Hi
Hoping to “do” Peel Fell tomorrow - but quick question - does anyone know how much of the forest is upright and if it is possible without a chainsaw? Thanks
Seems David G0EVV would be your best bet… from the summit page -
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- 23 Jan 2022 by GM0EVV/P
- 16 Jan 2022 by M0TKF/P
Unfortunately I don’t recall a report on the reflector and a quick search didn’t bring anything up. David is in the Lakes at the moment. If you drop me an email (address on QRZ.com), I can let you have his mobile number if that would help.
73, Gerald G4OIG
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Thanks Gerald - never thought to check the recent activations - and January was after Storm Arwen so it is probably OK…
Reminds me of my attempt at Peel which was treeless from start to finish but possibly not the most direct route.
Paul
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Peel Fell 18/03/22 " A Grand day out"
Having asked the question I thought it might be sensible to provide the answer. If you have a short attention span the answer is yes - it is passable without needing a chain saw…indeed it is now an easyish walk with good views.
Today’s challenge was to do a hill, preferably a complete and be Dad’s taxi - and by negotiation this was to be a non fee paying son from Riding Mill at 3-30, which gave a choice of two hills, Peel Fell or Tosson Hill and I went for the one with more points! This meant it needed to be reasonably quick. I had read Paul’s blog on the longer way, but I had a deadline so it was not to be.
The first suprise was the view - no trees on the most direct route - they have all beeen harvested so navigation was easy. There were signs of the storm, but the main tracks were clear, and the only time the route is off a main track is through a felled area.
What is obvious is that off the forestry track there has been devastation, and it would be completly inpenetrable with 20 foot root balls and massive tree trunks which would make progress even through a few meters impossible.
The weather was perfect - not too hot, good visability, no midges, gentle breeze. It is only a couple of weekends ago that I was walking in snow at a similar altitude!
I tried 7 MHz, and started with a S2S before making a long run of contacts, but the suprise was 2m FM, with 3 of my 4 contacts being S2S, and over a good distance down to Wales. ( I was just using a ladder line J pole and a 5w hh )… infact as I tuned around 2m at one point all the stations I could here were SOTA activators!
Woody, looking less than impressed with the mast…
So to summarise - really good hill at the moment, but as it warms up no doubt the midges will appear. No big trees and easy navigation. … and finally after racking my brain on this occasion I actually didn’t manage a mystery item which was hidden in the bag to slow me down, or forget anything…
The only mistake was on the way down. I have Woody attached to me on a waist belt and I had spotted a stream on the way up and made a detour on the way back so he could have a drink. I had assumed that he would paddle nicely in the shallow bit where I had picked my way round, but I almost ended up in with him as he lunged into a pool of water about 2 feet deep. I ended up with my arm in the water up to my elbow with the rest of me precariously lying flat out above the stream, with my rucksack and the precious radio gear perched on my back and threatening to end up with the dog! If there is a lesson in this it is to take the rucksack off! (PS the KX2 is in a padded bag which is in a waterproof bag so it would have survived…)
Rigs FT270 and a J Pole about 4m up a mast and a KX2 with an EFHW for 40/20m.
Once again thanks to all the chasers, and the other activators. Paul (…and Woody)
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