Today – 14-07-18 Ian and I headed out to Donegal to climb Binnion in North Donegal. It’s a 1 pointer but had never been activated before. I had been looking at this one for the past year but took a closer look at it when I got the Irish Ordinance survey map for Donegal. The track that I could see faintly on satellite maps was clearly marked but didn’t go all the way to the summit. We were able to park up at Annagh Upper with permission from the land owner from whom we also got permission to take our dogs up as there were no sheep on the hill at the moment.

We went up the lane past 2 cottages with my now usual odd Irish farmer sighting – this time at the clothes line in his PJs and wellie boots taking down the washing as “the rain’s coming”. We had been told by the landowner to go through the gate and when we came to the dipper (sheep dip) to turn right across the field to the track which would take us to the summit. The track was like the Giants Road in the Narnia tale “The Silver Chair” – I couldn’t see over the sides it was that deep into the mountain side – Ian thought it was a dried-up river bed! At this stage we lost the dog leads somewhere! After 3/4 mile we turned turn east to head for the summit. There is another track that goes further round to the left around the final summit area and I think either would do. As we climbed the wind off the Atlantic got stronger and stronger, so we stopped just below the summit plateau at 246m. I had texted Victor GI4ONL earlier and he was our first contact on 2m. We tried for an S2S with David on Slievelamigan GI/MM-006 but couldn’t hear him. VHF was poor with Ian just getting 3 on 2m and I got none on 70cms. We got the long wire set up despite the wind and I saw that David was on 40m but couldn’t hear him again – much too close this time! As I was moving up the band listening for a clear frequency I heard Andy, G7SQW on a GFF so called in and exchanged 59 59 reports. I then spotted on 7.106 and managed 8 more on 40m starting with Phil G4OBK.

We then took some time around the summit taking photographs and videos before packing up and heading back to the landy.