On Ilkla Moor Baht'at (And other North Pennine Hills with one)

Activation Reports
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“Where has thy been since I worked thee?” Well if that was one of my first contacts from Hoove with a new FT817ND some 2892 days ago (7 yrs 11 months….) I have been activating all the NP summits, and the last one Rombalds Moor (Ilkley Moor) yesterday, a bit pathetic really as Anna Wells managed all the Munroes in winter in 83 days not nearly eight years, however I did have a job and am still Dad’s Taxi service….

Health Warning - Moderate to low levels of excitement likely to be sleep inducing. Does not contain descriptions of epic adventures involving activations by boat, just slightly damp feet at times….

Rombalds Moor G/NP-028
The hardest part of the activation was the driving as it is the NP hill furthest from home. Radio wise it was a bit of a struggle. I started on 10m which seemed worryingly quiet - 0 QSOs. I thought it would be easy on 2m having a good view of a large urban area, but I don’t know if it was the time but initially just 3 QSOs - one in Lincolnshire so the kit was working- perhaps everyone else was still in Blackpool. Then I tried 40m which seemed a bit long earlier in the day and no response to my spotted CQ so finally activated by calling a bunkers on the air station on 40 with a weak report. Not quite the grant pile up finalle I had anticipated…… Finished with a nice rag chew on 2m. To summarise, short level walk, watch the sat nav directions and a nice view. Perhaps it was being dogless- no barking auditable in the CQ call….?

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Favourite Hill
Wild Boar Fell G/NP-007
This is a hill that looks like it is a mountain and the path is reasonably dry. Not only that but the summit is both huge and quiet with enough space for several antenna farms. And the only hill where I have experienced a Brocken Spectre…

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Toughest Walks (A draw)
Mickle Fell G/NP-002 and Cross Fell G/NP-001 (From Garrigill). Mickle Fell was longish and wet requiring a pre arranged permit, so despite only being 13 km return it felt longer. Cross Fell from Garrigill was longer (25Km return) , the following day Woody struggled to get up for a wee! I am probably stupid as I have used the route from Garrigill before and afterwards always thought it was a long way and I wouldn’t repeat it, only to decide that as as I was now older it probably wouldn’t feel like such a long walk. It did. ! (Take a bike or go from the West…)

Best Small Hill
Dufton Pike G/NP-027
A mini Matterhorn with brilliant views and a pleasant walk usually with good car parking. Only 1 point but well worth it!

Wettest Hill
Aye Gill Pike G/NP-023
Perhaps it was just the day I walked it, but there seemed to be a lot of soup near the summit and lots of very boggy bits. Not one on the repeat list!

Easiest Points
Burnhope Seat G/NP-003
OK it is a very short drive from home, but the road is only 150m below the height of the summit, and with a carefully chosen route it is quite possible to reach the summit without a boot full of water. Plenty of room for antennas and the trig point (Which is fairly infrequently visited) still has a hole in the top which supports a mast. My first transatlantic QSO from a summit (Using G6XX callsign)

Busiest Hill
Whenside G/NP-004
A mighty hill with some amazing railway engineering to walk underneath, but from Ribblehead very busy. The AZ is a reasonable size allowing some space to set up away from the summit. Probably best early in the morning!

Most Photogenic Hill
Nine Standards Rigg G/NP-018
I don’t think anyone knows for sure who built the Standards or why they are there, but in the snow they are very impressive!

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Best of the Rest
The Calf (G/NP-013) combined with Yarlside (G/NP-019)

The (Steep) walk up Cautley Spout is more like a Lake District Hill, but the round tops of the Howgills remind you it isn’t quite the lakes. Not too busy and the climb up the side of Yarlside will definitely get the circulation going! No pints at the pub as it is a Temperance Inn!

Equipment
I started with a FT817ND and a SLAB. I seemed to struggle to qualify the summits so added a linear to get to about 30w… Following a memory issue (I forgot the battery which given the weight should have been obvious…) I then got an FT-270 to add a second rig for 2m FM. As I got older I noticed the weight, the first change was swopping the SLAB for lithium batteries, and the biggest change was getting a KX2 which I now run off its internal battery with no issues. For an antenna I use a linked dipole, the longer one (80/60/40) working well at the quiet end of the sunspot cycle and the current one (40/20/10) . (I tried an efhw but still prefer the dipole) For 2m I have a ladder line J Pole, both on top of a 6m mast. I have also added a Tarp (DD Tarps super lightweight and a collapsable pole for wet summits). Logging - Rite in the rain paper logs, HAMRS used to transcribe it, and MacLoggerDX on the Mac. (As part of my retirement present to me I decided that I had more than enough of Windows so I have different bugs to explore on the Mac. On Windows I used the excellent Log4OM)

Thoughts…
Everyone climbing hills will have their own opinions about what is “good” and why and the weather makes a huge difference, so these are just my opinions. As I am now retired this probably qualifies me to feel Older and Wiser, but as in the Pink Floyd lyrics the truth (particularly on a summit) is …

“And I’m feeling the cold
Thinking that we’re getting older and wiser
When we’re just getting old”

  1. Paul
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Hi Paul

Congratulations on finishing all the G/NP summits. G/NP-028 is my local summit (1 hour walk from home). 2m FM can be hit and miss but is usually OK. In February I was huddled in my tarp in a snowstorm and worked several stations using just my handheld so it can go well.

So your next challenge is do all these summits again, but using CW. You’ve chased me a couple of times so I know you can do it.

73 Richard

PS. I’d like to nominate Dodd Fell Hill G/NP-016 as the wettest hill. I activated it in December and it was just non-stop bog. Even on the summit it was impossible to stand anywhere that wasn’t a puddle. I’m waiting for a dry summer to do it again…

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My preference is a cold winter. You can never guarantee it’ll be dry underfoot, but at least when the ground is frozen you don’t sink into the bogs!

Well done Paul. I’d like to nominate Pen-y-Ghent for its picturesque outline. Then there’s Great Shunner Fell (fond childhood memories) and Rogan’s Seat (where SOTA activating started for me!).

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Dufton Pike is a wonderful wee hill. It’s slightly steep but it’s only steep for a short time. The views are way better than you would expect for not much effort. I did it for the first time last Saturday and it may become regular for bagging when I’m on the way path on the M6. Just be careful with any SatNav as mine tried several times to make me cross fords that looked deeper than the Marianas Trench and wider than the Orinoco :slight_smile:

It’s the last NP that Gerald G4OIG needs to complete all NP. So please everyone go and activate it and make sure you let Gerald know you will be doing it.

Aye Gill Pike. Agree it’s possible the wettest summit I can recall. And it never seems to end, just a non-stop squelch and splash.

Nine Standards Rigg. I’d wanted to do this one for years having seen the stone men on the summit. I did it when it was dry. I was looking forward with some trepidation having heard I would need bog-snorkelling gear but I don’t think I saw single puddle.

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Congratulations Paul, and nice pictures.

I have to admit to googling Brocken Spectre.

I did listen for you on Rombalds Moor G/NP-028 on both 10m and 40m but nothing, which is strange as my QTH is less than 20 miles away, not even a faint Woody in the background!

73 Nick

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Many thanks Andy for the “ad”. I can confirm that Dufton Pike is a delightful hill. However, for me it comes in a close third behind Cold Fell G/NP-020 lying in second position and like Paul my favourite is Wild Boar Fell G/NP-007.

Well done Paul on the completion of G/NP. I wonder what is next on the list.

73, Gerald

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It seems to me Andy that you have had a more better experience of Dufton Pike G/NP-027 than the 2 times when we and my dad Tom @M1EYP walked up this hill many years ago now, the first time being before I was licensed so we only walked up it a 2nd time so that I could activate it. We found both times when walking up this hill and using different routes as well to very steep and very unpleasant. The only good thing about this hill was that we first time we walked up, we had a lovely view from the summit.

Jimmy M0HGY

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It’s not that steep. Ben More GM/SS-001 is steeper and you climb 1000m not 181m. You can moan about Ben More :slight_smile:

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Yes… and then there’s Stob Binnein GM/SS-002 to make you forget about the steepness and just be glad you’re bagging 20 points (or 26 with WB). :joy:

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Thanks to everyone for the comments.

Richard - I might try CW on a summit, but the main problem is that I don’t really enjoy it much, so the next challenge will be all of G/LD - just 15 to go including the elusive G/LD-057 Swinside…

Gerald - It would be good if you could tick off Dufton Pike - as it is one of the 3 NP hills that I have still to chase… (the others being Kisdon and the rather soggy Aye Gill Pike (I’m not selling it well am I). Bit disappointed to read about the steepness of Stob Binnein as it was sitting on my possibles list…

Andy - My most depressing long slog is still Skiddaw up the tourist route from Keswick, not as big as Ben More and it starts further up but the crowds of people and the motorway style path somehow add to the ambience…

Jimmy - I did read Toms reports, bet now there is a reasonable path from the South and I would now describe the navigation that way as easy. I didn’t make it a circular as there was cattle last time I was up the hill and I avoid with dogs…

1 Like
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Hi Paul,

Congratulations on activating all of G/NP.

I enjoyed reading through your report and the ‘awards’ you bestowed on some of them. As you mentioned, there are many factors that determine how we look back on an activation and summit.

Mickle Fell was indeed a slog. I recall that the general area of the summit came into view in the distance around 30 degrees and it seemed it took ages to make any progress in getting nearer following the boundary.

On the way to The Calf, when I turned right and Cautley Spout came into view, I remember thinking, ‘you’ve got to be kidding’. As the ascend was still such a long way away, I kept looking at my compass thinking I had taken a wrong turn as I was unable to see the start. As I got closer I could see people zig-zagging their way up.

I really enjoyed the Pennines, the solitude, walking for miles without seeing anyone whilst enjoying nature and wildlife.

The real epic ones in locations outside the UK, where special skills and equipment are required in arduous conditions, unfortunately we’ll only sometimes get to read about on the reflector.

For me, every activation is an adventure as I never know what to expect. Some locations and summits may be more exciting than others, but besides a few (G/SB-005 and G/SE-007 spring to mind), I’ve enjoyed most of them.

I copy my rite in the rain paper log into the ‘Easy CSV Editor’ Mac app before uploading the csv into SOTA DB. MacLoggerDX submits to LoTW, eQSL, QRZ etc and LoTW uploads have failed in the past when using a different callsign, so have held back uploading QSOs whilst out portable.

Good luck ticking the next ones off your list.

73, Robert

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Google Maps has done that to me a couple of times whilst driving to G/NP summits and I was lucky not to wreck the underside of my Mini trying to get back onto a proper road.

I agree with you about Dufton Pike - nice hill. Parking in the village C.P. but not many spaces. But it’s grassy summit hides solid rock. I must have tried a dozen times to find a spot where my Chameleon vertical’s ground spike would go in. So, now I carry a rubber mallet.

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Hi Paul,

I need to chase Dufton Pike, not activate it, so we both have the same interest in the summit. I’ve activated all the SOTA summits in England and Wales, hence my irregular trips up to Scotland to feed my Uniques craving. I agree, Aye Gill Pike is soggy, but forewarned is forearmed and the summit area is okay. Kisdon I enjoyed as it was an early morning visit and the light was magical. It was a challenge getting signals out on 2m, but good fun.

No problem with Ben More and Stob Binnein. If I can do the pair, I’m sure that you can. I drove up from Northumberland and back afterwards in a day to bag the pair. It was a long hot day with midges for company, but mega-endorphins as the prize.

Okay on the completion of G/LD being your next target. I need a couple of chases to complete the lot, as indeed is the same for G/SB. It has taken many years to get this near to fully completing the English summits, activated and chased… thankfully the hard part has been done and all I have to do is sit back and wait. :grinning:

73, Gerald

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Hi Gerald, Dufton Pike is on my shortlist and I can arbitrarily promote it to the top of list. I activate week days usually late morning or early afternoon. Just need a dry day and the thumbs up from my wife. I can post again here when I have a date. Probably in the next week or so.

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That sounds good and many thanks for the heads up. I’m away for a few days from 6th May, otherwise should be here, though there’s no desperate rush. If other summits are more convenient, then do them first. I can be contacted via the messaging facility on here or email (as per qrz.com) if that is more convenient.

73, Gerald

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Fine. We can work out a mutually convenient date via email. Given your location I think 40m would be the best band. I normally do only CW activations on HF but can get 10W of SSB out of my KX2 should you prefer that.

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40m CW :+1:… but you realise that risks a huge pile up. :joy:

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That made me laugh out loud…

Congrats on completing G/NP.

Great report

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Well thanks to Andy and his patience with my CW I now have one more complete. (Andy I don’t suppose you fancy a nice paddle up Aye Gill Pike?) Apologies to Gerald for my iffy sending when trying to explain this…, I’m afraid you missed him Andy on Dufton Pike by an hour. It isn’t a long drive from here - I’ll PM you when I put an alert up at some point over the next few weeks. If it is mid morning would 60m SSB be a reasonable bet? Paul

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That would be appreciated Paul, but at your instigation. Don’t feel any pressure to oblige. Somehow, sometime the planets will align and I will get the Complete.

This time it was just unfortunate that Andy was running late and I had a blood test booked for 1 p.m. at the local hospital which I needed to attend. I was calling on the off-chance that Andy might have had a look at 7.032 before dismantling his station… of course he might have, but the timing might not have aligned. So many variables. All this after a morning spent arguing the toss with EE about why both my XYL’s phone and my spare phone no longer work in our home area, but are fine out of area. Apparently it’s our fault… as per most things nowadays, we are guilty unless proven innocent.

73 and thanks for CW QSO.

Gerald