Sunday 18th February 2018

I decided to be a bit more daring - or you could say lazy - or even downright foolhardy - for this expedition. I parked opposite the Ponderosa, finished the coffee in my SOTA travel mug, and set off for the slog up Moel y Faen.  However, I did so without a rucksack.  I was carrying my FT-70DE handheld in my coat pocket, and was confident enough in the well-known and relatively short easy walk, that I wouldn’t require food or drink.  I enjoyed the walk to Moel y Gamelin summit, and was looking forward to using my new Yaesu FT-60DE handheld with its Fusion capabilities. 

I didn’t succeed in getting any response on 144.6125MHz C4FM though, not initially anyway. Activity down that part of the band had been excellent the previous night, but I suspected many of those people would have been otherwise engaged at the Nantwich rally.  I did get three QSOs on normal (analogue) 2m FM though, including S2S with Jordan M3TMX/P on Kinder Scout G/SP-001. Then my 4th and qualifying contact was on Fusion courtesy of Tony G4DEE in the Bolton area. 

Four 2m analogue QSOs were added, culminating in a S2H - “SOTA to HEMA” - but as I explained to Phil GW1CJJ/P, I am banned from that programme and have had all my activator and chaser logs deleted by Rob G7LAS when he took over the running of it from Mike G4BLH.  Next it was the return walk for one of my favourite lunches of the year - the homemade steak & kidney pie, with chips, and two veg. As ever, a complete triumph! (And there was a few of those outside too…).  Next - Cyrn-y-Brain GW/NW-043.