Thanks for the video Joe, it was fascinating to watch, but not the inspiration. Actually, the real primer for the question came from me needing to fix my Coordinate Converter which was having some subtle problems when dealing with negative numbers, specifically South and East Lat/Long.
So I went on SOTLAS and found some peaks I could use as an easy reference, and happened across South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands with my test summit being randomly picked, the exotically named Henriksen Buttress. I’m not suggesting a DXpedition there, but it is clearly a land of untapped SOTA opportunity, and will probably rightly so remain like that for a long time!
Fascinating all the responses however. With Scotland on my doorstep and having had very little SOTA activity outside the Lake District it is clearly a consideration. I did have a trip planned to the Orkney Islands last year that was scuppered, would be nice to at least re-plan that trip.
I’m up for suggestion possibilities for a SOTA DXpedition however. I can someone legitimately call myself an event organiser now.
Dark drizzly winter evenings here in the Lake District are the ideal time to do some virtual tourism.
As I said, I am driven by uniques and completes (I have some people to blame for this affliction). I was looking at a Hebrides expedtion and if I go on my own I can rack up plenty of uniques but few completes. A better plan would be to have a team of me and A. N. Other going to Stornoway and working South, with CW and SSB activations simultaneously. And say the well known team of Gerald G4OIG and Paul G4MD starting in Barra working North. That way you get 4 stations (2xCW 2xSSB) active at the same time for the chasers with the activators getting uniques and the chance to get completes as well. They meet in the middle and get suitably merry at a hostelry before continuing North/South.
Add in a few more teams to make it more fun. Or mad.
Hmm, glad that I don’t go to your dentist… or perhaps I should as I really like Laphroaig… which reminds me I have a bottle that needs opening. Agreed that it is an acquired taste. However, when you’ve had a free trip around the distillery (myself and Peter G3YCT on an expedition to the island in 1971) and tried everything from the raw spirit to the finished article, then it becomes attached to your genes! I mostly drink 12 year old Bowmore nowadays as I’ve become a wuss.
You may well recall discussions some years ago about a large group of us hiring a sizeable property somewhere in Scotland and doing just that. I’m not sure what scuppered the idea, but maybe it needs to be resurrected once the current ailment is in retreat.
Laphroaig just needs practice and a good splash of water. Lots of practice. I really enjoy it. Not too fond of Ardberg products. When Bruichladdich re-opened they had no vintage product so sold a non-vintage blended malt of various ages, Bruichladdich Rocks. It was not pricey and was fantastic. They don’t sell any more as they have aged barrels available.
I’ve been consuming lots of Bowmore the past few years. Both No. 1 which is a non-vintage and the Bowmore 12yr. The 12yr is £40/ 70cl bottle in supermarkets to get a price point. It’s expensive at £40 but my local supermarket sells it at £25-27 every 6months and it’s a steal at that price.
Whisky is good in containing the alcoholic in me as I seem to always have had enough after a single glass. The same cannot be said of Kraken Rum unfortunately.
Appleton Estate 8yr Reserve Rum is currently in vogue here, a recent birthday present.
I can tell you what will make you a Whisky fan, The Dalmore 18yr. As I had an significant birthday recently my work colleagues think enough of me (despite my outspoken nature ) that they bought me a bottle of this. As it’s £125/bottle I was genuinely pleased they thought so much (only 20 people in my office) I also have a healthy sized amount Cotswold Outdoor vouchers to spend.
Anyway Dalmore 18yr… makes every other whisky taste horrific. Shame it is so expensive or I would drink it all the time.
Off Topic… In September I began a phased retirement. One of my previous colleagues explained that when he reached 55 he was going to try and become incompetent so that by the time he got older he was able to be incompetent without trying and when the inevitable budgetary issues occurred a magic door would open… <This story is not related to my radio operating skills –I hope> Over the last year I have been quite careful to direct some work to colleagues and perhaps be somewhat less useful and have managed to redirect the “I don’t know what we would do without you” comments with ways of doing without….
So far the 1 day off a week appears to be linked – (Butterfly Effect?) to a day of rubbish weather – It is probably factored into forecast models, but sailing over a somewhat uncertain horizon is the possibility of having more time so if these ideas get off the ground please count me in. I fancy having a go at both some of islands south of Barra and some of the ones on Harris and Lewis. Easter should be on Mull which also seems to have some rarely activated summits.
Fingers crossed that Covid behaves itself, my escape tunnel does not collapse and hopefully the fantasy activations that fit between e-mails as I look at OS maps become real. Probably too early to pencil in dates – I might still be working …. 73
(PS I do like the Islay malts but the hills on Islay don’t look as inspiring as some of the others…but I would be happy to be proved wrong)
Paul
My daughter said to me, to quote verbatim: ‘you need to get a better paid job so you can pay for me to go through University’.
Unfortunately retirement is a long off dream for me. I can tolerate so much talk, but I might not want to share a summit with you folk if you keep on about it
) that they bought me a bottle of this. As it’s £125/bottle I was genuinely pleased they thought so much (only 20 people in my office) I also have a healthy sized amount Cotswold Outdoor vouchers to spend.
