G4YSS: G/LD-004,Skiddaw-Lonscale,11-06-21

G4YSS · 24 June 2021 20:54

G4YSS: Activation of G/LD-004, SKIDDAW 11-06-21
Issue-1 (errors?)

LAKES WEEK- 6 th to 12 th June 2021:
G/LD’s: Day-1 LD9; Day-2 LD10 & LD8; Day-3 Nil; Day-4 LD3; Day-5 LD4

DAY-5 Friday:
G/LD-004, SKIDDAW (via LONSCALE FELL)
2m-FM QRP, using G4YSS
Accompanied by David Barnes – Walking Group Leader
All times BST (UTC + 1)

EQUIPMENT:
IC-E90 4-Band, 5W, V/UHF H/H
Baofeng UV-5R, 5W, 2m/ 70cm H/H
Baofeng UV-3R, 2W, 2m/ 70cm H/H
2m Band Vertical J-Pole & short 2-section mast
Pack-weight: 8kg (17.6 lbs) Inc 0.5ltr fluids.

INTRODUCTION:
This was the fifth and final day’s activation of our annual six-night break in the Lake District with the walking group during Lakes Week 2021. (For more details refer to LD8 Blencathra report G4YSS 08-06-21 G4YSS:G/LD-008 70cm &160m,Evg.08-06-21).

Most of the clag and damp from the previous day had cleared away or was forecast to do so. Thus after a solo assault on Helvellyn in bad weather the day before, we could revert to normal which meant that David and I could team up for Skiddaw; Rob and Chris having gone home to Birmingham the day before.

After considering the route from The Ravenstone Manor Hotel via Ullock Pike and Barkbethdale, which David thought might be too long if the cloud was still down, I suggested we repeat a walk we did a number of years ago. This was Skiddaw via Lonscale Fell but David struggled to remember it.

During our evening meal at The Royal Oak on the previous evening, I looked up my old SOTA report. It told us that the group walk in 2008 had been ‘Lonscale Fell and Great Calva’ and that I had peeled off from the group to do Skiddaw, leaving David, Richard, Rob & Roger to complete the walk to Gt Calva and back.

Luckily I had the route and track-log saved and after ‘tickling it up’ a little, I loaded it into two GPS’s, one for each of us to use. The decision to revisit the first part of this route as a means of getting to Skiddaw was finalised over breakfast and because it’s off the beaten track, I was really looking forward to it.

Route via Lonscale Fell:
Underscar Car park is at NY 2802 2534 (295m ASL). There’s no charge but in summer, it’s worth going early. Walk NE out of the car park and turn left at NY 2828 2551 as if going straight up to Skiddaw. Immediately after that fork right to take the Cumbrian Way which drops down to a hairpin bend (right) at NY 2828 2596.

Walk east along the CW track for almost 1km and somewhere around NY 2915 2592 leave the track to the left to walk roughly north over rough grazing land. We found no evidence of a path here and neither did the young couple who followed us but we did spy one going through bracken higher up. By the time we arrived at NY 2898 2611 we were established on this grassy path. It is ill-defined in places but goes WNW via NY 2882 2618 and NY 2866 2626 to meet a wooden post and the remains of a broken gate at NY 2848 2635.

Turn right here (NE) to go via NY 2856 2649 and NY 2862 2661, swinging left (NNW) at NY 2867 2666. Two more waypoints, NY 2861 2683 and NY 2857 2700 take you to the 715m summit of Lonscale Fell, marked with a cairn at NY 2854 2717.

From Lonscale, head for the fence to walk roughly west along its south side via NY 2801 2730 and NY 2762 2734, first losing height at Flag Pots then regaining it by climbing Jenkin Hill. Turn right onto the main Skiddaw path at the junction NY 2717 2753.

Skirt Skiddaw Little Man to its right via NY 2684 2812 and a path junction at NY 2640 2831 then join the summit ridge at NY 2607 2855. Walk north, undulating slightly, for a further 550m to the summit trig at NY 2604 2910.

EXECUTION:
The car park was full when we arrived at around 10:30 which was a little later than we would have liked. The delay was deliberate to see if the cloud would shift from Skiddaw. For some reason the first car of the morning must have started a trend by parking on the right hand side of the car park which compelled everybody to do the same. It’s a new one on me but if you’re the in-car picnic sort of person you’d get a great view of Skiddaw through the windscreen.

I parked my wife’s car beside the road just down from the car park. Others were doing the same which is how we met the girl with the expensive camera that belonged to her father. Seeing my camera, she asked David and I if we wanted a photo of us together. We declined but booked her services for the triumphal ‘we did it’ summit photo later in the day. Unfortunately the timing for that didn’t work out but we did see her again later.

We left the car at 10:48 but cloud was still shrouding the top of Skiddaw. We assumed it would lift in the time it would take us to cover the longer route taking in Lonscale Fell. It did but then came back down again. It was quite windy but this was a good day for walking. Apart from a young couple who were bagging Lonscale Fell by running up it, we saw no one until we got to the main path at Jenkin Hill.

Arriving at 12:08, we took a 5 minute break at Lonscale for David to don his coat and offer some very welcome Kendal Mint Cake. The latter was smashed into useable pieces using a rock from the cairn. The cloud was back on Skiddaw and the wind speed increased with every few metres of height gained.

Higher up the main path, we met the girl with the camera, stopping for a quick chat. I forgot to hand her my camera for the promised summit photo. It would have been a cheat anyway as we weren’t quite there yet.

On reaching the summit ridge and its stubborn low-cloud, the full force of the wind impinged on us. Half way along I could see that Dave was suffering so we stopped to take stock, agreeing that he would go immediately down to a more civilised altitude where he could eat his lunch in peace. I handed him the car keys and in fact he didn’t stop until he was less than 1km from the car park.

I walked on another 4 minutes merely to touch the trig, staying only long enough to take a photo or two, then turned to get back along to the southernmost shelter at NY 2604 2866. Arriving there at 13:34 I set up quickly and was on the air within a further 10 minutes. Knowing that this would be a short activation, I stuck with just the fleece.

SKIDDAW, G/LD-004, 931m (10 pts) 13:24 to 14:14. 7C. 35 mph West wind. Low-cloud. LOC: IO84KP, WAB: NY22, Trig: TP6001 (not on offer today). Vodafone coverage some of the time.

145.550 FM - 8 QSO’s:
Once the J-Pole was up I checked S22 before calling CQ on S20. That way I can bring chasers safely up to the working frequency with a degree of confidence that I’m not going to lose them, as has can happen and has happened a time or two in the past. After all the confusion I’d caused from Grasmoor five days before, I needed this to go smoothly.

First to answer my CQ was G1VQN/P and Karl was in a caravan by Thirlmere Reservoir. I gathered that he was in the Lake District to do SOTA and he went on to say that there would be several of them up on Helvellyn the following day doing all bands including digi-modes. I wished him better weather than I’d had up there the day before. We exchanged at 59 both ways and said our 73’s.

John G0TDM called from Penrith for the final time this week and the reports were the same at 59 plus. Once again he was quickly in contact with Geoff in Carlisle by text. While we waited for Geoff, I worked Peter GM3VMB again (59/ 59) in Eaglesfield just north of the border.

Geoff G4WHA/M duly arrived. Normally Geoff remains at his desk at the work QTH but runs 70cm out to his car, presumably parked in the computer shop car park. If he has any choice at all, I should think Geoff will be very careful about precisely where he parks his car to give him the best chance of successfully chasing SOTA, WOTA etc. However on this occasion I caught up with him in Dobbies Garden Centre Car park at Carlisle and it was an easy contact at 59/ 56.

Geoff was tail ended by M0YMC Malc who gave my five Watts a 59 plus 20dB report. Malc gave his location as west of Carlisle, near to the Solway Firth and Hadrian’s Wall.

Next came the familiar voice of Sue G1OHH in Lancaster and she swapped 59 for 58. There was time for a brief addition to the basics and she wished me a safe return down the hill.

G1FVA followed and this was Keith in Howton. A second report of 59 plus 20 came my way. Keith told me about his preferred quiet route up Skiddaw from Dash Beck. He also spoke of ‘Dead Crags’ and ‘Skiddaw House.’ At the time I couldn’t recall where the first two were but on looking at a map I can see that I have been up Skiddaw roughly that way two or three times. Once when I was doing Knott and Skid on the same day, a second time with Will Hall and another time when my rig’s squelch circuit got permanently zapped by static. I got zapped too and it hurt.

The final station worked from Skiddaw and the last of the holiday was G0PMJ. Dave in Darlington was using an ‘X510 dual band aerial at 28 feet AGL and 80 Watts.’ The exchange was 56/ 54 and he gave his local temperature as 20C against my seven.

A quick check of the frequency with squelch disabled revealed no more chasers. Power was 5W throughout the 20 minute session and the rig once again was the Baofeng UV-5R with Sotabeams filter on standby.

Descent:
Now to get down in the least possible time and catch David up. I think 48 minutes might be my best time for going down this hill but today it took 55 from the southern shelter. I reached the car at 15:09 only two minutes behind David who’d had his lunch stop. So it all worked out well and we were back in Keswick 20 minutes later.

On the way home the next day we called to see an old friend at Sedbergh. Susan has some wonderful views. The Howgills starting with Winder behind her house and The calf (G/NP-022) in front. Just before leaving Susan’s, I worked a SOTA station on 2m-FM. Dave M0JKS/P was on G/SP-003 Ward’s Stone.

Comments:
There was nothing remarkable about this activation apart from the route up the mountain which avoids the worst part of the Skiddaw ‘motorway.’ Taking in Lonscale Fell and having company and really made the day. The grassy paths reminded me of the Yorkshire Dales and the weather, apart from a strong cold wind blowing across the summit ridge, was quite kind.

With only 8 contacts in the log on one frequency and mode, it could be argued that the climb was somewhat wasted but it’s just an alternative and stress-free way of operating which can be enjoyed on its own merits.

Lakes weeks have been going on since the 1990’s and since 2002 for me. This is more about people and walking than radio. However, I did have my indulgence with the latter on Blencathra, doing the 70cm-SSB contest including a sked with my son Phil, followed by Top Band in the dark with the bonus of a rare S2S. That was quite a special evening.

All in all Lakes Week 2021 had been enjoyable and successful once again and I only got one tick. Apart from Thursday on Helvellyn, we didn’t have rain but we did have low-cloud on that day and also on St Sunday Crag and Skiddaw.

For the third year we were down in numbers which as far as going high was concerned, reduced it to just David and I. Hopefully Rob’s condition will receive some medical attention to allow him to join us next year and fingers crossed Roger and his wife will come too. We have already booked 2022 at the Avondale but because of the double bank holiday, it will be from 12th of June.

QSO’s:
8 on 2m-FM

Walk data:
10:48: Left Underscar car pk (295m ASL)
12:08 to 12:13 Lonscale Fell
13:20: David left Skiddaw Summit Ridge
13:24: Skiddaw Summit Trig
13:34 to 14:14 : Activation (at southern shelter)
15:09: Arr. Underscar (David 15:07)

2hr-36min up via Lonscale/ 53min down (+10min trig to activation shelter)
Summit time: 45min
Ascent and Distance: 736m (2,415ft) ascent & 12.5km (7.8 miles)
(Direct route is: 680m (2,231ft) ascent & 10.6km (6.6 miles)).

LAKES WEEK 2021 SUMMARY of Ascent & Distance Walked:
Monday: G/LD-009 Grasmoor 807m & 9.2km
Tuesday: G/LD-010 St. Sunday 688m & 10.4km
Tuesday Evg: G/LD-008 Blencathra 650m & 8km
Wednesday: NIL
Thursday: G/LD-003 Helvellyn 764m & 7.7km
Friday: G/LD-004 Skiddaw (via Lonscale) 736m & 12.5km
TOTALS (4-days): 3,645m (11,959ft) ascent & 47.8km (29.9 miles) walked

SOTA Activation Points for the 4-days/ 5 SOTA’s: 44
Total Miles Driven: 348

Thanks to all stations worked throughout the week and many thanks for spots. To David for organising the walks and to my XYL for the use of her car. To Pearl and Tony at the Avondale Guest House, Southey St., Keswick for a comfortable stay, great omelettes and a friendly service.

73, John
G4YSS
…………

Photos: 1-2-6-7-10-16-20-22-28-27-31-33-41-48-49-53-54-58-62-64-Our Room-Pearl & Tony