I’m on another MCSOTA trip to Plockton this weekend.
I’ve taken to activating rarely visited hills lately and yesterday’s target was GM/SI-144 Biod an Athair.
After a very wet journey to Plockton on Friday I was happy to wait until the rain stopped before setting out across Skye. The roads were in good shape and fun except for the last few miles up past Husabost which was quite broken up.
After a chat with farmer I was able to park the bike at the road end and set off.
The top is visible from where I parked and there is a track sets off but unfortunately doesn’t go very far, then it was trackless and boggy after the rain. It took me longer than I expected and was warm in the sunshine.
The wind got stronger as I got near the top and although I had read that the trig point was only 2m from the edge of the cliff, it was something else to actually stand 313m above the sea !
I dropped my pack a little way down the hill and tried my HT on 2m, I got a call from Graham @2M1GPR in Gairloch but nobody else on 2m.
I set up the dipole for HF and that’s where things went a bit astray. I usually guy the pole for the wind direction to keep it braced but the wind was swirling round and kept changing direction in the gusts. I must apologise to the chasers on 40m especially @GM5ALX Alex, who called just as it all collapsed in a heap. By the time I got it all rerigged 40m was quiet. Pete @GM7EEY was listening and came back to me with the 4th QSO. Given the shenanigans with the pole which collapsed a few more times. I kept it fairly short and had quick bursts on 15m and 20m which was more fruitful.
The sun disappeared and the wind got stronger and colder so I packed up and headed down.
The run back across Skye was dry and not too busy, back to Plockton for dinner and a blether with the rest of the gang who had a run out to the Fairy pools.
Back over to Skye on Sunday to GM/SI-054 for a complete hopefully.
Well Sunday didn’t go quite to plan. After a late start seeing the rest of the gang off on their journey South, I headed over to Skye and the wee road to the Glenelg ferry. I intended to park just up the track on the walk out to Bein na Seamrig GM/SI-054 but when I got there the bridge across the river wasn’t there and being rebuilt.
The wind was a lot lighter today and I didn’t have any trouble with the pole collapsing but it did mean there were some midges and clegs around .
I started off with an s2s to Graham 2M1GPR on 2m then another to Archie GM4KNU on 40m but the rest of the QSO’s took a while. Some bands were quiet, although I could hear a few stations on 6m, I wasn’t able to make any QSO’s. I finished off with a 2m ssb chat with John MM6OEC in Stornoway and the the wind died and the midges got bad, time to pack up !
The views on the walk back were equally impressive.
Couldn’t have got a better day weatherwise. It started off a bit overcast but still warm. It’s a long walk in with a fair bit of ascent and a river crossing as well. It wasn’t too difficult despite the recent rain.
The views of the surrounding hills were spectacular and there was enough breeze to keep the midges away.
Alan started on 2m but called in the chasers for me to qso as well. I started on 40m and could hear folks but they couldn’t seem to hear me. I later found a broken wire on the dipole when changing taps. I toured through the bands interspersed with Alan but kept coming back to the views.ODX was EC8ADS in the Canary islands but highlight was s2s with Colwyn on GM/SI-189 on Orkney. 40m seemed long skip today but 20m was short skip to Orkney. I also heard JA5KPO on 15m but sadly he didn’t hear my reply.
Forecast looks too windy for Bein Bhan GM/WS-117 tomorrow so we might do Bad a Chreama GM/WS-329 for a complete if the legs are up to it in the morning.
We started with an s2s to Fraser MM0EFI on GM/WS-045, part of a big day out on a traverse of some Munro’s.
Local chaser Dale MM7EPQ called in from his lunchbreak on 2m for a complete.
HF was not working particularly well today but I got some chasers on 40m. Alan was trying other bands as well. I had tried 15m after 40m but got no QSO’s, just a hint of a station in the noise. I switched to 17m and was rewarded by the sound of Matt W4GO from Virginia, ODX for the day, it turned out he was the station I could almost hear on 15m.
Just after the QSO with Matt, the wind shifted and the cloud started to drop down on the surrounding hills so we packed up and headed off the hill
We chased Fraser on another sota summit as we descended.
Another grand day out. I’m heading South tomorrow, might do a flyby activation on the way but it will depend how the legs are once I’m back on the bike.
Andys middle photo above shows yesterday’s hill centred. Zooming in shows a “fairly steep” section after about 700m ascent, fortunately there is a bypass path which is slightly less steep.
Cant think why his legs were slow today
So we’re mine tbh
The 3rd photo is looking into the (in)famous Bhealach na Ba
“Are we nearly there yet?” it was easy to take rests as the views were spectacular even when in the main corrie, but even better when we reached the bealach to see what was a bit further around.
At last! Summit in view on the left - there is a small shelter containing the remains of a trig point - now no more than a piece of metal and small pieces of concrete.
That’s a little path on the right hand of the picture, disappearing over the crest. Beinn Damh GM/WS-111 tallest in centre, and flank of Maol Chean-dearg GM/WS-093 on the right of picture.
We were lucky to have such a fine day, and NO MIDGES! We were both somewhat tired and glad to be back at the car, however the memories are strong and the lure to go back is big. Oh and we did some radio too…..
