Motivation
Weather has been good and warm in the last two months (not expected for winter in this area) but some rain had been forecasted soon. Jorge EA2LU and I agreed to activate this summit which is not frequently visited by hikers.
Activation date: Feb 25th 2020.
Driving directions
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Exit Pamplona Northeast towards Aoiz (road NA-150 & NA-1720)
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When arriving in Aoiz, take the first deviation left towards Nagore (road NA-1720)
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Pass the tunnel and get on towards Nagore
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Do not enter Nagore, instead keep straight towards Burguete (NA-1720)
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Once in Uritz, leave the main road and turn left once you are next the bridge (over Urrobi river). There is a good asphalt road going up to the very little village of Espotz, where the road ends.
Park next the houses and start the trail:
Climb
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Trail from Espotz is 3 kilometer long (one way).
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Height gain is 160 m.
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Summit at 1061 m a.s.l.
This is an easy trail that follows for most part a dirt road. Better to visit with good weather because in case of rain the path could be very muddy.
This is Espotz in the distance when looking back after some minutes walking:
Soon you arrive in a col; there you have to turn right, enter the forest and keep on walking a narrow path next a fence that goes up just to the very summit.
At the end of the fence there is a little height and you need to climb but it is short and easy. Then you arrive in the summit.
Summit is more or less flat and wide but it is well covered with boxwood plant, that makes deployment of the antenna a bit tricky.
Jorge installing his aerial. I found a spot for me a bit onwards.
The summit has a small mountain mailbox and in the distance you see the rocky walls of Mt. Larrogain EA2/NV-041.
Further to the right-hand side we can see two more summits:
Activation
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EA2LU station: KX2 + Tuner + Random endfed & radials.
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EA2BD station: LNR LD-5 + EFHW multiband.
Activation went well. Jorge ran on 5, 7 and 14 MHz CW. His best DX was KD1CT, Robert in NH, 4Z4DX, and also logged a S2S with HA2VR/P.
I ran on 14 MHz SSB and 10 MHz CW, and logged a few S2S with HA5BV/P, HA2VR/P. HB9BGV/P, and also a flora & fauna station on LZFF.
Jorge’s log was closed with 49 qso and mine with 26.
We both packed when some drops of rain showed up, but hopefully it soon stopped and went down safe and sound.
73 de Ignacio