Tom Read - click to email meBDXC ISWL WAB SOTA RSGB IOTA - see my radio page for more detailsLiam & Jimmy

Little Mell Fell LD-037

 

Little Mell Fell, G/LD-037 - 505m ASL - NY 423 240 - OS Explorer OL5 - 2 SOTA points        Map & summit information from SOTAwatch

I fancied a day out. I saw that G3CWI had notified Great Mell Fell G/LD-035 and Little Mell Fell G/LD-037 for Saturday 11th November 2006, on SOTAwatch Alerts. Jimmy and myself hadn't done these. I cheekily invited myself, and Richard accepted. I then, of course, informed Marianne that Richard had invited us to go for a walk, and could we go? etc. Alarm at 5.45am, picked up and loaded up by Richard and his son Lewis at 6.30am. Pulled in at the independent workers' cooperative Westmorland Services around 8.15am and enjoyed a very good cooked breakfast of bacon, sausage, hash brown, egg, mushrooms, beans, black pudding, white pudding, toast and tea. The white puddings were delicious with a rather haggis-like taste and texture.

Jimmy M3EYP struggles to set up the SOTA beam in the wind    Tom M1EYP/P activating Little Mell Fell G/LD-037    Summit trig point on Little Mell Fell

We parked in a convenient lay-by at The Hause, the col between Little Mell Fell and Great Meldrum, directly south of the summit. The initial approach was steep and muddy, but soon eased out to a grassy path contouring the hillside. Then it was directly up the steep path to the summit. It was ferociously windy up here, and Richard's 40m antenna was being battered around. Jimmy and I set up the SOTA Beam, barely able to communicate with each other such was the deafening roar of the gale. The good thing about the SOTA Beam on the WASP version is that it is very stable even in strong winds. A video of this activation can be found here.  The four contacts each were made, and we descended to meet Richard and Lewis who were already back at the car, ready for the short drive towards Great Mell Fell G/LD-035.

Richard G3CWI/P and Lewis (in bothy bag!)    Lewis on Little Mell Fell

Thanks to the following stations worked, all on 2m FM with 1 watt 2.5 watts:

G0PZO/M Grisedale Pike Charlie T, J
G3CWI/P Lowthwaite Richard T, J
GM6TVR Bannon John T, J
M1EYP/M Lowthwaite Tom J
M3EYP/M Lowthwaite Jimmy T