch.  

Back to the Car Park

As there was a nice well trodden path following a fence leading away from Glasgwm we decide to follow that which made for an easier walk picking up our intended route(and fence) a little later....can’t say that I’d like to approach Glasgwm this way (slightly boggy in places) but it was pleasant with nice views towards Cadair Idris and Cardigan Bay.

 Cardigan Bay distant

Our starting point below...Aran Fawddwy distant left

Many thanks everybody...hopefully conditions will be a little better next time.

73 Allan GW4VPX