Ok, great ! I will be in the area for a couple days before as I plan the bogfest that is Beinn Heasgaernich (GM/CS-007) and Creag Mor (GM/CS-013) or a pair around Bridge of Orchy (Beinn a’Chreachain ?).
You are right about phone coverage, they Glen Lyon side there is absolutely nothing.
For high summits, I can recommend Meall Ghaordaidh (GM/CS-017) or the pair at the end of Lubraoch dam that fit that bill (Stud an lochain and Meall Bhuide) you start at something like 450m asl which makes life so much easier.
My suggestion is to obtain a modern phone and subscribe to a wide coverage provider. You need a phone that supports VoLTE and 4g Band 20 and go with EE or one of their MVNOs. Since doing this in July 2022 I have not been on a single summit in GM where there wasn’t working 4G data, voice and SMS.
I was on GM/CS-040 and had fine business 4G coverage with EE, look at where that summit is, look at where the nearest roads are, still works. It’s EE and Band 20 that makes this work as EE are building the network the emergency services will use. The rural coverage is provided on Band 20 (800MHz) and if your phone cannot register as VoLTE capable you don’t get access to Band 20.
If you are looking for summits to do as a pair near to Perth, then GM/SS-104 and GM/SS-105 near Amulree are a good choice.
They are not as high as the other summits mentioned but were a good day out for myself and Chris MM0UHR in February.
Andy
MM7MOX
I must admit that most of the 6 and 8 point GM/CS summits have not been on my radar, but those three certainly look good. I think doing GM/CS-032 and GM/CS-040 in one day might be a bit too far in April, but I will make an assessment. Nothing to stop me doing one on the Friday and the other on the Saturday.
Meall Bhuide is a relatively easy walk but there is a splendid boggy section that was a bit miserable when I did it last. After the wet start to the year I expect it to be a real horror show, the kind of terrain were you wish you had a pair of rocket pants (as worn in the TV serial Robbie Rocket Pants). Or hover boots. It’s the kind of terrain you avoid if you are susceptible to trench foot.
Stucd an Lochain however goes the other way. A gentle start then 300m ascent up a silly steep slope then a nice bimble along the top to the summit proper. It’s worse than Beinn Bhreac whose contours impressed you the other week.
These are on my list of summits to do with my long-time activating partner, Paul G4MD, when he returns to active service. We drove out to Amulree in March 2020 to do them, but had to cancel as Paul was taken ill.
The Hydro donated the road to the local council some years after the dam was finished.
Goods wagons for the dam used to collect cement etc. from the Killin railway station (which tells you how long ago this was). They drove from Killin up Glen Lochay to Kenknock then on the private Hydro road over the top to Glen Lyon, unloaded thenout down Glen Lyon and over the top past Lochan na Larige and back to Killin. It meant the goods travelled in a one way route and no need to handle two 1950s wagons meeting on a steep single track road.
Of course the road serves no purpose to the council but does to us mountain wallahs. So the council never wanted to maintain it. I believe it’s now gated at the Kenknock end but 10 years back there were potholes that would stop a Unimog or Pinzgauer never mind your average Landy or Japanese pickup with proper 4wd. I don’t know what the Glen Lyon end is like. As I have Meall na Subh and Beinn Sheasgarnaich (it’s been de-Anglicised on maps) still to do, reports on the road surface and access would be very welcome.
Also the landowners did a Perthshire-special and have blocked off the parking by the bridge at Kenknock with boulders. That car park made it too easy to access the hills so there is a newer car park at the woods between Kenknock and High Botaurnie about 1-1.5km back. Can’t have urban riff-raff parking and accessing the land
The OS map is quite revealing in that the road (now track?) is not coloured yellow at the Kenknock end. Still what’s that to foot traffic, but a higher risk of a twisted ankle? Be sure to wear your 4x4 boots.
One week to go to this month’s event on Saturday 20th. Hopefully conditions will be good for us, though I’m not putting any bets on the weather. It’s been exceptionally wet here in the UK for weeks now.
Can we expect good participation? I’m planing an overnight activation on a nice summit, firering, nice battery and the G90. I hope to find a lot of activity next 20th. But is it just me or there isn’t much hype for this event? Also I think that 10m is not in the best shape, but we might have more luck using 15m for instance.
I hope many get on for this event. My plan is to be active from a local summit.
The SFI is increasing again so next weekend could see improved conditions.
On 10 this morning from Mt. Lukens, W6/CT-030, I got eight RBN hits in Europe; six in DL; one in F; one in OE. F4WBN and OK2PDT managed to work me. V51MA and 7X4AN were heard with good signals. It was a bit weird to get an rbn hit from VR2FUN-74 on 15 at 1749Z.
Fingers crossed for a hot ten meters next weekend.
73, David N6AN
Well, the alerts are certainly disappointingly few this time around. Maybe there will be more placed this weekend as people finalise their plans. I have yet to decide which summit I will activate so have placed provisional alerts for GM/CS-XXX and will firm up once I know what weather conditions I have to contend with.
Forget Mark Twain’s quote about New England weather. I lived there for four years and found its ‘continental’ weather far more predictable than the Western Maritime weather we ‘enjoy’ here in the British Isles. I too will wait to the last minute to choose time-of-day and which summit.
You need a phone that supports VoLTE and 4g Band 20 and go with EE or one of their MVNOs. Since doing this in July 2022 I have not been on a single summit in GM where there wasn’t working 4G data, voice and SMS.
