We are looking to meet fellow ham radio operators who would be interested in climbing technical summits (Rock Climbing). We’ll provide the tech gear, know-how, and safety…you bring the rig
My Wife and I (both hams) are on a summer long rock-climbing tour. We are currently exploring Colorado’s Front Range before heading onto the Sierra of California. If you live in the Denver area, then you are aware of the the vast and varied terrain. We just don’t know where to go next! So far, we’ve climbing on the Flat Irons of Boulder, Spent time at the Garden of the Gods, and Cheyenne Canyon, and a day of skiing on Pikes Peak, all near Colorado Springs. We’ve also enjoyed Cold Creek Canyon in Golden and the nearby Table Mesa. We’ve been on a few Coors Brewery tours too…lots to see and learn!
We’ve made only a few contacts on two meters. We do not have any portable HF gear. However, we have a great deal of experience climbing and operating in the field. For those that might be familiar, we live and work on Mt. Washington, NH every winter. Our home QTH is an off-grid backcountry cabin in the White Mountain National Forest. Search the web for the Harvard Cabin to learn more
So, if you are interested and would love to make a day or two of it…we’d be interested in hearing back from you. The trade-off is your local knowledge in exchange for a fun day in the mountains making an unusual approach to a summit…we’ll help haul the gear too! Preferably, we’ll can find someone with a little bit of climbing experience, but there are two of us, so we might be able to bring along someone with not too much experience.
An operational highlight for us last summer was an activation of The Grand Teton, Wyoming!
If you do not get any takers for real technical summits in CA I have one I attempted last summer that may warrant your expertise - Devils Peak W6/NS-197. Climbing just over half way up the N chute I determined this climb was more than I wanted to tackle solo. I see groups climb this one using ropes to secure each other, not necessarily for the actual climb. To date this one has not been activated - I’d still like to give this one a try if you’re in the area. You can google Devil’s Peak climb in Northern Sierra to get more detail
I’d take you up on the offer, but I have a 5-day old son in the house and looks like this summer is going to be very limited compared to normal for me. However, you may want to be in touch with KJ6HOT or N6ZA as I’ve done stuff in the Sierra with both of them and know they’ll be up there this summer.
If there’s anything I can help you with or you find yourself near the Angeles National Forest which is closer to home for me, let me know.
Awesome! Good to see more climbers out there getting in on the SOTA action. It’s really a great combination of two wonderful activities.
When do you expect to be in California, and what parts of the state do you plan to visit? What kind of climbing are you most interested in - based on your photo and post, I’m guessing backcountry technical rock?
I’d love to meet up and bag a summit or two with you while you’re out here, but even if our schedules don’t work out well enough to make that happen, I’d be happy to share some local knowledge. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Eastern Sierra between Lone Pine and Lee Vining, as well as the mountains and major climbing areas in Southern CA.
I live in San Diego, but I end up spending a lot of summer weekends in the Sierra. Hopefully we can make our paths cross while you’re in the state.
