Set out at the weekend to activate GLD020, GLD021, GLD008.
Lots of lessons learned and good weekend overall. Made most of my contacts using A baofeng uv5r with 1/2 wave antenna. Good experience using low power and minimal kit. Planning to activate GLD003 (Helvellyn) Sunday 29th. Didn’t manage to activate GLD021 but had 2 good contacts so the effort of reaching it was worth it.
Thanks to everyone for the QSO’s and making my weekend enjoyable and successful.
High points of the weekend… Weather, good QSO’s and meeting G0PJD (GM0PJD) whilst climbing GLD008. Always good to meet a fellow ham.
Low point… Midge swarm on the summit of GLD008 (Blencathra). Never known anything like it! Thanks to those that were patient with me as my concentration was hindered by the persistent bites of the midge’s. But several contacts and arms + head covered in bites, GLD008 was activated.
Well done on the debut activating expedition Dave. Unlucky on getting stuck on 2 QSOs on Robinson. I couldn’t see any spots for you on Robinson just now when I (very briefly) looked. I don’t know if you had the facility to self-spot from the summit, but that would no doubt have helped with several keen SOTA and WOTA chasers around you with 2m FM set-ups.
I wonder what route you used for the Dale Head/Robinson pair? When you do Helvellyn, consider doing Seat Sandal on the way up. If you ascended from Dunmail Raise and via Dollywaggon Pike, you would go straight past Seat Sandal, and you could descend via the Wythburn to complete a nice circular route with 16 points picked up.
A bit disappointing that you only got two contacts on Dale Head, Dave, I’ve done it twice on 2m FM, 5 watts to a dipole, and got 27 and 10 contacts so I think you were very unlucky. It does count as an activation, its just that you don’t get the points!
Its a bad year for midges. Well, no - its a good year for midges and a bad one for hill walkers!
Well done on the debut activating expedition Dave. Unlucky on getting
stuck on 2 QSOs on Robinson. I couldn’t see any spots for you on
Robinson just now when I (very briefly) looked. I don’t know if you
had the facility to self-spot from the summit, but that would no doubt
have helped with several keen SOTA and WOTA chasers around you with 2m
FM set-ups.
I wonder what route you used for the Dale Head/Robinson pair? When
you do Helvellyn, consider doing Seat Sandal on the way up. If you
ascended from Dunmail Raise and via Dollywaggon Pike, you would go
straight past Seat Sandal, and you could descend via the Wythburn to
complete a nice circular route with 16 points picked up.
GL,
Tom M1EYP
To be honest I didn’t know I could self spot and will have to find out how to do that. There was a lack of planning for my first activation. Basically I looked at the weather forecast an hour before my final night shift. Decided I couldn’t miss going to the lakes as the weather was predicted to be so nice. So, because of other commitments on Sunday evening and Monday decided to head straight out following my night shift. So, packed tent, radio etc, worked night shift and arrived in the lakes Friday morning where I promptly erected the tent and had a sleep. Used work’s computer early Friday morning to fill out my predicted activation spots and time. So to have the success that I’ve had over the weekend has been fantastic considering the sheer lack of planning.
I was staying at Hollows Farm in Grange. Climbed form the camp site to Maiden Moor and High Spy. From there Dale Head Tarn then up to Dale Head. My route back was from Dale Head to Honister and along the Coast to Coast route to Hollows Farm. I’m not doing the climb from Hollows Farm again. I’ll either start from Buttermere or Honister next time.
Also I now realise that I could have activated High Spy as part of WOTA.
A bit disappointing that you only got two contacts on Dale Head, Dave,
I’ve done it twice on 2m FM, 5 watts to a dipole, and got 27 and 10
contacts so I think you were very unlucky. It does count as an
activation, its just that you don’t get the points!
Its a bad year for midges. Well, no - its a good year for midges and a
bad one for hill walkers!
73
Brian G8ADD
Yeah certainly a good year for midges. I have that many bites everyone thinks I have chicken pox. The bonus of that is that I’ve been left alone by the plethora of street sellers today in Sunderland City Centre.
But my lack of contacts for Robinson is fine. Think 2 contacts using a cheap handheld was good. I still logged it as an activation. But as for points, yeah I’m enjoying stacking them up, but the just the sheer enjoyment of hill walking and now combined with radio and making contacts with people is the reason I’m enjoying being involved with SOTA. But to contradict myself a little. I would like to be well within the top 100 for England… lets see.
In reply to M1EYP:
To self spot I take it that I just click on spots at the top of the page from my mobile and put the relevant details. And I’m assuming that the information would show straight away?
If I can’t get an internet signal, could I get one of my chasers to post the spot for me?
Just had a look at Google maps for now. The route that you suggest is possible. May have the family climbing with me this time round, but its possible.
It sounds as if you are like me - highly attractive to midges and highly sensitive to them! That’s why I have always stayed out of Scotland between June and September. Missing June is a wrench, but the rest is the rainy season!
As a hillwalker you can probably grab the points quite quickly: Dale Head and Robinson can be done as a circuit fom Newlands, do it in the winter bonus period and you get an extra six points. Tom mentioned Seat Sandal, but I would save that one for later, if you camp at Side Farm (Patterdale) You can do St Sunday Crag, Fairfield and Seat Sandal in a single outing, returning down Grisedale, and if you have energy the next day you could add Place Fell. 26 points in a weekend, plus 12 bonus if you do it in the bonus season. Then there is the Ennerdale Skyline, as a clockwise circuit from Gillerthwaite you can notch up High Stile, Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Pillar, 32 points. Save the two point summits for winter, you could do Great Mell and Little Mell Fells in an easy day for ten points. It is surprising how many of the great days out for hillwalkers can be great SOTA days, too!
…my concentration was hindered by the persistent bites of the midge’s.
Well Dave, some people swear by “Avon Skin So Soft Cream” and others “Marmite” to ward off biting beasties. Obviously one of them needs to be consumed and the other needs to be applied but best not to mix them up.
Anyway well done on the activation!
73 Marc G0AZS
PS I am in the Marmite camp… and I have no idea if “Vegemite” would work too but’s that’s just Marmite for softies anyway
It sounds as if you are like me - highly attractive to midges and
highly sensitive to them! That’s why I have always stayed out of
Scotland between June and September. Missing June is a wrench, but the
rest is the rainy season!
As a hillwalker you can probably grab the points quite quickly: Dale
Head and Robinson can be done as a circuit fom Newlands, do it in the
winter bonus period and you get an extra six points. Tom mentioned
Seat Sandal, but I would save that one for later, if you camp at Side
Farm (Patterdale) You can do St Sunday Crag, Fairfield and Seat Sandal
in a single outing, returning down Grisedale, and if you have energy
the next day you could add Place Fell. 26 points in a weekend, plus 12
bonus if you do it in the bonus season. Then there is the Ennerdale
Skyline, as a clockwise circuit from Gillerthwaite you can notch up
High Stile, Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Pillar, 32 points. Save the two
point summits for winter, you could do Great Mell and Little Mell
Fells in an easy day for ten points. It is surprising how many of the
great days out for hillwalkers can be great SOTA days, too!
73
Brian G8ADD
Good route suggestions there for multiple activations. I just don’t want to take the car to Side Farm. Cycled that route previously and don’t fancy driving that route. But meeting up with my son (who is taking his M6 soon) at the campsite in Glenridding, in a few weeks time. Maybe do your suggested route then. But yes think I’ll look at all of those suggestions.
Well Dave, some people swear by “Avon Skin So Soft Cream” and others
"Marmite" to ward off biting beasties. Obviously one of them needs to
be consumed and the other needs to be applied but best not to mix them
up.
I’ve had good results with smidge, but you can’t beat a net.
Good route suggestions there for multiple activations. I just don’t want to take the car to Side Farm. Cycled that route previously and don’t fancy driving that route.
It’s a bit stony once you pass the farm buildings but nowhere near as bad as the track up to the Coppermines at Coniston - we grounded an Escort on that, once! The club I’m in (Mercian MC) use the Side Farm campsite occasionally and I don’t remember anyone having any trouble.
Another good route is to leave the Hellvellyn car park (£8 for the day with free wifi at tourist office) towards Hellvellyn G/LD003 via Birksmoor Moore and Striding Edge, after Hellvellyn head south and bag a few easy summits for the walking log via Nethermost Pike and Dollywagon Pike. You can then stop at Grisedale Tarn for lunch and replen any water from the stream using puri tabs, next proceed to Seat Sandal G/LD022 via Grisedale Hause doesn’t take long to reach the top, I stashed any spare water, battery, coax and junk in the wall to collect on the return journey back down. Then follow the track towards Fairfield G/LD007 and St Sunday Crag G/LD010 worse part was the walk to the car park along the road.
There is good VF coverage for SMS spots if needed, homebrew vertical dipole with Kenwood th g71 handheld worked well for me with two s2s into Wales. I choose to stop the night after the walk at Hellvellyn YHA cost £27.98 for a bed, breakfast and 1 course meal could be another starting point.
Total distance was 12.9miles and took 11.5 hours to complete with 20-30mins for each activation and 40mins for lunch, most importantly 32 points gained.
73
Graeme
M0OAT
If you do stop for the night afterwards an easy 4 points on the way back home next day is Nine Rig Standard G/NP018 only managed 4 or 5 QSOs on 2m but HF was great with some DX from the summit.
