Just a quick few pictures of the first couple of activations Helen and I have done while holidaying on Lanzarote.
The first summit Guardilama (EA8/LA-004) was chosen because there was a geocaching first to find (FTF) nearby (something coveted by geocachers especially when it is abroad) so we went on a trek to its smaller neighbour first by walking through the local agricultural style of vineyards with each vine enclosed in a lava rock wall (see picture). Parking was below the summit and then it was a walk up a loose, well-walked, zig-zag path to a rocky summit which had a view over the whole of the southern end of island and the deep caldera.
C in full flow activating the summit of Guardilama (EA/LA-004) and with the view to the west of the island
Yesterday we went to an unactivated summit Montana Tehiche (EA8/LA-019) which has paths and tracks to the caldera rim and then around it to the highest point. More loose scree to climb up and down and It was very windy.
Fortunately the rocks, being very rough, provide enough corners for the guy-lines to hook round. The bend in the pole was caused by the wind! It is only supporting a very light weight vertical wire.
The antenna at the time was a linked 1/4 vertical for 20/17m with 3 radials laid on the ground.
Tahiche looked nice and straightforward, yet even though it was only a few kms from my hotel I never got up it. What is confusing for a small bear of little brain like myself is that lumps of lava don’t weigh much. I picked up a big lump to hold one of my guy wires and I thought it was made from polystyrene!
Spanish trig columns make good bases for antennas as well.
Ahh yes of course, and roger on the vertical wire. I took a 10m mast and dipole but never used it due to wind/ground. The SuperStick MP1 vertical was self-supporting and did the business on 10m (it was in good shape when I was there).
Good luck with your other activations and enjoy the strange beauty of the island that the SOTA summits take you to
Thanks James, yes I got 3 opportunities to activate amongst the other things that were happening whilst we were there.
Best by far was Caldera Blanca EA8/LA-015, 19 QSOs on 20m and 63 QSOs on 10m. 10m just never stopped once my spot went up. WX was just perfect on that one and there is a nice walk in and the ascent is trivial as the slope is just right for bimbling along. The wind was usual Lanzarote constant wind and you don’t realise how hot the WX is because the wind cools you. After a few hours sat in the sun plus the effort to walk up and down, I knocked back 1.5L of water at the car then stopped and had an ice cream then got back to the hotel, drank another 1L of water then had a few scoops of Estrella Galicia (yum yum yum) and still was capable of drinking more!
Knowing Helen and Carolyn, they’ll have detailed plans, routes etc already prepared for activations and geochaches etc. But if they get the chance, LA-015 is one I would do again and again. The view across the 1.2km caldera is really splendid. The 2 summits on La Graciosa island look very desirable. I did muse with those but it would have involved switching from “I’m on holiday relaxing and bagging the odd summit” mode and into “sort of DXpedition” mode, and rushing about far too much.
Tahiche was not too bad, we did take a direct route up some scree which was entertaining but walked back round the caldera. The summit did have old fence posts on the top but I didn’t think the pole would survive the wind right on the top so found a few lumps of concrete to use.
Great pictures Carolyn. Sorry missed the activations due to work. If that the windmill I am thinking off I stayed in the hotel right beside it - the Grand Teguise Playa.
Glyn
Interesting landscape. Some good looking summits there. Looks like an island I might actually enjoy visiting…
The FTF lure I understand; it’s a looooong time since I managed one, and I think (if my notes are accurate) I only have 7 in all. My first FTF (in December 2001) was GC29E6 in Mundaring, Western Australia, and my most recent (in March 2008) was GC1A0PZ just down the road.
Glad to hear it and that’s a good amount of QSOs! 10m was open almost everyday when I was there, I even managed some real QRPp SSB contacts using 100-400mW. Activating out there feels very different to activating in the UK, something to be experienced
You should try 56N if you want to know how good 53N is!
It was your EA8 videos Steve from a while back that put Lanzarote on the map for me and the update this year confirmed it. I did like your “Cyrn-y-brain” comments