This is a full after-action report compiled from intercepted logs, field notes, LoRa transmissions, photographic evidence, unintelligence from the Macdui whistleblower, and reports from the inadvertently added members of the GM/ES WhatsApp chat group.
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SUMMITS ON THE AIR // LEAKED
*** FOR EYES ONLY — TOP SECRET // ULTRA CLASSIFIED ***
OPERATION: FIVE EYS TRANSMISSION
SOURCE: UNENCRYPTED LEAK VIA GLEN EY NODE
AUTHORITY: GM/ES Dictator ONLY
The long range weather forecast was offering the perfect conditions for this operation. The usual threat of school holidays had not triggered the rain, and these unexpected conditions would be ideal.
With great opportunities comes difficult decisions…the operatives had none of the usual term time constraints for a day trip, but where would they pick? Rumours of dissatisfaction with the number of 6 and 8 pointers in GM/ES, it was suspected the neighbouring GM/CS’s Glen Ey, and the five munro loop, was a prime target. There was mixed information, as it conflicts with the Dictator’s Completes requirements but empires always have room to grow. With 36 points on the table, probably the most available in a day trip, it was a prime target. It was also believed to be line of sight to MM0EFI-3.
Previous attempts at the region have been made before, with the only time this has been done for SOTA, is when Fraser, @MM0EFI, did it back in April 2022. Alan @MM0VPM made an excellent outing in Jun 2023 doing all but An Socach (also having done two munros the day before and camped overnight!). Colwyn, MM0YCJ, and Peter, GM5AIB, completed three in a day (in Oct 2013 and May 2022 respectively). Finally, three of the summits were activated on the same day as an outing of Andy, MM0FMF, Gavin, GM0GAV, and Rob, GM3YTS, back in Sept 2020.
Evidence left in Fraser’s previous report was cross referenced with walking highlands, and could enable a single activator to visit them all, but trip itineraries found left on the printer tray, indicated Fraser would be going himself, as a guide, but also offering Land Rover transport from Dinnet and even bike hire. At first this information was dismissed. Retirement status has seen a significant number of coffee mornings on the schedule and together with the new Land Rover videos, it seemed hard to believe there would be time. However, the alarms and many grumbles were heard at 4am, and the operation was Go. 
The Route 
A reconstruction of the route has been made, and is pretty much as the original report, although perhaps a few paths were found easier this time given the blue skies. It starts with a cycle from Inverey car park, to just past the Altanour once the track turns to muck. The walking then starts with Carn Bhac, across to Beinn Iutharn Mhor, Carn an Righ, Glas Tulaichean, the long walk to An Socach and then back to the bike, for a downhill freewheel back to the car park.
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██ OPERATION: FIVE EYS LEAK ██
██ SEGMENT - CYCLE ROUTE ██
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It’s about 200 m of elevation over the 9km, and apart from an initial steep section, it’s not too difficult to start the day off. It was 6am, sunrise was 6:30am, so it was just turning twilight as the pair began, and photographic reconnaissance was just possible. Another hill walker, possibly a GM/CS agent, was already parked up and ready to cycle. He was put off and delayed due to a PPE inspection and returned for his gaiters. He was spotted cycling about 200m behind but then once the first bridge was reached, he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Reports of tacks on the path were greatly exaggerated.
>>> || NODE: C@RN_B#AC /// GM//CS-036 ///
>>> || SIGNAL: DEGRADED ████ ██ ██
>>> || UPLINK: UNSECURED
=================================================
SUMMIT INTEL: BEINN LUTHARN MHÒR [GM/CS-014]
=================================================
EQUIPMENT MANIFEST — AGENT [REDACTED]
-----------------------------------------
• HF Rig ............. Elecraft KX2
• Antenna ............ 41ft random wire (Inverted sloper-L)
• Logging Unit ........ Phone and PoLo App
• Power Source ........ 1750 mAh LiPo
• Cloaking Device ..... Down jacket
• Encryption Protocol.. [NONE DETECTED]
• Emergency Rations ... Mayonnaise sandwiches, Haribo Starmix
-----------------------------------------
NOTES: Subject observed operating in full daylight.
No tactical concealment in place.
████████████████████████████████████
██ SUMMIT: CARN AN RÌGH ██
██ NODE ID: GM/CS-020 ██
██ THREAT LEVEL: MINIMAL ██
████████████████████████████████████
Number three done! Over half way.
>>> || NODE: G_L_A_S_ TUL@ICHEAN /// GM//CS-011
>>> || SIGNAL LOG: 5x RPT FM
>>> || TRANSMISSION: UNENCRYPTED
>>> || FILE INTEGRITY: ███░░░░░░░
The tracking continues to the fifth and final summit!
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│ [DECLASSIFIED] │
│ SUMMIT: AN SOCACH │
│ REFERENCE: GM/CS-038 │
└────────────────────────────────┘
>>> INTERCEPTED VOICE LOG — NODE: GLEN EY [UNSECURED]
[14:18Z] TX INITIATED — CALLSIGN: MM0[███]/P
[14:23Z] CONFIRMED CONTACT — STATION: M0[██X]
[14:25Z] QSB DETECTED — SIG REPORT: 55/51
[14:32Z] MULTIPLE REPLIES — POSS. G OPERATOR: [██]JKS/P
[14:33Z] [REDACTED] CONFIRMED S2S CONTACT — SUMMIT CODE: G/LD-███
[14:35Z] OPERATOR TRANSMITTING UNENCRYPTED SSB — CONTENT UNKNOWN
[14:36Z] SIGNAL LOST. PRESUMED DESCENT INITIATED.
████████████████████████████████████
██ OPERATION: FIVE EYS LEAK ██
██ SEGMENT - BACK TO BIKE ██
████████████████████████████████████
With the activations completed, the Operatives packed up and headed towards the northern ridge to walk back down to the bikes. They were tracked skirting around the outside, rather than along the ridge, to avoid any potential scree. Their intelligence must have been poor, as it turns out there wasn’t much and the ridge would’ve been fine, and maybe there was even a path - although perhaps it was a stream.
The first destination on the route back was a bridge over the Ey burn, and it was spotted sparkling in the sunlight. The map makes it look like there’s a whole series of tributaries to cross, but there was only one before the bridge, and it was an easy crossing.
Back on the bikes, they descended with an easy ride, nearly all downhill, back to the mobile command unit and then onwards to return to their QTHs.
>>> || ▓▒▒▒ INCOMING DATA ▒▒▒▓
>>> || LORA_SIG_RX_ID: GM5ALX-7
>>> || ERROR: CRC MISMATCH █████
>>> || ANALYSIS: UNUSUAL LOCATION DETECTED
Fraser has setup MM0EFI-3 on a hill near his home, and it did a great job of tracking the operators whilst they were on the summits. Wasn’t quite both Operators on all summits but clearly capable of picking up a tracker on each summit.
MM0EFI-2 in blue and GM5ALX-7 in dashed white
===========================================
OPERATION SUMMARY: FIVE EYS MISSION
===========================================
| METRIC | VALUE |
|----------------------------|--------------------|
| Total Distance Covered | 42.5 km |
| Distance Cycled | 18 km |
| Total Ascent | 1,892 m |
| Summits Activated | 5 |
| Time on Mission | 10 hrs 52 mins |
| Activation Success Rate | 100% |
>> Mission outcome: COMPLETE
>> Operator status: EXFILTRATED
>> Intel uplinked via unencrypted transmission
>> uplink_5EYS terminated_██
>> packet loss: 0.2%
>> qrz://glen_ey/summit_ops CLOSED
===========================================
END OF SUMMARY REPORT
===========================================
[ trace ended ]
Some late evidence has just been received that possibly shatters the illusion and causes questioning and doubt within the GM/ES world. The Radio Rover’s secrets have been revealed:
