In reply to M1EYP:
Not seen it yet Tom…cant get my copy until the 15th as I am not a subscriber.
You out and about today??
Russ
M6RGF
PS the right click doesnt work for me.
In reply to M6RGF:
Hi Russ
Welcome to SOTA!
You’ve had plenty of responses on your other points, but a couple I’d make that may be new:
-
The pages of SOTAWatch are a tool for me and I prize clarity and minimal bandwidth so would not like to see pictures, music or any other gimmick applied - the current format suits me fine - in fact how about a return to v1 Andy
-
What we do can be quite extreme compared to a lot of walker’s activity, not many sit virtually still on a summit for an hour or two and it’s easy to get cold without noticing, especially when you’re basking in the inner warmth of a good run of contacts with a fantastic bunch of familiar chasers so put a lot of effort into getting the clothing right and learn the value of finding even a bit of shelter. A tarp fixed to a fence with re-usable cable ties can be a lifesaver, snow holes are really fun and even a trig point can be a welcome sanctuary.
Look forward to working you from a hilltop soon, or perhaps catch you on a summit 
73 de Paul G4MD
In reply to M1EYP:
references to SOTA in GM8OTI’s antenna column
Plugged whenever possible Tom!
73
John GM8OTI
In reply to G4MD:
Hello Paul and thankyou for the response…I agree with you, the Sota watch is a wonderful tool…im not sure what v1 is…maybe version 1 ???
Just watching somebody called Mark Roberts on the tv news as I write this…he has been filmed taking a fall/slide down a mountain and I think he may have saved himself with an ice pick…missed what mountain he was on as just caught it out of the corner of my eye.
Slept in a snow hole once when I went to watch the Mintex Rally many years ago.
Listening to the advice so far it will be a hilltop first.
Regards
Russ
M6RGF
In reply to M6RGF:
an ice pick
Ice-axe. Used to cut steps, arrest a fall etc.
An ice pick is used in the preparation of a martini.
Or assasination of a Trotskyist 
“He got an ice pick, that made his ears burn”
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M6RGF:
You’ve had lots of advice here Russ, but there’s no need to be overwhelmed by it all. I dare say that most of the tips people are sharing are not stuff they’ve read or learned in training courses, but from their own experiences on the hills. So you will gain these experiences yourself anyway - just start small and easy. Let me know when you’re ready and we’ll do some joint activations of the easy ones over here if you like.
Now regarding more about information, people and photographs, there is another link above (or below) called “Summits”. This takes you to the detailed information pages for every listed SOTA summit, with links to mapping and photographs, as well as participants own links and tips. You will find more than enough information for your first set of summits from these pages.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to MM0FMF:
Of course you can always use the Ice Axe to prepare your Martini to save you taking both up to the Summit:)
Colin
M0XSD.
In reply to M0XSD:
Sounds good Colin. One should always serve one’s Martini chilled but I’m not sure if the drinker needs to be chilled as well!
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M6RGF:
Russ,
I assume you’ve viewed the many interesting and well made videos of sota activations on youtube?
By the way, my advice is just do it! You should be fine on The Cloud, I was up there in January and lived to tell the tale. I think the ascent took 8 minutes and I made several quick contacts on 2m.
73,
Ian, MM0GYX
Shhhhhh Ian, it’s a secret. We don’t want it becoming the most activated SOTA summit in the world now do we?
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Doh! Sorry Tom, didn’t know it was a secret (-:
In reply to MM0GYX:
You were having a slack day then Ian taking 8 minutes to the top? Took me 7mins including watching Brian G4ZRP trying to re-tie a bootlace. After a lifetime of waiting I decided it was everyman for himself and he’d just have to make up the time wasted any way he could. It was just as well we weren’t roped up or I’d have had to drag him along.
He turned up at the summit 3 mins later moaning I’d left him for dead on some lonely and desolate section and it was lucky the wolves and bears didn’t pick him off. My suggestion that at his age he might be a bit of a tough meal was not well received and he was reticent in passing me one of his Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls. Laugh, he did when the handy I’d brought turned out to have a flat battery! Lucky we had a spare radio as the thought of having to walk to the car and back to get the 817 was beyond belief!
Andy
MM0FMF
1 Like
In reply to MM0FMF:
Well Andy, it was a winter ascent, there was a lot of ice you see and nobody had gritted the track. Why do we pay our council tax, I don’t know?
73,
Ian
In reply to M6RGF:
Hi Russ,
See you’re in Cheshire so lots of nice starter hills close at hand.If you can get to Blackpool for the Norbrek Rally ( Sunday April 7th) there will be lots of pictures and information available and lots of SOTA folk to chat to. Good luck and hope to catch you soon from a summit
73
Rob
G4RQJ
In reply to MM0FMF:
Thanks for correcting my poor use of mountaineering terminology.
Ice pick…also used for carrying out lobotomy…
In reply to G4RQJ:
Thanks Rob and will be trying to get to Blackpool,health permitting.
Regards
Russ
M6RGF
In reply to MM0GYX:
Thanks Ian
Think I can cope with that…havent viewed any you tube activations as yet.
Will be looking later with interest.
Russ
M6RGF
In reply to M1EYP:
In reply to M6RGF:
You’ve had lots of advice here Russ, but there’s no need to be
overwhelmed by it all. I dare say that most of the tips people are
sharing are not stuff they’ve read or learned in training courses, but
from their own experiences on the hills. So you will gain these
experiences yourself anyway - just start small and easy. Let me know
when you’re ready and we’ll do some joint activations of the easy ones
over here if you like.Now regarding more about information, people and photographs, there is
another link above (or below) called “Summits”. This takes you to the
detailed information pages for every listed SOTA summit, with links to
mapping and photographs, as well as participants own links and tips.
You will find more than enough information for your first set of
summits from these pages.Tom M1EYP
Thanks Tom will take you up on that soon when my good health returns…Not looked at the “Summits” yet…must admit some great responses, and also vastly enjoying the jovial banter.
Russ
M6RGF
In reply to M6RGF:
Hi Russ,
I’m a part time outdoor instructor and Mountain Rescue team member in North Wales. I came to Radio and SOTA from the hill walking, climbing and mountaineering world. So it’s the radio stuff I struggle with! Hi Hi!
Others have suggested that you go and do the simple short and low summits first. Good advice! You can build up to bigger summits in better weather and when you have picked up more skills and experience.
If you are after a book I’d personally go for “Hillwalking” by my friend Steve Long. It is actually the handbook for the Mountain Leader scheme, but it has everything in it that you need laid out very clearly and with good diagrams and photographs. Make sure you get a second edition.
The best book on navigation, with many editions and reprints since it was first published in 1978, is “Mountain Navigation” by Peter Cliff (honest - that is his name!). Very simple and easy to understand. Try and get a later edition, there are a few on Ebay of the older ones. The new editions include stuff on GPS as well.
Consider a navigation course, a two day National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) course can take you from zero to reasonable if you have any aptitude.
Others have already mentioned one unusual thing that characterises SOTA. We STOP on windy and cold summits for long periods. The “normal” hill walker would never do this, maybe a quick bite to eat and then off. Unless it is a gorgeous, still, summer day.
So have lots of extra layers TO PUT ON when you get to the top. Don’t walk in them though or you will just “boil” before you get there.
Think about a “bothy bag” to operate from on cold/windy/wet summits. A “bothy bag” is like a tent, but without poles. You provide the support for the material.
Consider doing a mountain first aid course. Again, two days well spent and you come away with a life skill that is useful in life in general.
I recognise that all of these things take time and cost money, but I believe it would be well spent. Get off on the right foot (pardon the pun).
Finally, I’d leave hills which are in “winter conditions” alone until you have lots of summer experience. When I say “winter conditions” I mean any hill with snow or ice on it. Winter skills are a huge subject in their own right. One for another day I suspect.
Oh and this is me.
And when winter is “just perfect” occasionally you get a day like this - Snowdon summit, not a breath of wind.
Good luck with the hill walking, you might find you get hooked and enjoy the hills as much as the radio, if not more!
73
Gerald
2W0GDA
In reply to M6RGF:
Hi Russ
Lots of advice already. This link is from Mountain Rescue Teams THEMSELVES.
http://www.safeinthehills.org.uk/
There are many places offering help with map reading etc, an essential part of venturing out, just as experience learnt over time etc.
If you are near a local MRT, why not talk to them. They would much rather help someone before they get in trouble on the hills. Scouts and schools doing Duke Of Edinburgh awards may also be a good source of help. Try organised walks to get a better feel for being on the hills too.
Weather at all times of year can be unpredictable and as others have already said, being sat still you may be very suprised at how quickly you can get cold, even on a good sunny day
Dehydration us another factor to watch. Many people overlook this in the cooler months, but water is essential.
Remember, ice, damp grass etc, even on small summits can catch you out too. Even on my local smaller summits I will always take a rucksack with essentials in.
Good luck and most of all have fun.
Many of the accidents, fatalities and call outs to MRT come from people not being realistic about their abilities, lack of planning, inability to USE their equipment or inadequte Equipment/clothing.
Look at MRT call out reports on their websites and you be learning what not to do in terms of silly avoidable mistakes.
73
Liz