Just to say a big thank you to all who i managed to make contacts with.
This was my 1st time on this summit and WOW what a fantastic place to be on
WX was -5 degrees below when i parked the car in the valley at 830 utc.
soon warmed up once i started the slow climb up to the summit and soon after reaching the top i was buzzing with all the contacts so never felt the cold hi hi.
A big thank you has to go to my mate Rob G1TPO who e maild me directions to the summit and also for the spot on the SOTA web site.
looking forward to doing Shillhope law in the next 2 weeks
untill then
best 73 and thanks once again
Keith M1VHT
Good report of your activation on Tosson Hill G/SB-007. Doing Shillhope law G/SB-006 will make Mike GW0DSP pleased because he has now chased all the summits in England except G/SB-006 and G/SB-010.
In reply to M3EYP:
Hi Jimmy thanks for the reply, yes it was one of my best activations so far and real enjoyable for me.
It AMAZES me just how far 2.5 watts can get you to when you have a bit of height
I will be doing shillhope law next Sunday 7th of December depending on the WX of course (last one of the year for me.)
keep an eye on the sota alerts for more info’s
regards
Keith M1VHT
I see you have posted for Shillhope SB-006 for next Sunday. It would be good to know your preferred operating frequency so I can have a look for you before closing on Drygarn Fawr MW-003.
Thanks for that Keith. I am planning to be QRV 1 hour before your time with a 1 hour time slot for the activation, so hopefully we should meet up if you don’t get delayed up Coquetdale. My usual QRG is 144.333MHz.
Enjoy the summit - I did and the weather was horizontal sleet when I activated it. The circular shelter was most welcome - quite amusing using the trig as a rest for my feet while watching the water run down past the soles of my boots. I ascended from Shillmoor over Inner Hill. A reasonably gentle route after the initial haul. Had a six mile walk out afterwards to Alwinton where I met up with the XYL who had had the car for the day to go to the Metro Centre at Gateshead. At least the weather was fine in the valley and it made a pleasant day out for me.
In reply to G4OIG:
Hi Gerald
I plan to park the car at weder leap and take the short route round the back and up.
If it were summer i would go via inner hill shillmoore etc. but the forcast for the next 2 days here is snow snow and more snow so i am hoping it will clear before Sunday.
Don’t mind the cold just can’t stand the rain or wind.
Will listen out for you on your summit
regards
Keith M1VHT
Fine on the route Keith. I looked at that approach and on the day and in the rain decided that I would prefer a somewhat gentler approach over Inner Hill - it was rather exposed though, especially on the decent when the horizontal sleet hurt my face through the side of the hood on my jacket. I guess there is a good use for a scarf on a summit, but I rarely wear one.
I have moved my time on 30 minutes (may actually be 1 hour by the time Paul G4MD and I have finalised our start time), so the heat is off for you to try to be there early.
In reply to G4OIG:
Two uniques for me there on Sunday Gerald (I shall have to keep XYL’s shopping under control so I get home for the second!).
Will be looking for you on Saturday Keith - my collection of SB summits is pretty bare!
I guess there is a good use for a scarf on a summit, but I rarely wear one.
Very useful things. I have a simple lambswool one that I use in the Winter. It hardly weighs anything and stuffs away without much bulk. It’s been a godsend on a few occasions when I’ve needed something to protect my face. Not only that but as I leak a lot when exercising I often don’t wear too many layers when walking and this is when a scarf around the neck is useful. Wrapped loosely around a couple of times it’s enough to protect the neck from icy blasts yet loose enough to allow the steam out! I did think about buying a Buff (http://www.buffwear.co.uk) but the scarf was a present and being seen using it gains valuable brownie points and Buffs aren’t cheap!
Mine cost me £10 and its one of the best £10 I’ve spent. Very versatile as a scarf, hat, sweet band, balaclava etc. Its bright orange as well so I be seen for miles - scary thought!
Actually it looks like a decent bit of kit and if Glyn thinks the standard one will suffice (and let’s face it we aren’t generally out activating in polar conditions, not unless your callsign is G4YSS), then it looks like a good thing to spend a tenner on. It has taken SOTA to get me to wear a hat - wouldn’t have been seen dead in one between the ages of 13 and 53. That’s a lot of heat lost to the atmosphere!
Yes Graham… actually I was waiting for some wag to say that I produce more heat through my breath when I am waffling on… no wonder I usually flatten my SLABs!
Hopefully catch you on Sunday… just noticed Keith is now out tomorrow due to other commitments. I will have to look for him from home and stoke the linear up.
In reply to G4OIG:
I bought a cyclone Buff after my bout of Bell Palsy because my face was really susceptible to the cold which made the Bells worse.
A great bit of kit just too long in the neck, I think for most a standard one would be fine.