How to break an EYP

I had my annual sortie into the Cairngorms yesterday with Tom and Jimmy, the EYPs, but I seem to have broken one of them!

A total distance walked of 25Km and 1200m of ascent seems to have worked the magic! Actually it was a combination of the rather steep descent off Bynack Mor (I do like to take a more direct route between summits)and going demented with the relentless midge attack we had from the ascent of ES-010 until we reached the cars at about 2145 that really did it.

Does anybody know who broke the sky yesterday afternoon, we experienced S8 noise (almost like a mechanical roar) which then cut to nothing but came back as soon as we tried to hear anything. It did result in one first for me though - thanks to G3RDQ I made one contact using that strange digital mode attributed to Mr Morse!

All in all a great day out, with good company (except the midges) followed by a curry in Aviemore - and if proof was needed of the breaking of an EYP, Tom failed to finish his; another first?

Thanks to the chasers who battled manfully to get me my contacts in the afternoon (especially Don G0NES and David G3RDQ)

73 Barry GM4TOE

In reply to GM4TOE:

What you mean the Cloud isn’t quite the Cairgorms?

I think you would have broken me too. I don’t normally get bitten by midges but got eaten on one of our tiddlers.

Steve GM7AAV/P

PS Lastchance! if any WABers want NH66 I will be listening 5.3985 this evening.

In reply to GM4TOE:

With your penchant for long walks onto remote summits, VE1/CB-001 could be a suitable challenge for you Barry. Have a look at this -

http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=6680

The whole area has a very Scottish feel, so you’ll be right at home too!

73 de Les, G3VQO

In reply to G3VQO:
Suppose they don’t call it New Scotland for nothing - hi!

73

Jack (;>

PS: Sure I saw a midge with snow shoes in the fotie?!

Me? Broken?

Not guilty.

The case for the defence:

  1. I completed the walk with a decent pace at the end

  2. My failure to finish my curry was a result of dehydration - I finished my water far too early on the route, and should have guzzled far more to refresh supplies before guzzling on curry and lager.

  3. The idea to take a direct line between the two summits - a near vertical 400m drop instead of a more graded curve using actual footpaths - was not my idea. This ridiculous choice of traverse was clearly a result of Barry being used to the terrain that his 5 year old black labrador Tommy can typically manage.

  4. Only a couple of lumps of meat and a few grains of rice were left - the curry was nearly finished, and the lager completely so.

  5. My first encounter with the infamous Scottish midge was not pleasant - but I seem to recall that it was a certain GM4TOE that sobbed the loudest about them.

  6. Even after the stupid steep descent from ES-010, I showed Barry (and his dog Tommy) a clean pair of heels on the ascent of ES-017.

But it was a great day and a great walk - and I had the last laugh on both summits as I operated from the safety of my bothy bag while the midges were dining on Barry’s face.

Respect to Barry though - he is an impressively strong fellwalker. I thought I was acceptably decent myself, but after a day of being left for dead by a bloke more than 20 years my senior, and another bloke more than 20 years my junior, I’m off down the medical centre for some prozak.

And Tommy the dog - what a wonderful companion to have with us in the mountains. It was interesting to note how the amplitude of his tail-wagging linearly decreased through the day - but was still wagging at the end!

We had a great holiday with 5 SOTA activations. The intended Backpackers activation from CS-096 on the Sunday was cancelled on instructions from The Government, but we still grabbed new uniques from CS-115, NS-151, NS-150, ES-010 and ES-017.

Other highlights included giving the SOTA talk to the Inverness ARS to an audience that numbered more than 10% of the entire amateur radio population of the Highlands, and going dolphin spotting at Charnory Point - and finding that Steve GW7AAV, Helen GW7AAU and family were also there doing likewise!

Reports will follow, inevitably.

Tom M1EYP