The Bochel is a 1 pointer not far from the village of Tomintoul which hadn’t had an activation since 2017, the forecast was dry and it is a nice drive from Aboyne via the A939. The parking spot is on a minor road off the B9008 and is marked by a large blue container that seems to be a permanent fixture, as it features in Google Street View and Walkhighlands photos.
The Glenlivet estate has created a path called The Bochel Circuit, which goes around the base of the hill, but it isn’t very well publicised - no signs I could see pointing the way. However the track just down from the blue container is a good one to start with, passing through woodland, with a couple of gates and two stiles. Passing out of the woods and into farmland, the track seems to end at a gate, with an estate waymarker unhelpfully pointing back the way you’ve just come. I climbed the gate onto the farm track on the other side, but in fact should have turned left into the field opposite the waymarker - I know this because that’s the way I came back, but the Glenlivet Estate could do better with their signs.
Route up
A waymarker
There is no defined path up The Bochel, you just have to pick a likely spot to branch off and head up over the short heather. Its then a fairly steep pull to the top. Curiously, there is a well-defined path at the top leading to the summit cairn, but it soon peters out on the way down.
In quite a stiff breeze I set up on the south side, with my tent as a wind break. DX Commander vertical plus my new wire moxon to which I have added a 6m element in addition to the 10m. Its a bit lighter than the tubular 6m moxon I used previously and I had given it a field test the day before.
The moxon
I started the day with 2 quick S2S on 15m and then switched to 10m which seemed mostly full of Italian contestors, but I got Manuel EA2DT in the log and another S2S. Then after 2 more S2S on 17m I had a look at 40m where I found good sigs from G-land for a change and an active WAB net on 7.160, which was running a mobile, M0BKV/M, in Cornwall. In between his stops, I checked in to the net and got 11 QSOs including regular chasers G0FEX and 2E0FEH. A QSY and a spot brought a short run including a S2S with DL/HB9EAJ/P. IK2LEY/P called me but we couldn’t complete.
Moving to 20m brought another string of S2S, including a succesful one with IK2LEY/P.
I then checked 6m which was open and busy with Spanish stations. After working one, I put out a spot and called CQ for about 4 minutes with no takers and then VO1SIX called me. I nearly fell out of the tent - my first transatlantic on 6m! Jerome was running 500w to a 7el at 20m. Further CQs brought no other takers though.
I then alternated between 17 and 20m, picking up some more S2S and a few regulars like F4WBN.
Checking back on 6m I worked TF1EIN, then had another short run on 20m. I took another look at 40m which had deteriorated a lot, being full of continuous static crashes at 57/8. A spot brought a call from I think 2E0AGB but I couldn’t complete due to the terrific QRN.
Last QSO of the day was on 6m with a local, Paul 2M1EUB. The band was still full of Spanish stations working the IARU contest. This is what it sounded like(had to move into the tent due to rain)
58 QSOs for the day, with 15 S2S. Best DX was VO1SIX, which says a lot about the other bands I guess. I did hear a few US stations and one Japanese on 17m, but otherwise nothing outside Europe.
Thanks to all chasers and activators and especially to VO1SIX for calling in - that QSO made my day.