Mt. Pancrudo EA1/LR-006

This activation was done last summer but I didn’t have written a report yet.
I write it now in order to add a useful info in the Summits web area.

Motivation

I had already visited and activated several times in the past some of the highest mountains of EA1/LR association. Many of them are concentrated in a close area, and there was one left there which I had never visited before; Mt. Pancrudo, EA1/LR-006.

This summer I decided to activate it taking the chance of being not far from it.

  • Activation date: 23 august 2019.

Driving directions

The nearest village is Ezcaray.

  • Exit the village heading South, towards Zaldierna (road LR -415).

  • 2,5 km after leaving Ezcaray, turn left towards the sky resort called Valdezcaray and continue for 13 km (road LR-416).

  • When reaching the sky resort you can still drive on the road LR-416 that degrades from that point changing into a dirt road. (The sky resort is closed in summer time).

  • You need to get on 8 km this track (for about 20 minutes) and park on a plateau called Col of Tres Cruces, at 1960 m a.s.l.

Climb

  • Trail is 6,4 kilometers long (one way).

  • Height gain: - 170 m decrease first, then + 250 m gain.

From the parking place you can easily go up Mt. San Lorenzo EA1/LR-001, but this is not my destination today… Instead, I kept on walking following the same dirt road that goes around Mt. San Lorenzo.

The walk starts going down for about 4 km. Once you reach the col of Artaza (1830 m a.s.l.) you have to leave the dirt road and start going up towards Pancrudo EA1/LR-006, following the ridge on a very easy hike marked as a dotted line in this picture:

When approaching Mt. Pancrudo I could see it is composed of 4 summits in a row of similar height, being the very summit the most western:

Here you can see what I had walked down and up from the parking place as seen close to reaching the summit (yellow lines added):

After 1h 20 minutes walking I arrived in the summit of Pancrudo:

After eating some healthy nuts and dates I was ready to start installing my antenna.

Activation

  • Equipment: TRX Mountain Topper MTR-3B. EFHW antenna and carbon pole 5 m long.

I used 3 brand new Li-Ion 18650 batteries rated at 2600 mAh. They are light and more than enough to power my MTR.

I installed the aerial inverted vee.

There was no wind and the day was bright. In order to protect me from sunburn I had brought with me a car windscreen cover. It is extremely lightweight and I thought that would be an easy way to ensure sun protection for the next hours.

I hold it to a stick in the summit next to the antenna feedpoint:

All done! I sat next to the radio and was ready to fire up the rig and start the action:

Activation went well.
I ran HF on 10 and 14 MHz, logging 38 qso, including S2S with OM1BD/P (hey, nice suffix!!), OE5EEP/P, DL2DXA/P on a GMA summit, F/HB9IIO, HB9EVF/P and DL/F5HTR. A lot of SOTA trotters today.

I was concerned about the time I would need to get back to the car and the drive back home so I decided to go QRT after 1h 15 minutes running on HF.

While dismantling the antenna I switched on my trusty VHF handheld Kenwood TH-F7, and to my surprise I found EB2GKK/P, Iñaki, activating from EA2/VI-003, 92 km away. I logged the S2S running just 5 watt and the ¼ whip aerial with an excellent signal report both ways.

Soon after our qso we got the call from Alberto, EA2DYS/P, activating further away from EA2/NV-003, at 178 kilometer far apart, wow, such a joy a meet them both so loud!

I recorded a video to send them the movie later on and after checking nothing else was left on the summit I got back to the car.

Goodbye Mt. Pancrudo, a nice place to visit in summer!

73 de Ignacio

8 Likes

Amazing report! I want to run away to Pancrudo! Hi Hi.

Summer was far, but I still remember the sun and the smooth breeze touching mi face.

Congrats Ignacio for this Sota.

Hi Ignacio, that was a good activation and report. It seems to be only a few days before we met in Roncesvalles. Great contacts on 2m fm and 38 contacts on hf is very good, such conditions don’t occur here often.
I like the use of the car sun protector. Yes very light but very effective in hot sun.
Are there still three crosses on that col or is the name historical?

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH

Hi Andrew,

concerning the Col of Tres Cruces, there aren’t three crosses there as you could guess.
Instead, its name is because that point is the junction of three tracks (therefore the cross road), as you can see in red color in the map:

Some people call this point Col of San Lorenzo (as it is written on the map).

Here you see this junction as seen in a past activation from Mt. Salineros EA1/LR-004:

Take care Andrew, VY 73

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