My Favourite Lake District Summit

M0NOM · 19 December 2021 20:15

Phil @G4OBK commented on the air today that St Sunday Crag G/LD-010 is one of his favourite LD summits. Mine too.

Doing G/LD-010 and G/LD-007 around Christmas time has become a bit of a tradition for me. Last time I was deep in snow, this time just the remnants of last weekends snow.

Usual route for me, up at 6am (I don’t have a problem sleeping @M1BUU Colin unless it is a new summit or route), at Dunmail Raise 7am, at Grisedale Tarn 7.30am via head torch. Moon was up, and it proved to be a spectacular sunrise.

Grisedale Tarn

Setting Moon

I wasn’t carrying any water - I had the Sawyer Filter with me, so filled up on the stream coming off Seat Sandal. This would add appreciable weight to the rucksack, but with no prospect of water after the tarn it was a necessary evil. On the trek to Deepdale Hause the sun rose and bathed Helvellyn in a beautiful red light.

Early risers on Helvellyn

Mandatory Lake District Sheep Photo

Approaching St Sunday Crag

The views today were amazing, both due to air clarity and the blanket of fog that seemed to blanket most low lying lands, lakes and the sea. There was a light wind on the summit, but not particularly cold.

View towards Ullswater

View towards Morecambe Bay

For radio I had the FT-817, external 3 cell LifePo4s, SOTABeams Band Hopper IV with a 60m link and Decathlon 6m travel pole. Propagation was very kind to my 5 watts. VHF activation via a Spectrum Communications Slim-J and Yaesu FT1XD. 40m was working especially well for inter-G.

TIME	CALLSIGN	BAND	MODE	RST	RSR	OPERATOR	SIG	REF
09:21	MW3UDA	2m	FM	59	59	Gareth
09:24	G6AEK	2m	FM	59	54	Dave
09:48	MW0RWX/P	2m	FM	59	59	Robert	SOTA	GW/NW-044
09:50	G0LWU	2m	FM	59	59	Andrew Charles Scar
09:52	M7MCG	2m	FM	59	59	Mick
09:53	GW4ZPL	2m	FM	59	55	Colin John Barwell
09:55	G8CPZ	2m	FM	59	57	AJ Barth
10:00	SA4BLM	20m	SSB	59	57	Lars Markus
10:01	EA2CCG	20m	SSB	59	57	Joaquín Montoya Jim
10:01	DJ5AV	20m	SSB	59	57	Michael Oerter
10:01	F4WBN	20m	SSB	59	59	Christian SAINT-ARR
10:01	SQ9MDF	20m	SSB	59	55	Leszek
10:01	HB9MKV	20m	SSB	59	55	RUDOLF (Rudi) WARTL
10:02	SV2HJW	20m	SSB	57	57	KOSTAS VAITSOPOULOS
11:02	SV2RUJ	20m	SSB	59	55	Stavros Triadafyllo
10:03	F5JKK	20m	SSB	59	59	Éric JAUCH
10:03	SQ9NOT	20m	SSB	59	59	WIOLETTA
10:04	S57ILF	20m	SSB	59	44	FRANCI LOGAR
10:05	EA2IF	20m	SSB	59	59	Op. Guru .
10:05	OM1AX	20m	SSB	59	59	VLADO RABEK
10:05	OE7PHI	20m	SSB	59	59	HANSJOERG POERNBACH
10:06	SM5LNE	20m	SSB	59	55	Jan Skoldin
10:06	OE3GGS	20m	SSB	59	59	Gustav Gambs
10:07	EA2EVC	20m	SSB	59	45	Óscar López
10:07	EA1GKP	20m	SSB	59	55	JUSTO HERRERO ALONS
10:08	EA2DDG	20m	SSB	59	57	Jose Maria Gonzalez
10:08	EA2EVM	20m	SSB	59	59	Cesareo Garcia Andr
10:09	OE2CUM	20m	SSB	59	57	Christoph FUERSTAUE
10:09	OE6RCD	20m	SSB	59	57	ROLAND ROBIC
10:10	S57JJ	20m	SSB	54	57	JANEZ JERIN
10:11	EA3HP/P	20m	SSB	59	59	Daniel Horta Fortun	SOTA	EA3/GI-044
10:14	G0FEX	40m	SSB	59	59	KEN PORTER
10:15	2E0VRX	40m	SSB	59	59	Craig Bradley
10:16	EA2DT	40m	SSB	57	53	Manuel
10:16	M0JLA	40m	SSB	59	59	Rod M0JLA
10:17	G4OBK	40m	SSB	59	59	Philip (Phil) Catte
10:18	GI4OSF	40m	SSB	59	59	John McNiece
10:18	G0RQL	40m	SSB	59	59	DON ROOMES
10:19	GM4ZMK	40m	SSB	58	57	Richard Coyle
10:20	G4OOE	40m	SSB	59	59	A.R.N. (Nick) LANGM
10:21	G4WSB	40m	SSB	59	59	Bill Bowditch
10:21	EA2CE	40m	SSB	59	44	Jose Esteban Brizue
10:22	G0KKQ	40m	SSB	59	59	Edward John Birch
10:22	G4YBU	40m	SSB	59	59	Time
10:23	GI4SZW	40m	SSB	59	59	Shamus
10:23	M0BKV	40m	SSB	59	57	DAMIAN KAMM
10:24	2E0FEH	40m	SSB	59	59	Karl Kruger
10:24	G5GIH	40m	SSB	59	59	Gary Horobin
10:25	GM4WHA	40m	SSB	55	59	GEOFF HARPER
10:25	2E0ESY	40m	SSB	59	59	MIKE Clitheroe
10:25	G4IAR	40m	SSB	59	59	Dave BROOKS
10:26	DK1HKU	40m	SSB	59	55	Horst Kurte
10:26	SP3J	40m	SSB	57	59	Janusz Miekus
10:26	EA2CKX	40m	SSB	59	55	PEDRO CHINCHURRETA
10:27	MI7WJL	40m	SSB	58	57	William John Little
10:28	G4IPB	40m	SSB	59	57	PJ HODGKINSON
10:28	SQ9MDF	40m	SSB	58	44	Leszek
10:29	2E0BTR	40m	SSB	59	59	Geoff Passey
10:30	ON7ZM	40m	SSB	59	55	JEAN PIERRE HUBERT
10:30	PE1RMO	40m	SSB	59	55	Jan Keus
10:30	G8CPZ	40m	SSB	58	55	AJ Barth
10:37	G8CPZ	60m	SSB	59	59	AJ Barth
10:40	G3TQQ/P	60m	SSB	59	59	Dave	SOTA	G/TW-004
10:42	G6PJZ	60m	SSB	59	55	Andy Clift
10:43	G4HPE	60m	SSB	59	59	Steve
10:44	M1TES	60m	SSB	55	55	James
10:45	G4TJC	60m	SSB	59	49	Simon J MELHUISH
10:46	M0BKV	60m	SSB	59	59	DAMIAN KAMM
10:49	2E0AGB	80m	SSB	59	59	Allen Gower Boocock
10:50	G6PJZ	80m	SSB	59	55	Andy Clift
10:51	GI0AZA	80m	SSB	59	55	Esther JM Harper
10:52	G8CPZ	80m	SSB	56	42	AJ Barth

NATS dome near Cross Fell

I was sure I was looking at the Welsh Mountains, contrasting above the white ocean fog and just at the range of the Panasonic TZ-70.

Welsh Mountains, but which ones?

The traverse back to Fairfield via Cofa Pike provides for magnificent views back to St Sunday Crag.

Cofa Pike

Grisedale Tarn

Wild swimmer (he didn’t last long!)

Great Gable

Views from Fairfield were magnificent to the South and West, lots of photo opportunities of strange islands of land in the sea of fog!

Kirkby Moor Wind Farm

The Hoad Monument at Ulverston

Old Man of Coniston

Much more foot traffic on Fairfield, with a few inquiring who knew something of HF radio, for a change!

Radio was brisk again, and whilst I was very happy with the performance of my 5 watts the loud US stations made me long for the FT-857. Not practical for this trip!

TIME	CALLSIGN	BAND	MODE	RST	RSR	OPERATOR	SIG	REF
12:25	G1OHH	2m	FM	59	59	Susan Griffin
12:27	GW4ZPL	2m	FM	59	59	Colin John Barwell
12:27	M7MGO/P	2m	FM	55	55	Richard
12:27	G3XMG	2m	FM	59	59	Mike
12:29	M7MCG	2m	FM	54	55	Mick
12:30	G4MYU	2m	FM	58	52	Art
12:30	G6AEK	2m	FM	59	59	David Molyneux
12:32	G0MHF	2m	FM	59	59	JOHN L BISSON
12:33	G4WHA/M	2m	FM	59	56	G HARPER
12:34	M1DYU	2m	FM	59	59	Garry
12:35	2E0XUP	2m	FM	59	59	Stephen Davison
12:36	G7CDA	2m	FM	58	56	Douggie Lancaster
12:36	2E0AGB	2m	FM	55	59	Allen Gower Boocock
12:37	G4OBK	2m	FM	58	55	Philip (Phil) Catte
12:38	G7SXR	2m	FM	59	54	Mark
12:42	SA4BLM	20m	SSB	59	59	Lars Markus
12:42	EA1DHB	20m	SSB	59	55	Ricardo Pena
12:42	F4WBN	20m	SSB	59	59	Christian SAINT-ARR
12:42	OE6GND	20m	SSB	59	55	GERHARD GRUNDNER
12:43	OH3GZ	20m	SSB	57	59	JUKKA " Jack " KOVA
12:43	EA7GV	20m	SSB	59	52	JOSE L. MENJIBAR
12:44	OK1SDE	20m	SSB	59	44	Dalibor ( Borek ) W
12:45	EA2CCG	20m	SSB	53	55	Joaquín Montoya Jim
12:46	EB5TT	20m	SSB	59	43	FRANK DE VYLDER
12:47	EA5/DJ2TG/P	20m	SSB	58	55	Thomas Graeve	SOTA	EA5/AT-030
12:48	EA2DT	20m	SSB	58	55	Manuel
12:49	M7BIA/P	20m	SSB	56	44	Martin	SOTA	G/SP-004
12:53	M7TLT	40m	SSB	53	59	Tim Thomas	SOTA	G/SC-007
12:55	MW0RWX/P	40m	SSB	59	59	Robert Wassili	SOTA	GW/NW-051
12:56	G4OOE	40m	SSB	59	59	A.R.N. (Nick) LANGM
12:57	G0FEX	40m	SSB	59	59	KEN PORTER
12:58	G0FVH	40m	SSB	58	55	David
12:58	HB9CLT	40m	SSB	59	42	Thomas Rapold
12:59	ON2LVC	40m	SSB	53	57	Luc Van Campenhout
12:59	M0DXT	40m	SSB	59	59	Bill
13:00	EI2IJB/M	40m	SSB	59	59	Ron
13:01	ON7ZM	40m	SSB	59	55	JEAN PIERRE HUBERT
13:02	G3TQQ/P	40m	SSB	59	59	J . DAVID ( DAVE )	SOTA	G/TW-004
13:02	HB9EAJ/P	40m	SSB	57	59	Stephan Schmid	SOTA	DM/BW-001
13:03	G4YBU	40m	SSB	59	59	TIM PRICE
13:04	MW0OFA	40m	SSB	59	59	Frank Hearne
13:04	GI0AZA	40m	SSB	59	59	Esther JM Harper
13:05	G0UXC	40m	SSB	59	56	Peter
13:05	M0BKV	40m	SSB	59	57	DAMIAN KAMM
13:06	G6NHW	40m	SSB	59	57	Pete
13:06	M0JLA	40m	SSB	59	59	Rod M0JLA
13:07	2E0FEH	40m	SSB	58	58	Karl Kruger
13:07	PA7RA	40m	SSB	59	59	Rien Aarden
13:07	2E0BTR	40m	SSB	59	59	Geoff Passey
13:07	EA3Y	40m	SSB	57	55	Manel Lopez Sanchez
13:08	G8CPZ	40m	SSB	59	56	AJ Barth
13:09	G3YZY	40m	SSB	59	59	Howard
13:10	2E0LDF	40m	SSB	59	33
13:11	G4KIV	40m	SSB	59	59	Steve
13:13	2W0FLW	40m	SSB	59	59	Derek A Flewin
13:13	G0RQL	40m	SSB	59	59	DON ROOMES
13:41	OE6ADE/P	20m	SSB	55	54	Andy Andreas Domani	SOTA	OE/SB-179
13:48	DJ5AV	20m	SSB	59	56	Michael Oerter
13:49	S57S	20m	SSB	59	59	ALEKSANDER ZAGAR
13:49	IU3GKJ	20m	SSB	59	56	Riccardo Bolognesi
13:51	9A/S57MS/P	20m	SSB	55	51	Marko	SOTA	9A/PH-031
13:51	DL2HWI	20m	SSB	57	55	Dietmar Falkenberg
13:52	EA1GKP	20m	SSB	59	57	JUSTO HERRERO ALONS
13:55	G7KSE/P	2m	FM	59	59	Alex Hill	SOTA	G/LD-028
14:03	EA2IF/P	30m	CW	559	559	Op. Guru .	SOTA	EA2/NV-032

Some lovely S2S in there, and finishing up I had to be patient to get Guru @EA2IF in the log as he was working a monster pileup.

Not sure what this was in the distance, possibly the Isle of Man

The stillness of Grisedale Tarn provided a perfect mirror of the surrounding mountains.

The Battery on Helm Crag

Dawn to Dusk, 22 SOTA Points, some wonderful radio, and wonderful mountains.

All photos here.
Regards, Mark.

MM0FMF · 19 December 2021 20:24

What got him: one of the local Anacondas or Crocodiles ?

Cross Fell but that’s what you meant to type.

The pictures of the Welsh mountains look “wrong”. They seem too big or near. Is this some mirage effect where the inversion if causing them to be higher in the sky than normal?

The WX was like that yesterday here but today the cloud has touched the ground all day, proper anti-cyclonic gloom. Not that I’ve been able to get out to play for some time. We had some new windows fitted at home and I had to dismantle the shack and then rebuild it after the the windows were in. 1st time in 21 years and the amount of dross I have binned is unreal. I have to get this finished before Christmas or Mrs. FMF will be upset and won’t cooking me any Turkey. I reckon getting out yesterday even to just The Pentland would have been brilliant so I shall enjoy your views instead!

G0EVV · 19 December 2021 20:39

I can only add 2 things.
Firstly those photographs are beyond magnificent!
Secondly, St Sunday crag is my favourite hill. Best absorbed as the sun sets. with a torchlight completion into the pub!

Regards
David
G0EVV

M0NOM · 19 December 2021 20:44

I thought I was missing something - those were all of the Panasonic TZ-70, missed the ones on the phone, so I’ve added a few more. It was hard not to take a decent photo today.

RE: Pub, I looked longingly at every one I passed!

Thanks, Mark.

EA2IF · 19 December 2021 20:44

Agree!

EA2IF · 19 December 2021 20:49

Thank you very much for calling in for the only S2S I made today. It was a big joy to QSO with you and wish you Merry Xmas on the air.
Regarding the monster pile-up, it was a lot of fun today and logged 84 QSOs in a bit more than 2 hours. I worked 20, 30 and 40m all CW. Including 11 DX North-America.
A detailed report will be published in due curse.
73,

Guru

DH8WN · 19 December 2021 20:50

So much impressive pictures, thanks. I guess more time for the photos than for QSO?

73, Ludwig

M0WIV · 19 December 2021 20:58

Amazing photos and amazing activations.

There’s an app called Peak Finder which you use by holding your phone up to the horizon and it will identify the summits you can see. I’ve used it a few times and it works once you’ve calibrated the phone’s compass.

DM3FAM · 19 December 2021 21:12

Good evening Mark @M0NOM.

Thanks for the report and the really nice photos. The view and atmosphere are indescribable

73 Marcel DM3FAM

VK3SQ · 19 December 2021 21:19

Thanks Mark for your activation report and great photos. Well done

Cheers to you

Regards Geoff vk3sq

M0NOM · 19 December 2021 21:55

That photo was taken at full zoom on the TZ-70. I thought I’d see if the Snowdonia mountains would be visible in Google Earth, and would appear to be the case, so I think this is a photo of them. I’ve never recognised them before as such, the inversion just made them really stand out. I know from conducting line of sight experiments that technically the top of Snowdon is line-of-sight with a place about 5 mins drive from my home QTH.

Cheers, Mark

MM0FMF · 19 December 2021 22:43

That’s rather hoopy frood indeed Mark. It must be the white top of the inversion that makes them seem bigger.

G4OBK · 19 December 2021 23:00

After seeing those photos Mark, one feels like bursting into the song “Oh what a beautiful morning”… fabulous!

73 Phil

G8ADD · 20 December 2021 00:24

It takes a good eye to compose a good photo - a badly composed photo will not be satisfying no matter how well exposed or focussed it might be. Some of yours are truly outstanding!

M0JLA · 20 December 2021 10:04

How true - photos like these made me stop carrying my camera; I just don’t have the eye for it.
73,
Rod

M0JLA · 20 December 2021 10:08

What a fantastic day, Mark, and superb photos to record it. Thanks for the contacts; your 817 was really doing the job.
73,
Rod

M0NOM · 20 December 2021 10:15

I had to Altavista this. I thought it was a Scottish thing. In an job interview back in the 90s I was told that if you didn’t know who the caterers were on the Vogan Constructor Fleet then you weren’t a proper software engineer.

I didn’t trust the guy as they were using Amstrad 1512 PCs to do their development, but the comment stuck with me.

No I didn’t know the answer.

Mark.

G6PJZ · 20 December 2021 10:35

G6PJZ · 20 December 2021 10:37

Beautiful photos again Mark. I couldn’t answer your question I’m afraid, there are so many “favourites”! Some are spectacular for their size or challenge or just for the views.

MM0FMF · 20 December 2021 10:43

I had one of those many, many years ago. It was, let’s be honest, rubbish. Mine had been hot-rodded with a V30 CPU upgrade. I also acquired a Newbury Data 60MB “Penny” 3.5in disk that was amazingly fast compared to the standard 1512 20MB disk or any of the drives on 20/32MB Western Digital Hard cards. But it needed an external PSU as the 1512 PSU couldn’t do the job. In the best tradition, the PSU was an open frame switcher sat on the bench. One day doing some construction, I cut the end of a capacitor wire lead and the off-cut flew across the shack landing in the PSU. There was a bang and flash. White smoke was released and the shack breaker popped. On restore the PSU was no more and neither was the Penny. I cried and went back to a slow disk

Brian said the same about my photos. I wasn’t sure I was doing anything special with photos but now accept that maybe I have the ability as you do to frame the photo well without actually understanding or knowing. I’m no David Bailey so it could just be 1% talent and 99% luck still. However, we both use Panasonic TZ cameras with Leica lenses and I have to say that putting my TZ into Auto-Everything mode results in me taking better photos, so it is the TZ! Occasionally I play with the other modes but I get lost because there are so many zillions of settings and adjustments to make, so back to Auto-Everything.

I used to love my fully manual film SLR. You framed and focussed then decided what to do and selected aperture or shutter for that and faffed with the other setting till the TTL lightmeter gave a green light. Or with Fuji print film, overexpose by 1/2 a stop more. Fuji gave more saturated colours than Kodak colour print. I did one roll of Kodachrome-25 in my camera in the mid-80s. I cannot find the slides now which is a shame because the colours and results were orders of magnitude better than anything else I did with film.