Anybody, nobody, everybody and somebody…
Somebody has to do it.
Anybody can do it.
Everybody wants somebody to do it.
Unless somebody does it, nobody will do it.
These things are always best when organised at the grass root level.
Down amongst the dirt and worms?
As an activator from VE7 land (not a lumberjack, still OK) I’m in favor of the winter bonus, as are most of the RMs and the AM. This is partly due to the nature of Canadian winters and also the remote and challenging nature of the summits of British Columbia. Due to a lack of information when the association was first formed, the points banding for our association is somewhat skewed and not representative of the actual distribution of our summits. For example, the 10 point band begins at 4,000m which covers exactly two (2) summits out of several hundred. We are patiently waiting for an opportunity to reband, and while we do there has been no shortage of discussion of various ways to appropriately reward activators. Suggestions have ranged from a system that takes into account remoteness, time of year, technical mountaineering skill required, and natural hazards all the way to an ‘honor system’ where activators choose their own point values. We’ve also discussed permanently implementing the winter bonus, though this would be outside the current rules. So far none of these seem likely to be implemented, but a ham can dream.
Back to the subject at hand, we’re pretty desperate for points out here but so far nobody has found the allure of an extra three points to be great enough to warrant excessive exposure to the hazards of winter travel. I was evacuated off Mt. Rogers last April (Trip Report) during an attempt on the summit, though in that case the main objective was mountaineering and my radio equipment was just along for the ride. It was also outside of the winter bonus season. Some summits in VE7 can only be climbed during the winter months when the snow covers the glaciers and bridges some of the larger crevasses, requiring advanced mountaineering and glacier travel skills which are ‘rewarded’ by the bonus.
Personally, I like the concept. It provides associations with the option of recognizing that some seasons are less ideal for travel an operation and reflecting that in the points accumulated. There’s always the option of not including it.
P.S. As a result of the technical and remote nature of our summits, I often find myself in a position to have to ‘smash and grab’ 4 QSOs before beginning my descent. I’ve also been hard pressed to find many climbing partners willing to hang out for very long on a cold, windy summit to wait while I rack up contacts.
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