Here I was playing for the first time with my 5.4m Chinese telescopic antenna on Scald Law. I was happily seeing how it would deploy on a summit, how it behaved in mild breezes etc. and how much space it really needed as the main aim for this is “limited space” summits. I’d played on 20m and had progressed to 17m where either the antenna or conditions were better but there was a surprising amount of short skip QSOs available: 375-425km with me using a vertical, very different!
Then there was this spot for this Ben chap on some GM/SI summit on 40m SSB. 
OK what’s the possibility I can work Ben on 40m SSB with effectively an 1/8wave vertical. Of course the KX2 could match it but would it work? Well firstly I could hear Ben 53-54 but there appeared to be most of Western Europe calling him with scant discipline and at least 1 radio policeman adding to the fun. This is never going to work, wrong antenna, QRP and everyone and his dog on the frequency. Ben called QRZ and out went my call. Not for me. Repeat again, not for me. Then it went quiet on Ben’s frequency and I called out “summit to summit” and Ben came back and we had a QSO “just like that” as T. Cooper Esq. would have said. Well that was a turn up for the books on chasing, 3rd call with the wrong antenna and he was in the log. I had a moderate grin at that point.
Now I was in SMS QSO with Andy MM7MOX who was fettling his motorbike, we should have been on 2m FM but someone called Andy had forgotten the handy 
When I told him I’d worked Ben he said you’ll have to complete it now. And I thought well probably just enough good weather opportunities this year to pop up the Western Isles and get a trip out to St. Kilda / Hirta and activate Conachair for the complete. 2 and bit hours on the boat, 1h20 to the summit, 1hr30 radio fun, 45mins back down and the rest of the day exploring St. Kilda. Back to the Western Isles, fish and chips and a few beers. The trip was basically planned especially I have all the time in the world now I am retired to do this. Except I don’t.
I got home and entered the log and what do I find? He wasn’t on Hirta, an island summit I could do blindfolded but he was on Cnoc Glas GM/SI-122 on Soay, the next island along. Cnoc Glas doesn’t quite need Spiderman Spidey skils but is something that needs a fair degree of skill to get off the tender on to the rocks. Let’s be truthful here, it needs vastly more fitness and skill than I have or ever will have. So unless I get helicoptered in or find a pair of hoverboots, I wont be activating it. Which means I wont be completing it. I feel like I have been cheated out of my complete 
Actually many congrats to Ben @GW4BML and Tim @G5OLD for doing this summit. I was also pleased to see my Iridium/InReach spotter support worked as well because it’s times like this you can guarantee it to go phutt! Hopefully the 160m fun and games will work too this evening.
Anyone want to buy a chase I can’t complete ?
