The rules seem to be changing all the time. Are we (in England) all being advised to avoid non essential travel? I see that Wales is seeking to close its border. Surely Scotland will follow along?
Non-essential travel is already restricted in the most densely populated parts of Scotland.
To answer your original query Richard, I believe we can still travel for sport/recreation (ie SOTA) in areas classified as medium or high risk. We should not travel to areas classified as very high (only Liverpool at the moment). Iām sure youāve seen the governmentās official guidance.
Having said that, I think we all have to apply common sense, the situation is constantly changing and only a fool would seek to exploit every loophole in the rules (my personal view).
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All noted thanks. However the advice includes the phrase āyou should [and; sic] aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possibleā which is confusing in the context of some of the other statements.
The Covid protection rules are mutating much faster than the virus itself. 
Will these mutations achieve to disorient the virus completely? :troll:
73 de ON4KJM
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Richard I agree the guidelines are rather confusing - āaim to reduce journeys wherever possibleāā - so is a once a week SOTA exercise ok instead of 2 or 3 times per week?
The VERY HIGH alert areas only say:
- you should try to avoid travelling outside the very-high alert level area you are in or entering a very-high alert level area, other than for things like work, education or youth services, to meet caring responsibilities or if you are travelling through as part of a longer journey
- you should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if you are resident in a very-high alert level area, or avoid staying overnight in a very-high alert level area if you are resident elsewhere.
I donāt think itās very fair to travel into Wales now when the Welsh are having to put up with nil travel in many areas in an attempt to stop the spread - but that is my personal opinion.
It is pretty easy to stay away from people out on the hills and staying away from ridges and very high tops and good planning would obviously reduce accident risk levels - although of course accidents can occur even at home!
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You wont be able to from Friday anyway.
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Travel or not, the key thing is to avoid being close to other people, avoid touching things others have touched before, wash our hands very frequently, donāt touch our mouth, nose, eyes without having washed or desinfected our hands, wear a mask whenever we are with other people in a closed atmosphere (room, bus, plane, train) and even in the outside if there are people near around us.
Stay safe and good luck.
73,
Guru
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It hasnāt been confirmed as of yet if the travel ban to Wales will happen or not from 6pm on Friday. However I think this ban will likely go ahead, but only for those living the tiers 2 and 3 areas of England, the COVID hotspots in the central belt of Scotland and all of Northern Ireland. Me and my dad Tom M1EYP were planning to activate our final unique GW unique SOTA summit this Sunday which is Disgwylfa Fawr GW/MW-038. If this travel ban to Wales does come into force, we wonāt be able to activate this summit as unfortunately we live in a tier 2 area of England meaning that activating this SOTA summit will have to wait till either our area (Cheshire East) moves to tier 1 or if Wales lift the travel ban for for those living in the tier 2 areas of England. Covid: Wales to ban people coming from UK hotspots - BBC News
Jimmy M0HGY
Can I just continue to be confused? If you get stopped probably just best to say that you are bagging a couple of grouse and disguising the mast as a shot gunā¦ 
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The key thing is to think, could my action increase the liklihood of passing on Covid-19 should you have it, or catch it from somebody else. So in making more journeys the liklihood of a road traffic accident increases, as does refulling frequencies, as does the times you perhaps need to use toilets (hedges?). We do need to follow the guidance, absolutely.
Travel to recreational activities has not been ruled out, however, but it does make sense for us to think through possible scenarios that we could come into (like bumping into the public). Iāve not done a SOTA activaton as yet. I do however operate portable or parked up, mobile. Thinking of this, I have laminated a pintout of my Licence - this is incase some busybody pesters me.
The measures that are starting now in the UK mainly seem to be the restriction of households mixing, people drinking lots of beer beyond a certain time (or at all) in public.
We can still be really sensible and take as many additional measures as we can to beat this. Beat this we will.
Thankfully there isnāt a massive summit right in the middle of Liverpool.
Trystan G0KAY
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From the walkhighlands site -
The Scottish Government has put out travel advice that applies during the temporary ācircuit-breakerā restriction period. This period is planned to end at 06:00 on Monday 26 October.
Relevant extract:
Advice on travel within Scotland
āWe want people to be safe. We are not advising that people who have already booked holiday accommodation in October need to cancel.ā
āMore generally, please think about whether you need to travel, especially if you live in or would be travelling to, or through, the central belt. The Scottish Government is asking people within the central belt areas to think carefully about whether they need to travel outside their local health board area and, where that is necessary, to plan to do so safely.ā
Exactly. SOTA is not essential, nobody NEEDS to travel to a hill just to climb it and play amateur radio.
Your alerted CS??? hill on Nov 7 is post the 16 day circuit breaker period so, with good fortune, numbers should be better by then. If the circuit breaker is over you wont have to try and find some justification for travel through the Central Belt to get North and into the GM/CS region.
Just as well itās not this weekend.
Hereās the areas with COVID restrictions:
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Thank you Andy for the very useful map. Travel to Dumfries & Galloway from Tier 1 medium risk North Yorkshire I would deem to be acceptable, without stopping at services en-route.
Where I was last Sunday East Ayrshire is now restricted.
73 Phil
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ā¦this morning at least. Itās a fast changing situation. Hands-up anyone who is fed up with Covid 19ā¦
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Yes it is. and yes fed up but at least I have a hobby at home to keep me occupied (Ham Radio). Tracking my local infection rate here in the mainly rural (five smallish towns) Ryedale Council district every day. I started keeping daily records on Sept 1st.
Confirmed Infections cases tested since it started in March, but SERCO (Not NHS) test, track and trace only really got going here in June:
Sept 1st: 147
Sept 5th: 152
Sept 20th: 160
Sept 30th: 183
Oct 4th: 215
Oct 11th: 269
Oct 14th: 300
73 Phil
Hi Richard,
Fed up is too mild. I have been abiding by our restrictions but am finding it very frustrating that I canāt activate yet others 100 km away have been making the most of the end of the winter bonus. In essence I have lost a year from the wrong end of my life. Not happy Jan.
A friend tests for the virus every day by pouring a glass of wine. If he can identify the grape by nose and taste then he is virus free. And being a frugal soul he drinks the whole glass. I suspect he then seeks a second opinion. Iām unable to do this test which is sad.
We will probably get some easing in 10 days because it will be impossible politically to continue beyond that date unless a major outbreak occurs. But SOTA even as a day trip is not looking a done deal.
Of course if itās the only way I can avoid getting the virus then I will continue to accept being in home detention.
73
Ron
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Love it! Now I have a legitimate excuse
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but the police chief has already said its unenforcable. daft politicians.
Indeedā¦ However, I do have several āPlan Bā options to cater for a range of lockdown scenarios. It looks like Boris is against a total lockdown in England, so travel should be possible to somewhere on that date. 