G4YSS: Activation of G/LD-003, HELVELLYN 28-12-24
Issue-1 (pse rprt errors)
G/LD-003 HELVELLYN on 2m-FM QRP/ QRO & 4m-FM QRP on 28th December 2024
All times UTC
Unaccompanied
EQUIPMENT:
Vertex (Yaesu) VX150 2m-FM/ 5W monoband handheld with integral 2.2Ah Lithium.
RM TC150V, 50W Linear Amplifier (560gm inc leads)
5Ah HRB Li-Po Battery for linear
Half-wave vertical J-Pole for 2m on short mast
IC-E90 4-Band, 5W, VHF-UHF handheld
2m set-top helical with extender for 4m
Reserve: UV-3R 2W dual band Handheld (not used).
Pack weight: Approx 9kg (20 lbs) including 500ml fluids & primaloft jacket
INTRODUCTION:
Based at the Derwentwater Hotel at Portinscale near Keswick, this was part of a 7-night Christmas break. Apart from 2020, we have been spending Christmas at this hotel since 2018. However this year staff shortages, including one chef, made mealtimes very slow affairs. The cost for two people including all meals, Christmas lunch, Christmas evening buffet, and cream teas on two of the days, was £1,176 for two people - my XYL and me (£84 pppn). This was actually less per night than last year. The drive from Scarborough is 137 miles. This time 3hrs-11min via A170-A1M-A66.
After a magnificent experience on Skiddaw two days prior, the MWIS forecast for Saturday 28th didn’t make for good reading. Though temperatures were still high for the time of year, low-cloud, drizzle and brisk SW winds were predicted. The Met Office had 80% for each hour’s rainfall predictions. The only other available day - Sunday was drier but the winds were higher too and we we going to be driving home on the Monday. I chose not to fully believe the forecast and to accept some unpleasantness. Saturday it was. Fingers crossed.
The drive to Wythburn Church car park next to Thirlmere takes about 15 minutes. This is a council Pay and Display car park with a cost of £8 for 9 hours – coins only today. ‘Free until Further Notice’ is now a thing of the past. Not only that but the open-fronted shelter which once surrounded the slot machine has been removed. With such a poor forecast, it surprised me that the car park had seven cars in it when I arrived. However, people work, they have a holiday so they just make the most of it even though it’s not ideal. I was doing the same – apart from the bit about work that is. What’s more, it wasn’t raining.
Route from Wythburn Church:
The path leaves the car park (NY 3244 1362) via a gate and passes initially through trees to cross a track junction at NY 3269 1363. The trees are left behind at around NY 3282 1353 and the path becomes paved a little higher up. After that it’s gravely. The route climbs through Comb Crags onto Birk Side and then onto the western flank of Nethermost Pike. It is quite steep but easy to follow via: NY 3292 1363; NY 3318 1364; NY 3322 1342; NY 3335 1337; NY 3369 1353; NY 3391 1389; joining the Dollywaggon - Helvellyn path at NY 3429 1446 to go up to the summit via the substantial shelter.
Execution:
I set off walking in dull overcast conditions at 09:56. Today’s plodding ascent took 1hr-38 minutes to the trig but five minutes were wasted removing the fleece jacket early on and packing it in the rucksack, then having to remove the rucksack again to re-don the fleece further up as the wind-speed increased. Stopping like this goes against the grain. The cloud came down more that half way so it was a damp trudge. The MP3 player and passing the time of day with other walkers were welcome distractions, as were their dogs. The Skiddaw climb on Boxing Day must have done me a bit of good because this seemed slightly easier when actually there’s more ascent.
HELVELLYN, LD-003, 950m, 10 pts, 11:34 to 14:21. 6 deg C. Wind SW 15 mph. Constant low-cloud above 500m. Damp condx. Driving drizzle at the end and on the way down. LOC: IO84LM, WAB: NY31. Trig TP3724. Vodafone coverage.
If only doing VHF, I always go for the grassy ledge about 2m down the steep eastern slope from the summit cairn but there is a danger you could lose things down the steep slope into Red Tarn. To keep this from happening to the 2m linear, Li-Po battery and rig, I used three tent pegs to secure them in place.
145.400 FM - 27 QSO’s:
Having put on a self spot for 145.400, at 12:08 I was called by G6AEK Dave in Blackpool, who I’d worked 2-days earlier. There were to be a few more returnees. I think it was Dave who alerted me to the possibility of working Scafell Pike LD1 but it would seem that I’d arrived too late and M0BKQ was on his way down.
After a chat with Dave there followed:
GM6LJE Robin - Langholme; M0SSD George in Dalton; G0MHF John - Birkenhead; G0TDM John in Penrith; MW0PJE/P Peter S2S on GW/NW-035 Manod Mawr; GM4WHA Geoff in Annan (alerted via text by John G0TDM); G6LKB Dave - Ulverston; M7RFB/P Chris on Castleton Moor on the North York Moors (Bunker B/G-0919/ IO94MK/ NZ60).
Continuing:
G7CDA Dougie followed by G1OHH Sue, both in Lancaster (Sue was visiting Dougie as she is not allowed an antenna at home); M0LLC Lee in Southport (still foggy) and G4OBK Phil in Pickering (also foggy).
Phil’s was a slightly challenging QSO at 57/ 53 but logged the moment I changed the activation from a QRP one to QRO (50W). In light of the weather forecast, I’d been very tempted to save weight and throw the burner and its battery out of the rucksack for a quick ‘smash and grab’ activation. I’m glad I didn’t and it still wasn’t raining. Phil said in an email that the distance was 149km. Only the sea path S2S with Peter MW0PJE/P on NW35 was further but not by much.
From 12:48z:
G0PMJ Dave - Darlington; G0CNN Ian at Middleton St. George; MW0SZR Adrian – Queensferry in Flintshire NW Wales; 2E0LDF Reg in Cockermouth; M7YCM/M Dev Nr. Darlington; M1AVV Simon a 20-year ago SOTA acquaintance on Walney Island; M7CQS/M Steve static mobile on Waddington Fell (352m ASL) near Slaidburn; 2E0IIV/P Steve S2S on GW/NW-051 Moel Fenlii; 2E0IKA Holly and M6KWB Kelly both located in Blackpool.
In the next 2m QSO, 2E0MIX Derek in Whitehaven suggested trying 4m as he had erected his antenna. This was delivered (see 70.450 below). Derek also tried to patch G4VFL Andrew through to me from Egremont but though I could hear him about 4 by 2, Andrew wasn’t getting me, not even with 50W. That was a pity as I’d worked him easily from Skiddaw on both 2m and 4m just using QRP. I had higher ASL today but if the path’s not right it’s not a given. Derek said, ‘He might have Dent in the way.’ In fact looking at the map Derek could be right but there are bigger fish in the central Lake District that could easily block the signal. Possibly the Gable group? As an aside, Andrew kindly sent me an email regarding a VHF mobile rig he’d told me about during the Skiddaw activation.
70.450 FM - 1 QSO:
The single 4m QSO at 13:25z wasn’t the expected one with GM4WHA, though I could hear Geoff calling me loud and clear, but a contact with Derek 2E0MIX. I was using a 2m rubber duck extended to resonate on 70MHz and 3W from the IC-E90 four-bander. We managed with 59/ 56 but there were no more takers. For this I had to climb up to the summit cairn and it was much colder up there in the wind. I’d also stiffened up quite a bit so I must have looked like an old man. Sadly I am an old man!
145.400 FM - 3 QSO’s
The final three on 2m-FM to 13:45z:
G1FVA Keith in Howton Nr. Carlisle; GM3VMB Peter in Eaglesfield - working a M.O.T.H. (Masochists-on-the-Hills – as he calls us SOTA activators in fun and M0PVA Mick in Billington.
For 2m, the power was 5W up to half-way through and mostly 50W after that. Outgoing reports were 59 with four 57’s. Coming back they were in the range 52 to 59, the 52 coming from Steve M7CQS/M static mobile on Waddington Fell.
It was time for a lunch break or so I thought. Out came two sausage sandwiches brought along from the hotel but not long afterwards the rain started. Being very subtle, I didn’t notice it at first as I was out of the wind but looking down I could see that the paper logsheet was starting to turn translucent. Morale was detrimentally affected with the result that the after-lunch session was cancelled. In trying to wake 4m up after successfully working Derek up by the cairn, I’d also got chilled and shivery.
Descent:
It’s best to take packing up slowly when you’re on a ledge but once it had started raining – actually a wind-driven drizzle, the grass was even more slippery. Everything was soaked and it was almost time leave anyway. I didn’t want to be negotiating slippery rocks in the dark. I almost never walk with a mountain jacket on. A fleece is normally sufficient so the ‘activation jacket’ gets put away.
By the time I got as far as the shelter – only a matter of around 40m metres but exposed, I realised I would need some protection from the weather. The shelter would be a good place to sort things out. I like to record my tracks and save them so noticing the GPS batteries were almost empty, I swapped them first then untied the umbrella from the rucksack, slung on the latter and set off at 14:21.
Just then I heard laughter coming from one of the other sections. A young chap was grinning at me and my brolly. No worries though, I enjoy this sort of attention. ‘OK, I might pass as a Mary Poppins imitator but I’ll be dry and you’ll be wet!’ I said it with more conviction than I felt. The wind was already deforming the spokes. Out of place or not, it proved itself yet again and when I dropped out of the rain lower down, it became my walking stick. I love my umbrellas! In fact I can’t remember the last time I used waterproofs for SOTA in any weather. It can’t have been much more than three times in the past ten years but I do seem to be often in my garage fixing broken brollies.
Like the walk up, the walk down wasn’t as bad as I’d been dreading and with the help of the MP3 player I was back to the car park by 15:36. Within 5 minutes of reaching the it, I was the last one parked there.
Comments:
On several levels I enjoyed this activation – the climb achieved, the like-minded individuals I met both physically and on the radio. Giving away 10 points is always a pleasure. No, the WX didn’t cooperate but I’ve seen so much worse in 22 years of activating. It’s not often you can walk most of the way up an English 10-pointer in late December in a base layer and there’s nothing like a mountaintop to excite whatever mood it’s in.
It wasn’t the best of days to be out or sure but there were plenty of people passing through on this popular summit. On ‘my’ route, which is much less popular than the Swirls or Patterdale ones, there were half a dozen on their way up but substantially more after Nethermost. However I saw no one on my way down.
The radio gear worked well again, confirming that Boxing day’s 2m-FM QRO activation wasn’t just a fluke but I don’t think I’ve found the ideal yet.
Another Christmas holiday enjoyed in the Lake District again but the Derwentwater Hotel staff seem to be suffering. The food has been good but there’s been only one chef instead of the usual two and he hasn’t had a day off in 5-weeks. Two of the waiters have been on for three weeks solid. We felt for them. They have tried but can’t seem to be able to get anyone to come and work for them.
QSO’s - 28:
27 on 2m-FM
1 on 4m-FM
Walk data:
09:56: Left Wythburn Church Car Park
11:34 to 14:21: G/LD-003 Helvellyn summit
15:36: Arr. Car park
Distance, Ascent & Walking times:
Wythburn Church: 7.7km (4.8 mls) / 764m (2,507ft) ascent
Ascent: 1hr-38min Gross/ 1hr-33min Net
Descent: 1hr-15 min
Summit time: 2hr-47min
Thanks to all stations worked and Spotters G1FVA, 2E0MIX & GM4WHA. Also the SOTA spotter.
73, John
G4YSS
Photos: 2-3-4-5-6-8-10-14-15-16-442p-19-21-22-23-24-26-125p-30-33-37-38-40-42
Above: Wythburn car park. £8 for 9 hours. Cash only
Above: Above the trees looking back
Above: Walking towards Coum Crags
Above: Steps take you round the crags and up to Birk Side
Above: Is the one on the left a sight hound? Long legs. The owner didn’t recognize the term
Above: Almost there. ‘No sheep up here mate; they’re all lower down’
Above: Shelter. The true summit is the cairn at centre top and the best place for VHF’ing
Above: G/LD-003 trig point
Above: LD3 summit cairn. Photo from my operating position
Above: A small memorial plaque and recent ‘gardening’ to reveal it
Above: The subject’s ashes perhaps?
Above: Operating ledge below the cairn and overlooking Red Tarn (if you could see it). The jeopardy slightly exaggerated by the camera angle
Above: Out of the wind but beware of things rolling off
Above: 2m J-Pole on short mast
Above: IC-E90 with 2m antenna extended to work on 4m. Just worked Derek in Whitehaven
Above: On the way down and fending off the worst of the weather
Above: These Herdwicks seemed more curious about the umbrella than frightened
Above: Dropped out of the rain. Thirlmere in sight
Above: Last out of the car park. No refund for the unused three hours!
