Scotish Small Isles trip

Old Reflector
1

This is my first opportunity to post a quick note about our islands trip.

So far Helen and I have managed to activate one new summit on Skye (An Cruachan, GM/SI-096) and two summits on Rum (Mullach Mor, GM/SI-147 and Orval, GM/SI-050) all were long walks over boggy ground; so to get anywhere near alerted times was quite good for me :o).

We have one that has got away (Askival, GM/SI-009, one of the Rum Cullins) due to weather conditions. It had started to rain just after we had started the climb and by the time we had reached the scree at the base of Hallival conditions were really closing in. We pushed on hoping the weather would lift as it had the previous couple of days but we weren’t going to be so lucky. At the col between Askival and Hallival (650m) it was clear going any further would’ve been foolhardy and unpleasent. The wind across the col made walking difficult with horizontal rain. Visability had also deteriorated and we couldn’t see past the first scramble. Reluctantly we turned back, it’s not often I don’t top-out; the mountain will be there another day.

Propagation on 60m has appeared to be poor with only a handful of contacts made on each summit; 40m has been far more reliable so for the next few summits 60m won’t be tried.

As we had plenty of time on Orval I set up my 20m vertical while Helen was activating on 40m and after a couple of calls on 14.285 (and a spot) I had a very good run of contacts ranging from intra-G through to Europe, Russia and the US.

We are now on Eigg relaxing afrer the 3 and a half hour ferry crossing (via Canna and Muck) from Rum.

Tomorrow (Sunday) we will attempt Sgorr an’ Fharaidh (GM/SI-134) another unactivated summit weather permitting, an alert will be posted giving a time in the morning but it should be around 14.30 BST (13.30 UTC). Monday should see us on the only other summit on the island An Sgurr (GM/SI-114).

Hopefully catch some of you soon.

Carolyn (GM6WRW)

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In reply to G6WRW:
Thank you very much indeed Carolyn and Helen for the 3 summits. Conditions on 60m were certainly very noisy here and you were barely audible in Cambridgeshire. I look forward to the summits on Sunday and Monday and hope the weather holds good for these activations.

73 Tony, G8BVJ

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In reply to G6WRW:
Hello Carolyn & Helen,

I am not familiar with the mountains you activated but reading about what seem to me to be more or less cutting-edge achievements for SOTA in GM gives me a slightly heady feeling with memories flooding in. Just the names excite. I love the west coast and have been to most of the islands to activate them for WAB.

Seems you are possibly using the Murdo Grant Shearwater which my son & I used to camp on Muck. You got dropped off on Eigg; or maybe it’s Cal-Mac.

Unlike the other three, Rum often has its head in the clouds so it’s understandable it attracted some rain when you least needed it.

Wet or dry, you can barely avoid enjoying the area and you’ll be left with great memories.

Keep up the good work and I wish you much success with the next venture.

73 to you & Helen,
John G4YSS.