Anyone know whether you can still get away with driving up to the radar station to access Cross Fell these days?
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When I went there were signs all the way up saying you weren’t allowed up there and I think there is a barrier across the road before you get near the radar station.
I recall there was a car parked at the junction with the track that goes up to the quarry, which shouldn’t be a problem if there’s no traffic going to/from there.
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Lot’s of people seem to drive to near the radar station. There is a lockable gate at the bottom of the road (which has been open on both occasions I visited). Personally I’ve never risked driving past the gate.
Your choice, your risk.
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Ah yes but is it a bluff? Just ignore the dead cattle at the side of the road and swerve round the men in white hazmat suits.
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I activated it three years ago.
One of our club members & SOTA enthusiast told me quite specifically I could drive and park at the gate at Dun Fell (the radar stn). So I did. No problems and full of confidence and quite pleased I’d been brave enough to “drive up to the gate”. and all the way down again as I’d been told. No problems.
Fast forward to more recently and I was mentioning this to another SOTA club member G4OOE/Nick who corrected me and told me you were NOT allowed or supposed to drive to the top as the lower gate is sometimes locked and there are now very clear signs stating you should not drive up. And he explained it was the lower gate my informant had told me I could drive up to and not the upper gate at the entrance to the radar station.
However, wether the lower gate is ever locked I’ve no idea - I’ve activated the summit twice before and Ive never seen a vehicle at the radar station.
If I ever did it again I’m not sure I’d take the risk unless it was outside normal working hours, or I carried a good angle grinder in the car.
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I wouldn’t take the risk either. Especially if you cannot demonstrate you had permission to drive up a private road and park at a sensitive site as you’ll be breaking rules in section 3.7 and your activation wont be valid.
"There can be no justification for trespassing
on private property, and the wishes of the landowner must remain paramount. "
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I bottled out and parked by the gate with the signs. A few hours later, I wished I’d bottled out completely 
horizontal rain and about 50m visibility. I made four QSOs on 2m and buggered off sharpish.
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Take a mountain bike, the decent is mind boggling.
Alternatively take the Eastern approach setting off from Garrigill and enjoy the 8km X2 bike ride on the Greggs Hut track across the North Pennines.
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That sounds like a fun option. I may well bring my bike if I get up to activate it again. Thank you.
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