Moving a Mountain

Summit Info
1

Most people will be aware, either from the SOTA website Summits on the Air
or from discussion on the Reflector, that the UK summit lists are derived from the definition of a “Marilyn” developed by Alan Dawson in his book “The Relative Hills of Britain” (often referred to as “RHB”) published in April 1992. This book is now available on the internet at http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/marilyns/
for those who are interested.

Although Black Mountain in Herefordshire/Powys is popularly regarded as straddling the border, Alan Dawson placed it firmly in his region 38B, which comprised West Gloucestershire and the erstwhile Hereford & Worcester. Thus SOTA allocated it the designation WB-001 within the English Association.

All was well until May 2007, when the people who decide where mountains actually are, and how high they are, decided that the available evidence placed Black Mountain definitively in Wales, in region 32A (South Wales - Llandovery to Monmouth). Those who wish to follow the trail can find the decision at http://www.biber.fsnet.co.uk/database_notes.html - it took a bit of searching!

So, in order to keep SOTA in line with the revised RHB listing, we have to take the unprecedented step of “moving” a mountain from one country to another! The MT is aware that not everybody agrees with our use of the RHB list for SOTA purposes, but it has served us well since the earliest days, and we see no good reason to diverge from it now.

Thus, at 2359 on 31st December 2007 the summit G/WB-001 Black Mountain will cease to exist, and from 0001 on 1st January 2008 a new summit GW/SW-041 Black Mountain will be added. Why the choice of date, bearing in mind that the RHB list changed in May? Well, to be honest, we missed the announcement at the time. As stated earlier it took a bit of searching! Having discovered it, in early November, it seemed that the start of 2008 was a logical change date for SOTA purposes, thus allowing the necessary work on the two affected ARMs and the database to be implemented in a timely manner.

Don’t worry, because all recorded QSOs with Black Mountain in its G/WB-001 incarnation up, and including, 31st December 2007 still count for activator and chaser points. There will be no loss of points already earned, just a brand-new summit reference to chase from 1st January 2008. Have fun!

73 de Les G3VQO obo SOTA Management Team

2

In reply to G3VQO:

What a great place to see in the New Year. Activate two mountains without moving an inch and get 18 points!!! It might be crowded up there.

73 John GW4BVE

3

In reply to GW4BVE:
Crowded, no kidding. See you up there!

4

In reply to GW4BVE:

What a great place to see in the New Year. Activate two mountains
without moving an inch and get 18 points!!! It might be crowded up
there.

I think you ought to move an inch John, perhaps a couple of feet else you’d be blocking the path. I read somewhere that the path at its position closest to the summit is actually on the border.

I took this information literally when I activated the summit and sat to the East of the path and operated under the G prefix. Next time I’ll venture over to the West side in order to activate it as a GW. I’m fairly certain there is a small cairn tentatively marking the actual summit to the West of the path.

This change will provide me with a repeat ascent without the loss of my 100% Uniques record. No doubt purists would say that a GW summit should be ascended from the Welsh side, but who is that much of a purist?

73, Gerald

5

In reply to GW4BVE: I might be persuaded to leave the front of a nice warm fire and a glass of port and try a chase. Very disappointed that I won’t be able to share in the fun. Bearing in mind it was my wife who worked out that 26 points could be had from the summit of Snowdon New Years Eve/New Years Day, she would have had to let me out if I’d been fit.

I suspect it could be a pile-up to end all pile-ups

Regards, Dave, M0DFA

6

In reply to M0DFA:

Now I’m green with envy. Don’t suppose there’s much chance of a piggy back;-)

73 Mike

7

In reply to GW0DSP: 'BVE, DEV and I discussed a winter overnight on Snowdon in The Fishes one evening - the idea was shelved in favour of more beer. However, this year I might be persuaded to share the port.

Dundry Down will show if I can carry my activation pack on the flat.

Now, what’s the chance of getting our Discovery up onto Black Mountain New Years Eve?? (And getting it back down in one piece). I reckon you could need one op per band per mode up there, and its hardly the place for an overnight stay.

Just musing

Dave, M0DFA

8

In reply to M0DFA:

I reckon you could need one op per band per mode up there

Bags I not get 7MHz CW… staggering across the path at midnight with the 817, key, SLAB, log and the 40m vertical - the mind boggles! Perhaps the idea for a SOTA cartoon has just been born…

73, Gerald

9

In reply to M0DFA:
There is a tuft of grass just to the left of the activation zone, SO 255355, I booking that spot. 2m SSB :wink:
Now all I have to do it get 2E0NBR to agree to me going…

10

Of course you don’t have to be in England, or Wales, or straddling across both to activate G/WB-001 or GW/SW-041. You just have to be in the activation zone as defined by the rules.

My past activations of G/WB-001 have been two as M1EYP/P on the English side of the ridge, and one as MW1EYP/P from the Welsh side. One of my future activations of GW/SW-041 is bound to be as M1EYP/P from the English side - just because I can!

With the change of reference happening at the same time as the change of year, there aren’t any ‘extra’ points available in real terms. Anyone brave (daft) enough to be up there approaching midnight New Year’s Eve would have the 18 points available to them for a double activation even if the reference wasn’t changing!

The location of the summit, and the border along there - the Hatterall Ridge - isn’t exactly clear. As mentioned, there is a cairn on the highest part of the ridge, so I guess you could call that the summit. This is around 20m (from memory) to the West of the Offa’s Dyke Path. The question is, is the border exactly coincidental with the Offa’s Dyke Path - in which case the summit is 20m inside Wales - or is the border coincidental with the highest points along the ridge - in which case the summit is by definition on the border. In either case, the AZ extends into both G and GW!

Is there really going to be a SOTA New Year party up there???

Tom M1EYP

11

In reply to M1EYP:

Of course you don’t have to be in England, or Wales, or straddling
across both to activate G/WB-001 or GW/SW-041. You just have to be in
the activation zone as defined by the rules.

Quite - perhaps my suggestion was rather pedantic.

My past activations of G/WB-001 have been two as M1EYP/P on the
English side of the ridge, and one as MW1EYP/P from the Welsh side.
One of my future activations of GW/SW-041 is bound to be as M1EYP/P
from the English side - just because I can!

This is a personal thing. In my tidy mind I just couldn’t do that, just as I wouldn’t activate a summit just inside the activation zone unless I absolutely had to. It’s a case of personal perspective on these issues.

With the change of reference happening at the same time as the change
of year, there aren’t any ‘extra’ points available in real terms.
Anyone brave (daft) enough to be up there approaching midnight New
Year’s Eve would have the 18 points available to them for a double
activation even if the reference wasn’t changing!

Surely being the last / first activation is the attraction on this occasion.

Is there really going to be a SOTA New Year party up there???

Think I’m off to Ladbrokes to place a bet…

73, Gerald

12

In reply to G4OIG:

I predict a pile-up…

Not chasers but activators on the hill!

73 Marc GØAZS

13

In reply to G0AZS:
Marc, that’s the funniest reply on this site to date!

Now…how do I clean tea from between the buttons on the keyboard?

73

Brian G8ADD

14

To Nobody in Particular :

Sorry John, further to our telecon., could not resist this comment on the deletion of WB-001.

What price 24/24 now!, maybe 23/24, or even 23/23!

Regards

Don - G0NES

15

In reply to G0NES:

Hi Don, it sent a ripple of thought through the challenge team also, hi, but the challenge is called 24 in 24 and not 24 WBs in 24, so no problems are created by the moving of the mountain.

In fact it may have done us a favour by removing the hardest one of the set, maybe we will include a tiddler to replace it, hi, but I suspect the lads will want to keep to the same 24 summits, wherever geography places them, hi.

The important issue is the reason for the attempt, which is to raise funds for a worthwhile charity.

73 Mike

16

I would have thought they would still go for 24 in 24. It is the same mountain after all, and “WB-001” will never be reallocated. So you would have WB-002 through WB-024, and the “original” WB-001, or “The Mountain Formerly Known As WB-001”.

Tom M1EYP

17

In reply to M1EYP:

I should think so Tom and I would imagine the rest of the team will see it that way too. I’ll post more info about it in the next news

73 Mike

18

In reply to GW0DSP:

Hi Mike
I agree with your comment,[pasted below],keep the same 24 regardless and it will be a true measure of the team’s ability.

‘In fact it may have done us a favour by removing the hardest one of the set, maybe we will include a tiddler to replace it, hi, but I suspect the lads will want to keep to the same 24 summits, wherever geography places them’.

Regards

Don - G0NES

19

In reply to G0NES:

I don’t think we have any other option Don but to stick with the original plan, plus the fact that when Barry approached the Hospital, he quoted the 24 WB summits as they were then and as far as this challenge goes, they will still be referred to as the 24 WBs.
More will be posted in the news as plans are drawn up.

73 Mike

20

So why does the Database not yet (08:25 1 Jan 2008) recognize GW/SW-041 ??

–
Stewart