Having read Mike’s (GW0DSP) posting about Holyhead Mountain, what is the hardest 1 pointer? I haven’t done that many but my candidate would be Low Fell G/LD-042.
1.08 miles from parking spot to summit but 1000ft ascent in last 0.3 miles in head high bracken.
Roger G4OWG
ps even Inky hasn’t done this one 
In reply to G4OWG:
Well, I’ve only ever done one-pointers, simply because there is no other sort within one-day range of home! Whilst they generally require no extremes of physical exertion, they do have their own special challenges. Finding a suitable place to erect an antenna and operate amongst the screaming kids, inquisitive dogs, mountain-bikers, coach parties, picnickers, off-roaders and others on a typical weekend can be a major difficulty! The ease of access, whilst a blessing to SOTA activators, allows a multitude of other visitors the same benefit.
So, for sheer difficulty of operating, I’d nominate G/SE-007 Crowborough Beacon as the hardest one-pointer. Just read the various activation reports!!
73 de Les, G3VQO
In reply to G3VQO:
I`ve never done Crowborough, but the stories & pictures about activating in the pub beer garden with the pole in the umbrella hole of the table hardly sound “hardcore”. Other nominees must include :-
G/NP-026 Kisdon, - really only hard for VHF.
G/NP-027 Dufton Pike - steeper than a big steep thing.
G/LD-057 Swinside - padlocked gate, thick bracken, iffy for VHF.
GW/NW-072 Mynydd Enlli - £25 on the boat.
For VHF: Kisdon G/NP-026 - it is surrounded by higher fells. Similarly, Burton Hill G/WB-020 was tricky with its wooded summit area. Hensbarrow Beacon G/DC-004 was impossible on VHF being shielded from civilisation by a ten metre wall of landfill! While Carnmenellis G/DC-006 has a neighbour who called the police on us…
While a 2-pointer, Divis GI/AH-004 is of English 1-pointer height. The access road is not really on for approach because you just would not risk parking your car at the start of it, a run-down estate in Belfast. So a long boggy moorland trackless plod is required, and the breakthrough from the radars on the summit is the most extreme I have ever experienced.
Mynydd Enlli GW/NW-072 has the challenge of whether the boat is running on that day/in that weather, and then the challenge of being able to afford it! But this is all out of context; I presume Roger’s original question refers to the nature of the actual physical ascent. In this respect, I nominate the following beasts:
GW/NW-067 Moel-y-gest - OK, not really hard, but a fair amount of ascent to do and the route is not straightforward, especially not at the end of a long tiring day!
GW/NW-056 Moel y Dyniewydd - start near sea level, end near the upper reaches of the one point band. Not done it since Liam was just turned 6, so would probably find it easier now.
GW/MW-027 Moel y Golfa - steep, and just keeps going up and up!
G/WB-006 Caer Caradoc Hill - steep and requires a real effort on the ascent. Lovely hill though, and doesn’t actually take that long.
I am sure there are many considerably more difficult one-pointers in Scotland!
In reply to G1INK:
I`ve never done Crowborough, but the stories & pictures about
activating in the pub beer garden with the pole in the umbrella hole
of the table hardly sound “hardcore”.
Good point!! I forget that SOTA activating can include VHF!!
Come down and try it on 40m, then you’ll see what I mean!
73 de Les
In reply to M1EYP:
GW/MW-027 Moel y Golfa - steep, and just keeps going up and up!
You must have chosen the wrong route Tom.
Drive up Gareg Bank and park in pullin at SJ285122, walk back to fingerpost through garden at SJ284121 - now the clever bit on leaving the garden turn left up through the wood this rejoins the path/track at SJ285119. Apart from the 15foot cliff, which looks much worse than it is, a doddle of a summit.
Roger G4OWG
ps The track at SJ285119 descends gently to the road - I only found this out on the descent - and there is room for one car at its junction with the road.
In reply to G4OWG:
How about Conachair SI-098. But probably Stac Lee SI-214 and Stac an Armin SI-204 would win.
Use the OS get a map facility to see why!
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Or even GM/SS-246 a lump of rock covered in guano with near verticals to the surrounding sea.
Roger G4OWG
In reply to G4OWG:
Yes, Ailsa Craig. I was going to suggest that but it’s not remote in the same sense as St. Kilda is. Also IIRC, you need “hard to get” permission to go on the stacks at St. Kilda. I’m not too sure about permission for Ailsa Craig though.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G4OWG:
Please, somebody agree with me that Holyhead is up there with the hardest one pointers, or am I just a whinger?
Careful on how you reply to this one, hi.
73 Mike
In reply to G4OWG:
Just out of interest, what’s the EASIEST ten pointer? Snowdon when the train is running springs to mind.
Mike
In reply to GW0DSP:
Sadly Mike, it’s not up there 
73
Richard
In reply to G3CWI:
Crikey, I’m a wimp then, seemed humungus to me!!! I’ll stick to my beloved
nw-062 and nw-070.
Mike
In reply to GW0DSP:
The German DM summits appear to be easy for the points on offer. Or they appear easy to me compared to the Scottish summits. There are probably some in the Alps that have cable car access to the summit aswell.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G4OWG:
To broaden it a bit, possibly the most “interesting” 2 pointer is GM/NS086, Stac Pollaidh (Stack Polly), I’ve not been up it for 30 years but I remember a stiff scramble to reach the ridge and then intricate route finding - the whole thing seems to consist of tottering towers of sandstone glued together with hope and heather!
A fantastic area, though!
73
Brian G8ADD
PS A bit more eccentric - the summit I am most glad is not a Marilyn: Meall Dearg on the north ridge from Mullach an Rathain, Liathach range. That’s if the north ridge is still standing, it looked ready to relocate to the glen at the slightest push!
In reply to G3VQO:
Finding a suitable place to erect an antenna and operate
amongst the screaming kids, inquisitive dogs, mountain-bikers, coach
parties, picnickers, off-roaders and others on a typical weekend can
be a major difficulty!
A bit like Helvelyn, Ingleborough, Whernside or Pen-Y-Ghent and many others on a bank holiday Les.
Roger G4OWG
As well as being fun to read (on a cold rainy non-SOTA day), this thread has been helpful in demoting a few summits to the bottom of my ‘To Do’ list, e.g. ….
In fact, I’ve done one or two I wish I hadn’t bothered with.
Any more?
73 Andy
In the USA there are MANY 1 pointers that are not only hard, but impossible due to land owners not allowing access. No, “Freedom to Roam” here.
Walt NE4TN
Here in NA, this has to rank at/near the top of the list:
https://summits.sota.org.uk/summit/W7Y/EW-097
Devils Tower, Wyoming
A technical rock climb.
Nice!
