I’ll be out in Dublin in early October for a few days to attend a conference. I’ll have no problems staying on for a day or two extra to bag some summits. I’m looking for recommendations for summits which are easy for someone staying probably near the centre of Dublin.
I may not have a car so something you can do from public transport would be ideal. Also I’m in Ireland primarily to work, so whilst it’s trivial to slip an 817, LiPo and antenna in my laptop bag, I wont have my proper walking boots and the full range of walking gizmos with me. Assume I’ll have a pair of “techno-trainers” (waterproof with aggressive tread pattern) and a Goretex jacket and not much more.
Ben of Howth EI/IE-072 is the obvious one, public transport by bus or Dart (metro) will get you close. Boots not required, and several possible routes up / circular walks. Also good places to eat / drink within walking distance :o)
I would walk up either through the quarry - track clearly visible in the photo, or else from the South, crossing the golf course - the most pleasant walk, and probably the shortest if travelling by Dart.
You can then walk down into Howth (harbour just visible left of centre). The route into Howth goes through a housing estate, and though it is easy to follow down, I think it would be a puzzle to find going up!
Two other summits that are very easily accessible by public transport are Great Sugar Loaf IE-022 and Little Sugar Loaf IE-052. Get the DART (train) to Dun Laoghaire then the 45A bus to Kilmacanogue (terminus). Both of these hills are within walking distance of Kilmacanogue. See www.mountainviews.ie and use the “Find hill or mountain” box for more information.
Thanks for raising this topic Andy. I’m staying in Portmarnock next Monday and was attracted to the Ben of Howth as a (brief) escape from the pub. Question - how much 2m FM activity is there locally? Ie do I stand a reasonable chance with just a 5W handie? I’d rather not lug the 817 over
I wouldn’t rely on 2m on a weekday. Maybe on higher summits where you can reach some GW stations.
EI/IE-018 Fairy Castle is also accessible from the Glencairn stop of Green LUAS line.
Looking at my other 1-day activations and attempts: EI/IE-035 Trooperstown hill (train to Rathdrum), EI/IE-014 Sorrel Hill and EI/IE-044 Saggart Hill by Dublin Bus 65. Djouce Mt. EI/IE-007 might be doable by the Glendalough bus.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. That gives me plenty of scope for a day or two bagging summits to add EI to my Mountain Explorer totals. It’s tempting to add another day and pop up to GI for another country…
A quick peek at Google Maps suggests GI/SW-004 Slieve Baegh may have an AZ that straddles the border. I can do a sneaky GI bag without crossing into GI
These things often stretch themselves… if I’m in EI why not nip to GI etc. I often fly Edinburgh > Amsterdam > Somewhere Else and looking at flights for a business trip Skyscanner suggested I could fly out via Amsterdam but to fly back via Copenhagen. That immediately suggested instead of simply waiting for the next plane from Copenhagen to Edinburgh I should break the trip and have a day in Denmark to add OZ to the collection of countries. Unfortunately the people I was going to see decided they rather come to Scotland and play golf so I missed out. The cheek of these people ruining my plans!
I can probably help you out with a lift to Ticknock or some of the other summits mentioned, maybe even kit you out with some spare boots for another summit or two. get in touch nearer the time
I haven’t operated in EI (obviously) but for our trip to GI last month I was warned that qualifying the hills on 2m and 70cm would be virtually impossible because “no-one monitored these frequencies”. If you look at my log you will see that I qualified every hill except Crosslieve (AH-011 3 contacts) on 2m and, on 70 cm, only failed on one other when we only had 20 minutes on the summit. When typing in the contacts, I wished I hadn’t been so successful with up to 23 contacts on MM-006 as I am not used to being so successful in GW and G/WB!
I found that, in the North, 2m was often monitored when mobile and it was also a good idea to call on 145.400 as this was often used around Drogheda where there is an active club. Best of luck.
Trust me Viki, without “fishing” first on 2M and asking people to QSY to 70cms it’s a lost cause calling CQ on 433.500. You were the exception rather than the rule on 2 meters, possibly because your female voice was more attractive to the “silent majority” of listeners over here!!!
Strangely enough, we were out a few days after you left here and on 1 summit it took almost an hour to get 4 contacts on 2 metres and 2 people commented that perhaps we needed a YL operator as a lure
Sorry to hear Victor, that you took nearly an hour to get your 4 contacts on 2m the other day but the ‘YL’ tones don’t always work in Wales. We were on GW/MW-016 Pen y Garn-goch on Wednesday and 3 contacts on both 2m and 70cm came fairly quickly but I struggled for the next 90 minutes using every combination of a fishing pole, Jpole and SOTA beam but I couldn’t persuade anyone else to admit that they could hear me and, by then, the 40m band was so busy that I couldn’t get anyone to answer me on M0JLA’s rig.
I know the equipment was working OK as we had just come from Drygan Fawr MW-003 where I had made 8 2m contacts (including S2S with SP-007 and NW-011) and 5 70cm (including NW-011, thanks Allan GW4VPX). Without that preliminary I would probably not have heard anything from MW-016. Stewart G0LGS had even decided to go up WB-009 in the afternoon as he knew I would have problems and he didn’t think I would reach Cheltenham… I had no difficulty talking to him and hearing him trying to recruit contacts for me. On this occasion I have to admit that the estate agents are sometimes right - it all comes down to LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
73 Viki M6BWA
