I think I would quit my job and become a full time activator. Maybe start with a few months exploring all the European peaks. Or there are plenty of places in the American West I still need to go to.
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Speaking (as an Activator as well myself) Chasing can be as much fun as activating in my opinion and thanks to some Countries / Federal Areas allowing people more freedom than we have in UK, the guys going out over the past few weeks are helping keep Chasers like me sane! Long live the Activators but stay safe!
73 Phil
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G/NP-001 Cross Fell is calling me. A steady walk with a newly built shelter and views across to the Lake District Fells.
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All this reminds me of a big outbreak of foot and mouth (HFMD) back in the 1970’s, when we were forbidden to go into the countryside. The climbing club that I was in had to cancel a full season of hut and campsite bookings and we had a mournful meeting every Thursday in the upstairs room of a pub, where we drunk beer, played darts and discussed all the things that we would do when the outbreak was over!
Well, look at the bright side. At least you got some climbing in getting to the second floor of the pub!
Vy73 – Mike – KD5KC – El Paso, TX.
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Which we call the first floor!
Some nefarious climbing practice took place on bridges away from the main roads, of course since many climbers are anarchists, but it was the similarity that struck me, of outdoor enthusiasts confined to their localities and dreaming of eventual freedom to go back to the hills
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I’d choose Amsterdam Island, FT/Z - the farthest land away from where I was born. It’s resupplied by a ship from Reunion once a year, last I heard.
With lottery winnings? I would to the summits along the Appalachian Trail…all of them. I would consider the ones on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail as well, but let’s not be unreasonable. 
For me it would have to be Ben Nevis GM/WS-001. No lottery win required and I don’t do it anyway.
I have been trying to get up this mountain for 4 years now…
2017 - planned for September, but I had a coronary in July!
2018 - triple bypass op in June… no time to get fit after that.
2019 - changes in employment intervened in the planning.
2020 - the virus!
Here’s to hoping that I will succeed in 2021, but I am not holding my breath!
Hi Gerald,
This reminds me the frustration I’ve felt every year passing by without being able to activate EA2/NV-001.
I hiked that mountain sometime in my 20’s and I very much want to do it again for SOTA, but being it in the Pyrenees, 1h30 drive from my QTH + 3h30 hike + the SOTA activation time + about the same time to descend + the same time of drive back home, it’s nearly an overall 12h long SOTA expedition, together with the fact that this mountain is covered with ice and snow over a good number of months every year, which is something I want to avoid for such SOTA activation, has always put me off so far.
But I really want to do it and I think that will be an interesting challenge for me to do in my after [cancer + Covid-19 lockdown] times.
73,
Guru
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It’s over-rated but I understand the need to tick the box.
I activated Ben Nevis on 2m. What a let down. Took all my time to log 14 calls. There was a tropo opening from England to Europe. Not a wiff of dx on the summit & everyone south of Hadrian’s wall were beaming East. Had to phone the Birmingham mafia to beam North. Can’t believe that was 15 years ago 
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Whatever happened to them? G4JZF and the others.
I can understand someone saying that if they have only been up the Ben by the tourist route - though even that gets a touch of class under snow. The circuit by Carn Mor Dearg and the CMD arete is one of the great classic hill walking routes, with the wild side of the Ben in full view, and a very well earned 20 points as a bonus.
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Don G0NES is still chasing, I haven’t heard Graham G4JZF for a while, Pete M0COP moved to a poor VHF location near (IIRC) Church Stretton - and of course I am still lurking!
The good thing about the CMD circuit is that you can start or finish at the Ben Nevis distillery.
I used to lay the dust at the Covenanters Arms!
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CMD route is probably too exposed for my liking. I also recall Steve G1INK being supremely fit and fast on the hills - although right now, I am probably as fit and in as good a shape as I ever have been during my 17.5 years of SOTA.
The one time we did Ben Nevis was right in the middle of summer, on a decent day, so no excitement with snow or ice. And we did it from Glen Nevis on the tourist track too. So doesn’t tick any of the Brian-like purists’ boxes!
Nonetheless, I actually really enjoyed it.
To be fair, I have climbed the Tourist route several times, and descended it even more times after little adventures on the big cliffs on the north side. My point was that a summit should not be denigrated because the easiest route is a boring plod.
PS Most easy routes are boring plods!
Didn’t find it easy or boring.
The route up Plynlimon GW/MW-001 that I am about to upload (yes, the website uploads keep on coming) I would even agree myself is easy, and I guess it could also be boring. But both times I’ve done it, the weather has been stunningly superb, and so as simple as the route was, you could never call it boring simply because of the view!
I love walking. The only bits I tend to find boring are extended sections of road walking - like from Barber Booth to the Pennine Way at the start of Kinder Scout G/SP-001 - and the reason I always go along the flagged path from Rushup Edge now. Many would call that boring - and I would understand why - but I love it.