Pyrenees Ride-ups

Summit Info
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Hi Everyone!

I’m planning a motorbike trip to the Pyrenees, leaving sometime in the week after Easter, for upto three weeks (I am looking at the long-term forecasts, to try and make sure I get the best weather I can)! I’m probably going to take my IC-705, GRP Mast, Slim-G and Sotabeams 20/40m linked dipole and will look to do some SOTA summits, but…!

…as I’ll be loaded up with camping gear, clothes for a few weeks and all the other paraphernalia I’ll need, there won’t be any space for hiking gear at all (no ruck-sack, walking boots etc.). I’ll be damned if I’ll walk up a mountain in biking leathers and boots! So, I’m looking for any knowledge or advice for summits in the Pyrenees (or nearby) that are considered drive-ups (or ride-ups, in my case). Any summits throughout the middle of France are also probably fair game too, as I’ll be using the Channel Tunnel to cross into France and ride down to the Pyrenees over a couple of days.

Any knowledge of suitable summits would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Dave
G7SAT

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Hello,

I live in front of F/PE-324 and I’m not aware of any drive up summit here, at least on the French side. Even 1 pointers require 1h walking to go up.

I would suggest a pair of trail running shoes and a very light backpack such as this 3€ one from decathlon, 45g, no space when folded.

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Enough for a water bottle, a jacket and the radio.

I’m also a motorbike rider, if you pass by, we can share a ride and an activation.

Good luck

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Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll definitely look into getting one of those backpacks, which would be handy for using on the bike trip for more than just radio excursions! What radio/antenna’s do you use with that backpack? It looks like many summits are activated using the 40 meter and 20 meter bands. Does anyone use 2 meters at all?

Re-appraising my radio kit, I might just take the KX2 if VHF is dead in the mountains.

I have friends who live 1 hour south of Toulouse and I’m planning to stay with them for several nights, which looks to be only about an hour away from yourself. I’ll ping you once my travel plans start to firm up and see if you are available.

I was also wondering if there are any summits accessible by ski-lifts? I know of several in the Alps, but I was expecting (or at least Hoping!) that the same would possible around some of the skiing resorts?

Cheers,

Dave
G7SAT

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Those bags are very usefull when traveling, I just drop my mountain backpack / motorcycle lugages and walk / shop in the cities with one of those.

I never tried 2m activations. I think there is extremely few people in the range of this band, when there is even a line of sight …

No.
Ski lifts are usually not even running at this time of the year. The summits above ski resorts will be fully covered with snow and require alpine equipment to climb. Only summits below 2000m altitude will be accessible with summer shoes.

One has a lift though, it’s Pic du Midi, F/PO-044, where there is an astronomical observatory. Here a webcam shot from 2 days ago when we still had sun:

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If you can’t fit at least a pair of running shoes, shorts, and a small backpack, I’m afraid you won’t be able to activate anything. Maybe a few 1-pointers, but it would be a shame to come all this way just for a couple of molehills. :grimacing:

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EA2/NV-012 :wink:

73 Armin

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One additional thing to consider is that most iconic high mountain roads are still closed at this time of the year in central french pyrenees (col du tourmalet, col d’aspin, Neouvielle, gavarnie …) .

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That summit is going on the list!

Thanks :smiley:

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I’ve not toured the Pyrenees before, and I couldn’t find any reliable sources for when the roads open. I’ve toured the Alps extensively, and most of those roads open at the beginning of May, but can still be affected by weather of course!

In your experience, do the roads start to open again at the beginning of May?

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Most of the main mountain passes are open. What’s still closed are the dead-end high mountain roads, and secondary passes, which usually open in June.

You can check real time conditions for central french pyrenees roads:

The numbers you see are the departments, see on the map below to get an idea

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The unpronounceable summit! (Ortzantzurieta). Good memories, I activated that with Ignacio EA2BD and Jorge EA2LU in 2019. There was something familiar about your photo and I just had to look it up! Easily accessed by a motorcycle.

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA

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Thanks for all the replies! I’ve had a couple of days out on the bike locally, to shakedown my gear (although no summits activated!), with a few tweaks needed before I leave in a few days.

I’ve noticed a few few peaks just south of Strasbourg that look like they are within my grasp of walking from the motorbike. I plan on doing them on the way down through France, or maybe on the way home.

Whilst looking for some peaks, it struck me that I assumed I had similar rights to set up and operate from Peaks in the EU, in the same way that I have in the UK (at least in the national parks etc.). There are some summits in the UK that are on privately owned land, which I’d need to ask for permission to operate from. I tend to rely on the information in the SOTA database and also linked by SOTLAS to determine if I need special permission.

Can anyone advise me (particularly for France, Spain and Germany) on how to determine if I can just turn up, setup my mast and operate? Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance (again),

Dave
G7SAT

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No problem in the Pyrenees. The mountains aren’t private. Some 1-point summits in the valleys (small forested hills) might be on private land, but even then, unless there’s a sign explicitly saying “private property,” you’re allowed to go.

I think it’s the same for Spain.

Avoid Andorra, ham radio is too tricky there.

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Well then - let’s go!

That’s true: south of Strasbourg, the Vosges Mountains are a motorcycle paradise… the “Route de Crete” in particular is a highlight… there you also have plenty of options for quickly parking your motorcycle and activating a summit.

Except for FL/VO-002 (the hotel owner is a radio opponent and can get brutal at times! - you should stay out of sight of the hotel here), everything is problem-free.

For example, if you’re traveling with a 6m mast (like the one from Decathlon), I recommend either a rod holder… or some Velcro straps to attach the mast. There’s a way to do this almost everywhere.
Recommendations for shorter routes and quick access by motorcycle without parking problems:

Drive on FL/VO-019,
…and along the Route de Crete with well under 30 minutes of walking FL/VO-016, FL/VO-003, FL/VO-170, FL/VO-080, FL/VO-081, FL/VO-001, and FL/VO-017

  • FL/VO-010, FL/VO-021 and FL/VO-031 are also within a short walk. -

Now, a personal insider tip (among motorcyclists): A beautiful picnic spot is at 47.84305, 7.14625… You can’t park your car there. But you can leave your motorcycle on the side of the road! There’s a trail to a ruin with a great view of the Rhine Valley… and you’ll usually be alone there.

73 Armin

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Thank’s for setting my mind at ease, Remy!

I’m curious about you saying HAM is tricky in Andorra? I guess being a big skiing place, there might be more private land etc., or perhaps it is a licensing issue? CEPT says Andorra has signed up to it.

Cheers,

Dave.

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Thanks for a bigger list for the Vosges Mountains! I was going through the peaks on SOTLAS and google maps to try and figure out the drive-ups or shorter walks. I noticed a few, but your list has saved me a lot of mouse clicking, thanks! I’ve got a Carbon6 from Sotabeams, and a stake for the ground. I tend to use some short guys about 2 meters up the mast, and then just use the dipole elements from the tip of the mast.

I’ve saved your spot in my Sat Nav, and will hopefully get a chance with good weather to head that way!

I’ve motorcycled all around the Alps and the Dolomites over the years, but never really noticed the Vosges, so I’ll get chance to experience some new roads! I let my HAM license lapse around the year 2000, as I reached 18 years old and I found my interests lay elsewhere at that point… :smiley: SOTA wasn’t a thing back then, but since getting my license back a few years ago, I’ve really enjoyed doing SOTA, and this is my first real opportunity to do some SOTA in Europe, and I’m very much looking forward to it!

I’ll try to let you know when I’m in the area, if you are interested in activating a summit together?

Cheers,

Dave
G7SAT

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Oh really? Until quite recently, Andorra wasn’t part of CEPT, and SOTA activations were tricky. They required a temporary license that was hard to obtain, from what I understood. That’s why there are so few summits referenced and activated, despite the country being full of valid SOTA summits.

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I’ve been riding motorcycles for almost four decades… sometimes professionally (with blue lights front and rear)… probably half a million km… mostly BMWs… and usually several.
A combination I’ve had for a while was: an R1150RS for long-distance trips (often with my wife), an R100GS for short trips on narrow roads… and an R90S and an R69S (on 15-inch rims with a 750 cc engine) with a Steib sidecar… for fun.

The Vosges are beautiful for motorcycling! Much more beautiful than the Black Forest - if you have an eye for the landscape and like narrow, challenging roads… one of the most beautiful passes is the Col du Bramont, approached from Lac de Wildenstein.

Just get in touch if you’re in the area. IF it’s right: I’m always available for a joint activation.

73 Armin

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What colour is your R90S ?
My favourite BMW of all time.
Although I am a Triumph rider myself and sometimes manage to fit the SOTA gear on as well.
Andy
MM7MOX

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In Germany the color was called “Silber-Rauch” (silver smoke) … not the classic Daytona Orange by Helmut (Dähne) :wink:

But I also jumped over the Ballaugh Bridge :joy:

73 Armin

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I’m confused now; from the CEPT website:

"Who can be a CEPT Member?

In accordance with the CEPT “Arrangement”, Postal and Telecommunications Administrations of the European countries which are Members of the Universal Postal Union or Member States of the International Telecommunication Union may be Members of CEPT.

Presently Administrations from the following 46 countries are members of CEPT:
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Republic of North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Vatican."

But I’ve re-read T/R61-01 and 02, and neither mention Andorra one way or the other. This is compounded in that both T/R61-01 and -02 both mention other principalities, like Monaco.

Looking around the internet it isn’t very clear either way today, (most pages are quite old) so I suspect you are probably correct and that you’d need to apply for a licence, I should learn not to skim-read a misleading webpage (Andorra CAN be a member, but hasn’t signed up to the pre-requisite document T/R61-01 or -02).

Dave.
G7SAT

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