Tom MW1EYP/P on the approach to Cadair Berwyn GW/NW-012 on his Mountain Goat qualifying activation

M1EYP achieves SOTA Mountain Goat award

Tom Read M1EYP, from Macclesfield in Cheshire, has become a SOTA Mountain Goat. He is the 32nd in the world to reach the mark for 1,000 activator points, and the 11th in the England (G) SOTA association.

Tom got the last 8 points he needed with an activation of Cadair Berwyn GW/NW-012 (North-East Wales) on Wednesday 24th October 2007. This was his 504th SOTA activation in just over 5 years of participation in the SOTA programme.

It all started of with an activation of his local hill, Shining Tor G/SP-004 (East Cheshire) on 7th September 2002, since when he has visited 160 different (Unique) summits in various areas of the UK: G (England) - CE (Central England), DC (Devon & Cornwall), LD (Lake District), NP (Northern Pennines), SB (Scottish Borders), SE (Southern England), SP (Southern Pennines), TW (Tyne to the Wash), WB (Welsh Borders); GM (Scotland) - SS (Southern Scotland); GI (Northern Ireland) - AH (Antrim Hills), MM (Mourne Mountains); GW (Wales) - NW (North Wales), MW (Mid Wales), SW (South Wales).

Tom nominates being encouraged to learn CW, and his
completion of the 268 mile Pennine Way in Summer 2006 as his highlights in SOTA - he completed 11 SOTA activations along the route.

However, the best thing overall across the five years has been the company of his children on virtually every activation.

Jimmy (15) and Liam (10) have been out on most of the expeditions since they were 10 and 5 respectively. Jimmy even decided to study for the Foundation licence because of SOTA. He is now M3EYP, and a keen activator. Therefore Tom's SOTA activities will not be winding down just yet - Jimmy has Mountain Goat ambitions of his own!

• For further information on the Summits on the Air (SOTA) programme in your country, or internationally, please visit http://www.sota.org.uk