Cold Fell NP020 tips/info pls

Old Reflector
1

I wonder if someone could give me info about Cold Fell NP-020? I have read the info on the 3 links on the SOTA summit info page.

My parents live near Brampton, Carlisle. I did a search for summits near their house and Cold Fell is very near. Is it a summit worth doing? I note it has only been activated 20 times, this makes me wonder whether there is a problem with this summit. I haven’t been out to buy the map yet, so I would appreciate some feedback before forking out £7ish for OS 315.

I’m staying at my parents’ during International SOTA weekend, so was hoping to get on the air from a nearby summit. I’m planning to chase on HF also from their QTH.

73, Colin
M0CGH

2

In reply to M0CGH:

Perhaps http://www.sotawatch.org/reflector.php?topic=3026 may help?

Andy
MM0FMF

3

In reply to M0CGH:
These might provide some perspective

73 jim
g0cqk

4

In reply to M0CGH:
Hi Colin,

See: Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos
See also: http://www.sotawatch.org/reflector.php?topic=3026#24622

DRIVE: From the A689 at NY 5677 6032 take a left at NY 5798 5962 then drive along the track to park (out of the way on the grass) just short of HOWGILL FARM (NY 5916 5744.)

WALK: From (NY 5916 5744) along the track for a few yards to a gate (NY 5920 5739) on your left. Pass through the gate and walk SE onto a path which passes through NY 5932 5729, NY 5936 5706, NY 5967 5692 and a Ruin at NY 5995 5679.

Continue up the path via NY 6032 5659 to NY 6075 5646 at which point I think there is a shooting butt. Here you can take a B-line for the summit but it won’t save you much and it’s boggy so continue via the path (which can also be very wet in places) to NY 6097 5621 and NY 6079 5588 to the summit shelter at approx NY 6058 5565.

In terms of effectiveness in protecting from westerly winds, this is arguably one of the better summit shelters in the NP region. However it is not that large and may be in use. Having said that, Cold Fell is not the most popular summit so you may well see nobody.

The summit is grass on peat with the occasional small pond and plenty of boggy bits. There are loose rocks around the shelter and fire-beating sticks stored up there. Maybe the latter could be put to good use for SOTA antenna support purposes?

Though it can seem like a bit of a thankless slog at times, it takes about 47 minutes min up but that’s cutting the corner & 41 down the path / track.

I think Jim G0CQK has a report somewhere but I can’t find it. Andy MM0FMF also did it (fairly) recently. If you drive to the farm, the route (one-way) is about 3.4 km and ascent is 360m. The other option is to walk from further back but on the two occasions I’ve been there, nobody objected to me leaving the car by the farm.

Hope you get lots of contacts,

73, John G4YSS.

Wow, I am slow! In the time it’s taken me to write this, both Andy & Jim have replied. HI. I will post it anyway. 73. You will have all the info now!

5

In reply to G4YSS:

Wow, I am slow! In the time it’s taken me to write this, both Andy & Jim have
replied

I’ll exchange my typing speed for some of your stamina! Anyway, it’s either write replies here or rewrite a USB mass storage stack for a gizmo. Guess which is the winner?

Andy
MM0FMF

6

In reply to M0CGH:
Hi Colin.(forking out £7ish for OS 315.)I am to miserable to buy the map I just print the bit I need from Streetmap.co.uk or Google map.I wish that John would give me some of his stamina.ATB Geoff G6MZX

7

In reply to G6MZX:

If you are keen on SOTA then programs like Anquet or MemoryMap are well worth the cash. Not cheap, I think I paid £117 for Anquet in 2007. But considering I got all 204 OS 1:50000 sheets plus all the other facilities made it money well spent. In fact at the cost of OS maps now, just buying the ones I need for the hills I’ve done so far would have cost me more than I paid for Anquet.

Andy
MM0FMF

8

In reply to All:

Many thanks for your input guys - a lot of useful information. It would seem like the summit is worth doing after all!

Sorry for being late in replying, my wife wanted me to take her to the new Go Outdoors shop in Pudsey. I thought it would be the ideal place to acquire the necessary map. I discovered that I had the wrong map in mind anyway! Cold Fell is just off the righthand side of OS 315 (which I discovered after opening 3 maps up fully on the floor of the shop!!).

I ended up not buying a map because I like a map to show more than one feature that appeals to me. It may sound odd, but if the map had covered my parent’s house or other significant SOTA summits as well as Cold Fell, I would’ve been more happy about parting with £7.20! I am a Yorkshire man after all!

I will have a look at trying to print a map off the 'net. I have a decent printer and some sticky back plastic!

I could not justify paying out all that cash for mapping software - I add to my map collection very slowly maybe one or two maps a year, so the pocket hardly notices it! I am a bit of a ‘cartophile’ I think thats the right term - I enjoy having the maps and have them arranged on my bookshelf!

Thanks once again to all who’ve replied, I appreciate your comments.

I’ve just got to try and prise some time for SOTA away from ‘family time’ now!

73, Colin