It was an absolutely beautiful day for SOTA today, with clean blue skies and the cold North wind, which had been blowing these days, had finally turned into a very soft and warm breeze from the South.
Despite having got to bed at 2AM due to my nephew Holy Communion celebration with all the family last night, I got up at 6:45 AM (EA) = 4:45 utc this morning for the activation of a new unique called Larrogain, at about 55Km drive from my QTH.
I was starting the hike by 7 o’clock utc from the small village of Urdirotz.
Unfortunately I made a mistake and missed a very clear path to the right just a few hundreds of meters after having started the hike and I wrongly kept going straight ahead instead.
When I had been hiking up for about 15-20 minutes, I had the feel that I wasn’t following the right path, as it seemed to be taking me away from the summit I was trying to approach, so I descended to almost the very beginning and searched for other possible path all my way down. I even tried what it looked to be another path but it quickly ended into an impossible to penetrate thick forest.
After this unsuccessful search I decided to hike up again the initial path despite it was taking me away of the target. Perhaps it would turn to the right direction later and it was like this now in order to avoid some little river flowing at the bottom of the valley…
By that time I saw very clearly that it was going to be impossible for me to start activation at the announced ETA of 8:15 utc, so I changed time in my alert to 9:30 warning that the hike was difficult and I was unsure about making it.
The hike was difficult because there were many fallen trees crossing my path and forcing me to pass over them, below them or making difficult detours out of the path in a dense forest.
At one point I realised that, despite having being hiking for 90 minutes, I still was so low and away from the summit that it was going to be impossible for me to make it this time, so I decided to forget about the SOTA activation.
I deleted the alert and decided to continue my hike just to enjoy walking on the mountain and also to explore the area for a future 2nd trial.
About 15 minutes later, the path changed direction and it looked like it was finally taking me towards the targetted summit, so I felt a bit of hope and started to even think of possible words to tell to my wife in case I’d made it and I’d be far late for our Sunday 14h30 lunch at home.
Nothing of this was necessary, as the path unfortunately ended into the same type of impossible to penetrate thick forest and this was definitely the end of the hike for me today.
I turned back and started descent. At one point I noticed that, due to so many trees and branches crossing my path and hooking my SOTA pole and 2m-70cm mobile antenna attached with nylon-like straps to the rucksack, both antennas were getting a bit loose, so I took the rucksack down to the ground, put everything well in place again and tightened the straps, at least that was my intention.
I continued my descent and not too far down from where I had put my rucksack down on ground and supposedly tightened the straps, I noticed that my 2m-70cm antenna wasn’t there anymore. I turned back and ascended again looking on the ground for the lost antenna. I ascended again all the way up until the very end of the path without being able to find the lost antenna, so I turned down and started descent again.
When I was just about to arrive back to the village of Urdirotz, I found the correct path that I had missed at the right hand side on my way up.
I found a couple of villagers, which confirmed to me that the path I missed was indeed the right one.
I finally got to the car at 11h05 utc. A bit more than 4 hours of hike on the mountain through a beautiful deep forest in a lovely spring sunny day.
My legs and feet were exhausted, but I had a good day in the mountain.
When I got home my lovely wife had a great lunch ready for the whole family.
Not SOTA activation was possible today but, sometimes, one can’t have it all…
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
In reply to EA2IF:
Hello Guru
It happens sometimes to me also.
Best 73
Agur
Andre - f5ukl
In reply to EA2IF:
When the Gods say you must not do it, you will not be able to do it.
I’ve tried Anboto 9 times before reaching the summit.
Just keep on trying!
73 and good luck next time!
Mikel