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