This isnt true in all associations/regions, there are many in VK where you will be pretty well assured of being on your own.
So this isnt thus the case.
Compton
Well, VK also isn’t subject to royal decrees from the Spanish government, so the point is kind of moot. If we enter full lockdown and movement is restricted, you would be expected to obey local restrictions, which may preclude SOTA
Of course, that is obvious and a given.
Hallo
There are SOTA rules - and there are general laws and regulations.
Is there a passage in the SOTA rules that says the activation is invalid because it violates laws or regulations?
I have seen many photos of activators driving cars near the summits, although the roads there are closed to general traffic. All of these activations should then be invalid.
73 Armin
3 Likes
Well, Armin, we have 174 Associations and 146746 summits and more being added every year. As a member of the MT I can tell you that I do not have the faintest idea of how many summits can be reached by car, nor do I know which of those reachable summits are closed to vehicle access. This is why we have a management structure, the AMs and RMs are more likely to know such details, and we would expect them to inform us if any summits have been accessed improperly. If you believe that any summit has been accessed improperly then your correct procedure is to inform your AM, who will check and then inform us. Note that although roads may be closed to general traffic, an application through the proper channels can in some cases secure permission for access.
With regard to SOTA rules about validity of activations that break the law, we have the preamble to 3.7, quoted above in post 23, and there is the code of conduct 3.7.3 which makes it clear that the MT will penalise unacceptable behaviour. Really, though, as a participant in SOTA we expect you to know this!
2 Likes
This is the case of a summit near my QTH -Mt. Txanburu EA2/NV-071- with a sign forbidding access to non authorised vehicles, as there is an R&D wind turbines park at its summit. However, finding the security guardian and explaining him the purpose of my visit has most of the times given good results in the form of open access to drive up to the summit. Just some few times such access permit was denied to me because some works were in progress on the wind turbines.
73,
Guru
2 Likes
I have the right to use all forest trails here in the southern Black Forest by car. On the one hand I am in the team, which is responsible for the repeaters of the security authorities, …on the other hand I have monitoring tasks by nature conservation associations.
But I wouldn’t abuse it for SOTA, for me it wouldn’t be fair… … maybe I combine if I had already activated the summit this year.
73 Armin
2 Likes
Here in the UK, the plastic gloves have all been stolen and taken home by other customers.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In small northern rural towns like mine (despite having 3 petrol stations) unleaded is £1.179 and diesel is £1.199 per litre Walt.
These will be the same tow-rags who are stealing the antiseptic gel from ambulances, doctors surgeries and hospitals.
73 Phil G4OBK
1 Like
Spain’s Government President announced yesterday the plan to decrease the strictness of the lockdown measures currently in place.
There will be 5 different phases to be applied independently to our administrative divisions called provinces or to the individual islands in the case of the Balearic Is. (EA6) and the Canary Is. (EA8). Fortunately, the different provinces and the islands are the EA SOTA regions.
Any province or island (i.e. SOTA region) will be able to move forward or backwards the phase number depending on several different indicators I won’t explain here.
Phases are 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4.
All Spain will enter Phase 0 on May 4th, with the exception of a few islands in EA8 and one isle in EA6 with no Covid-19 cases, which will enter directly into Phase 1. EA8 isles of La Graciosa, La Gomera and El Hierro, as well as EA6 isle of Formentera will start directly Phase 1 on May 4th.
After 2 weeks in a certain phase and depending on the performance of the observed indicators, a province or island will move forward to the next, stay in the same or move back to the previous Phase.
In Phase 0 we will be allowed to do sports individually, so, for example, we will be able to go cycling to a mountain base and hike to the top on foot or cycling, and carry out a SOTA activation, as long as we don’t leave the territory of our home province or island.
Only in Phase 2 will we be allowed to drive our car within the limits of our home province or isle for things like going to a distant SOTA for an activation.
With these good news, we should be seeing SOTA activations in EA from May 4th onwards, carried out by those activators living at a walking or cycling distance of a SOTA summit. No driving a vehicle is yet allowed for such single purpose during phase 0 nor phase 1. That will be authorised on phase 2 and within the territory of the province or isle of residency.
===========================================================
El presidente del gobierno de España anunció ayer el plan para reducir la severidad de las medidas de confinamiento actuales.
Habrá 5 Fases diferentes que se aplicarán independientemente a nuestras divisiones administrativas llamadas provincias o a las islas individuales en el caso de las islas Baleares (EA6) y de las islas Canarias (EA8). Afortunadamente, las diferentes provincias y las islas son las regiones SOTA en EA.
Cualquier provincia o isla (región SOTA) podrá avanzar o retroceder la Fase dependiendo de muchos indicadores diferentes que no explicaré aquí.
Las Fases son 0, 1, 2, 3 y 4.
Toda España entrará en Fase 0 el 4 de mayo, con la excepción de unas pocas islas en EA8 y una isla en EA6 sin casos de Covid-19, que entrarán directamente en Fase 1. Las islas Canarias (EA8) de La Graciosa, La Gomera y El Hierro, así como la isla Balear (EA6) de Formentera, empezarán directamente en Fase 1 el 4 de mayo.
Después de 2 semanas en una cierta Fase y dependiendo del comportamiento de los indicadores observados, una provincia o isla avanzará a la siguiente Fase, se mantendrá en la actual o retrocederá a la Fase anterior.
En Fase 0 podremos hacer deporte individualmente, así, por ejemplo, podremos ir en bicicleta hasta la base de una montaña, subir a pie o en bicicleta hasta la cima y llevar a cabo una activación SOTA, mientras no salgamos del territorio de la provincia o isla de residencia.
Solo en la Fase 2 podremos conducir nuestro coche dentro de los límites de nuestra provincia o isla de residencia para cosas como ir a una SOTA distante para una activación.
Con estas buenas noticias, deberíamos empezar a ver activaciones SOTA en EA a partir del 4 de mayo, llevadas a cabo por aquellos activadores que vivan a una distancia de paseo o bici de una cima SOTA. No se permite todavía conducir un vehículo para ese propósito durante la Fase 0 ni la Fase 1. Eso será autorizado en la Fase 2 y dentro del territorio de la provincia o isla de residencia.
73,
Guru
5 Likes
Thank you for the information Guru on the situation in Spain and its Islands. Its very useful for us to know what is happening regarding an easing of restrictions in each others countries. At present we see no change in UK, however we have been able to walk and cycle from home without restrictions throughout the crisis.
The rules on driving locally a short distance and then walking from a parking place are loosely interpreted and vary from region to region with police taking action in some regions to turn people back or give them a fixed penalty charge of £30 (if paid immediately) but not in others. We don’t expect official announcements of an easing of restrictions for at least another week, but there may be some hints made I expect coming from media questions at the daily conference that is held.
73 Phil
Hi all
Change are pending in France too, after May 11, stay tuned 
73 Éric
From 4th of May, you can go to hike but only in the municipality of residence. So for me the lockdown continues. Someone else will be luckier and can do some activation…
1 Like
For Belgium, the government statement reads
⇨ Phase 2 (18 May), …, “certain possibilities will be examined, such as:”, …, “the possibility to organize day trips to certain regions of the country”.
So, definitely no SOTA activations before May 18th, and no decision made yet on the end of restriction of trips.
1 Like
There might be changes to the above explained conditions because presidents of several of our Autonomus Comunities have expressed that having a whole province in a given Phase is not good and they propose the divisions to be the sanitary areas. The Government of Spain said these proposals will be studied, but several problems are foreseen already for this proposed plan. Should something like this be finally accepted (I hope not), it would be a total nighmare, not only for SOTA activators but for all the population, unable to know the boundaries of each sanitary region within the own province.
It’s also been said that an announcement will be made today giving details and precisions about the way we will be allowed to do the individual exercise. I hope we will still have the small chance to activate nearby summits…
I’ll give more info as soon as I can.
73,
Guru
Maybe the goats registered in the mountain federations can go to a summit in phase 0, This is the news from my federation https://fedamon.es/comunicado-de-la-federacion-andaluza-de-montanismo-sobre-la-vuelta-a-la-practica-de-los-deportes-de-montana/
We have to wait
1 Like
Hi Fabio,
In Poland nature recreation is now allowed but in April I am in home office so no activations.
In May I will start office work one day a week so may be I will also start to activate a little, just need to choose summits with low tourist popularity.
73, Jarek
1 Like
Spain’s Health minister just made the expected announcement and these are the conditions for individual physical exercise. Two aspects will condition and limit this activity:
1- Time frame:
People living in municipalities with population over 5000 inhabitants and in order to avoid any crowds and coincidence with the more vulnerable older people, can do individual sport once a day either between 6h and 10h in the morning or between 20h and 23h in the evening (CEST). These time slots don’t apply to people living in municipalities with population under 5000 inhabitants and they will be allowed to do sport at any time of the day.
2- Range of movements: movements will only be allowed within the territory of the municipality of residence, being this condition applicable to all people, no matter the size of the town or municipality where they inhabit.
People living in municipalities with over 5000 inhabitants and dependent or aged 70 and over can only go out for a daily walk between either 10h and 12h or 19h and 20h (CEST).
With these conditions, I still see some chances for SOTA activations in EA during this Phase. Unfortunately not for me…
============================================================
El ministro de Sanidad de España acaba de hacer el esperado anuncio y estas son las condiciones para el deporte individual. Dos aspectos condicionan y limitan esta actividad:
1- Horario:
Las personas que vivan en municipios con población mayor que 5000 habitantes y para evitar aglomeraciones y coincidencia con las personas mayores más vulnerables, pueden hacer deporte individual una vez al día bien entre las 6h y las 10h de la mañana o entre las 20h y las 23h de la tarde-noche (CEST). Estas franjas horarias no aplican a la gente que viva en municipios con población inferior a 5000 habitantes y ellos podrán hacer deporte a cualquier hora del día.
2- Rango de los movimientos: los movimientos solo se permitirán dentro del territorio del municipio de residencia, aplicándose esta condición a todos, sin importar el tamaño de la ciudad o municipio donde se habite.
Las personas que vivan en municipios de más de 5000 habitantes y sean dependientes o con 70 y más años, solo pueden salir para un paseo diario, bien entre las 10h y las 12h o entre las 19h y las 20h (CEST).
Con estas condiciones, todavía veo algunas oportunidades para activaciones SOTA en EA durante esta fase. Desgraciadamente no para mí.
73,
Guru
1 Like
They forget the mountain sports again 
Not really, José, you could hike a mountain as long as you had some within your municipality. What they don’t want in this early Phase 0 is having us moving out of our municipality to avoid the risk of exporting or importing the virus.
73,
Guru
1 Like