I find climbing the hill is the problem, being on top of the hill is bliss once you’ve got there.
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The problem is that you have to approach and start the ascent in the higher temperatures before reaching the cooler heights - this is why the summer bonus for hot climate Associations covers all the summits, not just the low ones.
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There’s a simple solution to this (assuming that the “you” in the quote means “one” in general): start early enough to miss the worst of the heat ascending. I always reckon with a 05:30 (local) start from the carpark … gets me to the top at about 9am.
29°C in Ballater this afternoon. Nothing to write home about. Deeside is generally always the hottest & coldest place in Scotland over the course of a year.
I finish work at noon today. Thinking of heading home, grabbing the bike and taking a nice off road route to Craigendarroch GM/ES-078 - the scene of my only failed activation so far.
A reminder:
Small hill, big torch SOTA mini-adventure - YouTube
A nice easy point hopefully.
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we get use to it Matt 
Geoff vk3sq
We had 25c at 6:00, 29c at 9:00, 35c at 12:10 and 40c expected around 15:00…
Not a good day for activations… at least not in the afternoon. Agree with Tom.
73s from the Black Forest
Ingo
Well, I’m “looking forward” tomorrow morning to somewhat lower temperatures than Ingo, between 900m and 1300m altitude, of 18°C at 06:00, and a maximum of 30°C at 14:00 onward - times local. These are acceptable conditions, especially given the snail’s pace I take hauling my own weight and that of my rucksack uphill, and given the considerable shade afforded by the pine forests I’ll be traversing. Toi, toi, toi as they say here - knock on wood!
Rob
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Tom,
I saw your 20 m spot for FT4 and FT8 this afternoon my time but no sign of you or your chasers. I did work 16 dxcc in half an hour, plus mainly stations in Spain, Italy and Greece. There was one EI and a couple of G’s
Peak day temp here was just over 10 C btw. Freezing
Good luck to all in Eu with the weather.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
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That’s tee shirt weather in winter here!
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There were, I’m afraid, two epic fails in an otherwise splendid expedition.
Fail one was a preparation fail. I used to have a bit of a reputation for these, but I’ve been studiously thorough in recent months. In fact I overdid it on this occasion. It caused no harm to my activation, but it annoyed the hell out of me!
Loading my car last night, I grabbed the big drybag containing my tent and poles. I also got a lightweight sleeping bag, a roll mat and a pillow - everything I needed. I thought the experience of heavier-than-anticipated weight on my back for the ascent was simply down to me not doing an overnight camp for a good while.
When I got to the summit and started unpacking things, I found that the drybag containing my tent and poles, also contained a sleeping bag, roll mat and pillow! I’d rationalised them all into a single bag last year - and forgotten I’d done it. I was cross that I’d carried up extra weight unnecessarily - and downright fuming that I’d have to carry it all back down again in the morning!
The other error was when I did my final FT4/FT8 stint this morning. I was somewhat surprised not to attract any callers, I must admit, but I accepted it and moved onto a different mode. A wasted hour, but otherwise it had been a very fine activation. It was only when I went to change mode - just after the tablet ran out of charge after a rather impressive four hours of use - that I noticed that FT-817 mode was set to USB and not DIG!
Annoying - but not the end of the world. Apologies to the chasers that tried for me this morning on digital - two have contacted me, there’s probably more. Thank you very much for trying to make the contact.
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Well done on the overnighter Tom! Two sleeping bags is better than none. 
My heatwave adventure has just been completed. That is, I’m still on the summit of Craigendarroch GM/ES-078.
GOOD BITS
The weather is a calm 30°C.
I qualified the summit on this occasion.
There’s no one else here.
BAD BITS
There were over 50 fallen trees on the track I chose to cycle on.
I think my KX2 got too hot. It will only output 5 W and that’s with a fresh battery.
For anyone that chased me, thank you. Now you need to come to Ballater for an easy Complete. The hill is pretty much in the town.
73, Fraser
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Uwe, DK8OA and I had a double activation on our beloved Bröhn DM/NS-122 today. A fairly short 50min ride, a 5min climb and lots of shade in the activation zone.
Despite the 35° almost a pleasant place with a light wind. Conditions were unusually bad at first, but then things went well with over 50pts for S2S.
The transfer of the key did not always work after the S2S qso of the first operator. Despite the final as /p, many chasers intervened.
What should one do to ensure that the chasers also give the second om a chance at the summit?
73 Chris
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Any midges to keep you company?
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The one advantage of hot/dry weather is that midges hate it 
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If there were, they would have drowned on my sweating arms. I think how the skin so soft works as a repellant.
I did however experience plenty of black flies, a hare, a red kite, a newt, some chaffinches but no snakes. Thought I’d see an Adder or two today.
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Did my best from a shack that was verging on 30C inside but apart from one SOTA QSO with Denmark, HF was still rubbish from here generally so nothing heard from you unfortunately. Chaser successes seem to be particularly hard work this month, especially using only 10w or less. No matter, perseverance produces positive possibilities. Onward….
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Tom,
Thanks for the explanation. So even the best of us slips up. Reassuring, makes me feel a bit better about some of my snafus.
I’ve just seen the latest EU temperatures. It’s usual for records to be broken here by tenths of a degree but your temperatures are nearer 2 degrees C above the record temperatures. Definitely a heat wave.
I was bemused by the UK weather forecaster who gushed that the record breaking temperatures weren’t normal. Oh? Golly.
Just stay hydrated guys. Read a book on Artic adventures. Get your mind in a colder place.
Put a wet hand towel on the back of your neck for some instant relief. .
Do a drive up activation?
73
Ron
VK3AFW
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I did listen out for you on 145-FM @M1EYP Tom, but due to moving my home station, I couldn’t hear you! The temperature has been 24 degrees here over night, so I bet you had a nice breeze on summit?
I ventured out yesterday evening to activate three summits quite far from home. It was rather warm, but a lovely evening with nice cool air blowing on top 
I met up with @MW0KXN Kevin on the first summit, ‘Rhos Ymryson’ GW/MW-035 to do a quick joint activation:
Moved on to summit number 2, ‘Pen-Crug-Melyn’ GW/MW-036 where it was hot:
And finished off the evening by activating summit number 3, ‘Mynydd Cynros’ GW/MW-034 with the sun setting:
Great evening had quite a bit of gorse and fern ploughed through. Leg’s are feeling all the scratches this morning!
73, GW4BML. Ben
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