Activation GM/CS-049 Ben Vuirich
Not really an activation report, more an admission of stupidity!
Parking is the usual location for Beinn a’Ghlo NN906672 and the walk-in is along the clear estate track to the steading at Shinagag. The track continues into the area of the steading but the route turns up hill just before the fence at NN952674 – the track is NOT visible until you have climbed some way up the hill, then it is very clear. Somebody (ME) made the stupid error of following the track into the steading and not consulting his map. I just wandered along enjoying the beautiful day, waved at the two aviators in their Tiger Moth and after about 45 minutes of mindless tramping realised I had not found the very obvious loch where the path ends. Yours truly was at NN974657 having walked several Km at 90 degrees to the correct direction – not a fatal error this time but a salutary lesson none the less!
Suffice to say that having recovered the situation I had a glorious day with 16 qso on 5MHz and one solitary qso on 40m with a Marconi Day special event station. Two summit to summit and the best views possible (and who had left his camera at home?).
Moral – use the map and compass that are in your pocket and do not assume you know where you are heading. I have done this once before with my son navigating to An Dun where we thought we had identified the correct hill and headed in the wrong direction – as this time, a glorious day but a dumb error.
73
Barry GM4TOE