Dear all:
Today, I managed my first activation in 2019 - I went up to the Rauhkopf DL/MF-050 (1691m according to the cross on the summit) from Spitzingsee in the Bavarian Alps. It is a very easy and short route and can be done even in the afternoon.
Logistics and Route Descriptions
Route descriptions are plenty on the Web, see e.g. Rauhkopf (1689 m), Skitour am Spitzingsee.
The starting point is the parking lot at the now closed Taubensteinbahn at ca. 1080m of altitude. Parking ist 5 EUR in coins. The path starts below the supports and cable of the old Taubensteinbahn. At 1300m of altitude, keep left; otherwise you continue to the Taubensteinhaus (this is where the majority of people go).
Alpine Risks
This is a pretty popular route that is relatively safe from avalanche risks, except for wet and ground avalanches on warm days and late in the season. The final part of the route may require a well-considered choice of route to be safe. You should know avalanche risk management, though.
One warning: The end of the main route, before the traverse to the actual summit, there is often a huge snow cornice (overhanging snow). Stay away from it as far as possible, or you may go down with it. The traverse to the actual summit can be slippery, too.
Image: The snow cornice, seen from the main summit.
Timing
The parking lot is about one hour by car from Munich. The ascent to the summit is ca. 610 m and takes 1,25 - 2 hours, depending on your pace.
The way down is ca. 30 - 45 minutes.
Equipment
I used my TinySOTA station (MTR3 with power + accessories in a single enclosure), the @HB9BCB EFHW with traps for 40-30-20m, attached to a 6m carbon-fibre mast from Decathlon, deployed in an asymmetric inverted-V (almost inverted-L).
Activation
I was on the summit by 14:10Z, QRV by 14:20Z and called CQ on 7.031 by 14:23. An RBNhole spot followed immediately, and the very moment, @F5JKK came in with 599/599. A total of 13 chasers called on 40m until it became quiet on my frequency. Three Spanish stations (@EA2LU, @EA2DT, and @EA2IF) made it - quite a distance.
I then QSied to 20m and was happy to make four more contacts, three of them over the pond, with @KA1R, @N1AW, and @K3TCU.
When no further callers came, I packed up and enjoyed still quite a bit of powder despite the many existing traces.
A big thanks to all chasers! What a happy Friday afternoon!
Attached, please find a few pictures.
73 de Martin, DK3IT
