Hi All,
Sgor GaoithGM/ES-009 - Skur Ghee-hh is the closest I can write to how Walkhighlands gives the pronounciation - meaning “the windy peak”… it certainly was!
The plan: stay close to the hill overnight and then set off about 8:30 (BST) to arrive at the summit 3hrs+ later then spend a happy while making contacts and descend in good time. A favourable forecast gave a likely good day on Friday (the 13th… I should have paid attention to that).
I ended up starting out an hour earlier, and recent exploits further east in the Cairngorms must have given me hill legs, as I was on top about 10:30!
I had the summit to myself as there was a “stiff breeze” zero visibility and a 400m drop a few metres away from the path and summit rock outcrop.
A spot and shout out on 2m brought in 2 chasers - thanks Gordon in Mallaig and Ron in Findhorn. Better signal reports were achieved if I stood up on the summit, but then I couldn’t write the contacts in the log, so I got “varying” signal reports ha ha - any hope of a quick activation and dash were …err…dashed (sorry!) . Even a Whatsapp to Fraser didn’t help - he was in Barbados!
After about 30mins it was apparent that HF was going to be needed. Finding any shelter at all was a challenge and setting up the antenna and rig was a further tussle - anything out the rucksack needed to be either heavy or help on to tightly! And there was some snow on the ground… summer has only just ended!!
Once I’d got organised, I found a quiet frequency on 20m, sent out a spot and then started calling - well I thought I was… Zero response after a few minutes suggested something amiss. That will be because the rig was in practice mode - zero output. Remembering where the option to change that took a minute and a further couple of minutes to read the display - who thought that red writing on a green background was a good idea - really??? (Xeigu X6100 - yes I know alternate software is available - I tried it and found it harder to use…)
Anyway, got that sorted out and started calling properly.
Finally able to make contacts on 20m thank you all for your support and patience.
Right at the limit of my time in the wind, along came Manuel @EA2DT with his distinctive morse but grateful thanks to all chasers.
I listened to 40m for an opening, but decided my teeth were about to start chattering, so time to pack up and get down the hill. I was much windier and colder than forecast.
Here are some photos, some showing the hills to the east that I was on 2 weeks before - basking in sunshine and getting a wind/sunburnt face…
View back into Glen Feshie - lovely part of the country
There was even a rainbow…
Two objects, one is a size 43 Oboz boot , the other maybe some sort of survey marker? Seen on the path part way up the route with nothing else obvious around it.
The summit of GM/ES-009
The “view” from just beyond the summit - the loch is about 400m below - I didn’t venture too close to the edge…
As I was packing up, Fraser pinged me to say that Alex @GM5ALX was about to summit Mount Keen GM/ES-014 on the other side of the mountain range. I dug the 2m handie out and listened and called but did not hear him which was too bad.
By then the cloud had lifted a bit.
Similar position to the first "hill "one giving a better idea of the east face - some nice cliffs there.
Beinn Bhrotain right of centre screen, camp site of 2 weeks before at the notch just to the left of centre.
Left to right, the west side of Braeriach GM/ES-002 (summit just out of view) and Cairn Toul GM/ES-003 to the right of centre mid distance.
Total distance walked 16km and 900m ascent.
I had a nice walk back once out of the wind. Any day on the hills is a good day, so this was a good day despite the temperature up top.
Thanks again for the contacts, hope you enjoyed the pictures.
Alan
MM0VPM
I was just scrambling up the last bit into the activation zone whilst messaging Fraser (coordinating 2m QSOs in Aberdeenshire whilst however many thousands of miles away! 
). When I did call the locals in Aberdeen replied and I was also trying to get a chap in Grantown-on-Spey who was calling CQ and then Fraser said you’d gone.
, however with a five hour delay. 
