I’ve managed to escape to the Top of the World this Easter. Well, top of my world, the far North West of Scotland and I hope to get a hill or two activated. However, there are other things that I have to go and see, Sandwood Bay and the Spitfire remains being one.
Anyway, I’m not sure what propagation will be like as we move into Spring and Summer. It’s normally starting to get a bit naff on 60m around this time of year, very hit and miss. In addition I’ll be another 400kms further North so there’s a possibilty that 40m might be viable for stations in South of the UK hence the (subject to change) alerts for 3.723,5.3985,7.090 & 7.118. I do know that I wont be trying 23cms FM on this trip!
I’ve wanted to climb Ben Hope for some considerable time, so that is my main target. The WX is changeable and so is the day I’ll be activating Ben Hope, Saturday or Sunday. I’m hoping I can find an internet cafe (don’t laugh some places up there have better phone lines than big UK cities) and update any alerts. I don’t expect any HSDPA 3g coverage but there may be the odd GPRS/EDGE equipped cell. I did intend to have a bash at one of more of the Quinag (pronounced koo-nyack) summits, there’s three of them but I’ve ended up staying much further North and it’s a bit of hike back down to it. With that in mind I’ve put Ben Stack down.
The problem with the far NW of Scotland is also why it’s a fantastic place, there’s an awful lot of nothing and it’s a long way between anywhere. I was hoping to bag a few unactivated hills as there are lots still in GM/NS. However, all the hills “near” to roads that don’t involve a trudge across 10km+ of lochan infested bog have already been bagged! So whilst the hills I have in mind have been activated before, they should be rare enough for most people!
See you on the air (hopefully),
Andy
MM0FMF
