Sorry for anyone wanting LD001 and Ld005 in terms of having a great and enjoyable walk,But for playing radio was a wash out.
Started at Seathwaite and was lucky to park up as it was some 3 peak challenge as well.But my friend who is a fell runner didnt like stopping and possiably i was far too slow for his liking as he runs up it.
I didnt expect to have such a short stay on Scafell pike with 20mins in total i had hardly any time to play radio so hand held it was, even though i had carried the beam and pole.
I feared i was not going to activate ld001 at all and with Mike gw0dsp help i managed it phew(thanks mike).
Went up via sty head and esk hause.The summit was packed out with walkers and came down the Corridor route back to Sty Head.Then asended up to Great Gable but knowing i wasnt going to get any radio time in.For me my heart wasnt in it.
On Great Gable i had only 10 mins just had one contact so not happy having to come down without the 8 points.
Came down over Windy gap and onto Green gable and over Base brown.
Enjoyable walk and took in some great views and it was the first i wasnt in control of my own destiny.I know its hard for non hams to understand what we enjoy doing and its difficult sometimes to explain.
On another note the times we got stopped (must have been the HH on show) people asking were they was! a few had no compass and a guide book with no map.
thankfully is was a sunny day for them to get down safe without getting lost.
What a disappointment Great Gable must have been to you. You are quite right; it’s sometimes not easy to convey the importance of staying at the summit to non-amateurs. Quite apart from that though, why would anybody want to walk straight down after investing such a huge effort to get up there in the first place? It is quite beyond me.
There was one time when this happened to me too. I was with a group and it was my very first time with them. I was used to going alone. The WX was thick mist and driving rain. They would not stop but neither could the group be allowed to split up in ‘such conditions.’ I missed out on a first activation of Robinson in deference to not upsetting anybody. This doesn’t happen now. They know me better!
Late November 2008 on Gable, after following ‘your’ route, I met a lone girl walker similarly equipped. Viz, no map, no compass, just a guidebook with the ‘sketchiest’ small-scale map in it you’ve ever seen. Not the worst case I’ve seen but not too good.
Better luck next time. I should think your day out was 80% spoilt! The sad thing is it could happen again.
I have only done Gable once, but what a fantastic experience. Definitely the best views of any of the 200+ unique summits I have done - awesome. Mind you, we were lucky with an absolute peach of a day. It was certainly somewhere demanding of an hour of my time in my opinion.
Then again, I can understand an urgency to move on if you’ve already done Scafell Pike that same day. I have only ever done LD-001 as a one summit day, and that’s been plenty enough for me each time! Respect to anyone that combines it with another biggie like Great Gable.
The good news is that you have the best excuse imaginable to climb Great Gable again Scott!
In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom and John,
All is not lost as it was my first in that area and i had a great guide and it was an education into knowing all the various routes to take.
That knowledge can be well used next time i visit,But must be honest my legs turned into jelly asending gable.
We returned to seathwaite farm around 8pm and was met with the smells of BBQs
going on all around the field.
I agree with you there Tom it is a long day and plan to stay at the farm next time.
Had a stop on the way back at the pub in rosethwaite and was interested in the plaque above the fire place it detailed all the winners of the borrowdale fell race and the route,
I wished i was that fit you certainly could get some activator points going!
Regards
Scott 2E0RCS
PS If anyone is intending on activating Scafell pike, Gt gable, Dalehead on the 1st of aug it is going to be very very busy as it is the above fell race with some 500 runners taking part.