I activated G/DC-006 Carnmenellis this morning but yesterday I wasn’t sure if it would go ahead. The reason was during the afternoon my wife and I did the 5 mile circular walk around Stithians Reservoir. All went well until we were about 200m from the end of the walk when she was simultaneously attacked by a Cornish tree root and a metal gate with sharp edges. The result was I spent a couple of hours parked outside here yesterday evening.
It is the Minor Injuries Unit at Redruth Hospital where they repaired my wife’s deeply cut finger with super-glue.
It was sore last night but pain killers (and wine) worked and she was happy for me to leave her in the campervan today while I “played radio”. 
We are staying at a good small campsite behind the Golden Lion Inn from where a 30 minute walk will bring you to the summit of Carnmenellis. There is also parking at the sailing centre next door. It is not reserved for sailors and is used by walkers.
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All of the accounts I have read about this summit used an approach from the south west but my approach from the east and then from the north was straightforward. The last part of the track at Upper Menherion Farm looks like this.
The end of track looks closed off but the gate on the right can be opened - the chain has a curious toggle connector that reminded me of one of those wire puzzles you get in Christmas crackers!
Once through the gate carry on straight towards the rocks on the skyline, picking your route through the gorse and peat hags. The going is rough in places, ankle breaking stuff due to the residue left behind from mining and quarrying.
I set up just above the 235m contour which is within the activation zone of this 252m summit. I had brought my Helinox chair with me but didn’t need it as there were lots flat rocks to sit on.
This is the view looking back towards the reservoir. The campsite is on the left.
I had planned to open on CW but discovered the cable to join the key to the radio wasn’t in its usual place and had been left at home. My fault entirely of course, I had been doing some testing recently and had left it in the shack.
So I started on 40m SSB although finding a spare frequency was not easy. I called CQ for a few minutes before hearing the familiar voice of Don G0RQL. There were no other replies on 40m which was a bit worrying but a change to 20m livened things up with Lars SA4BLM coming through 59 although he only gave me a 52. S57S in Slovenia was followed by Dave calling as EA6/M0DLL and presumably on holiday.
Two S2S followed, the first contact was with Nuno CT2HOV/P calling from CT/MN-034 but I really struggled to hear him and he gave me a 31. I then completed a QSO with Martin M7BIA/P on Shining Tor G/SP-004 before hearing Nuno again in improved conditions, with my report going up to 54 which allowed us to complete the QSO with a bit more confidence than on the first attempt.
There then followed several Spanish operators in quick succession. I closed on 20m after speaking with Manuel EA2DT and tried 17m briefly but managed only one QSO with EA3EVL who had also contacted me on 20m.
I tried 60m SSB at the end but without success.
A map of the activation is shown below. Many thanks to all the chasers. My signal was weak and it must have been a struggle to hear me at times.
And when you are staying at an Inn what better way to celebrate the activation but with an appropriately named beer? White wine for the injured wife of course.
Tomorrow I will attempt G/DC-007 using VHF and UHF but will have HF ready if needed.
