Last weekend Paul and myself did 4 Summits over 2 days Paul did an extra one on the Friday before he arrived at Orroroo, our accommodation town.
I took the Landcruiser Ute [truck] and we had to do some serious 4WD trekking to get any where near the Summits on 3 out of the 4 Summits. Stokes hill alone took 2 hours in low range 1st and 2nd just to reach the bottom of the summit. Then this leg burning assent for about 1 km to make the summit. This alone is worth some bonus points surely as far as we are concerned, only to get 4 lousy points for the activation, then two more hours in 4 wd to get back down and drive 50km back to town. I did a 14 hour day on Saturday from when I left home till getting back to town, yet some one can get bonus points if its a bit cold or you may encounter a bit of snow. 100 l of diesel fuel at $1.60aL and we get shack sloths ringing up “are you there yet” ??
Sounds like I am a bit grumpy we did have a great weekend but just trying to high light the difficulties of activating in VK5 for low point scores now all the “local” summits are in the log.
73 Ian vk5cz …
In reply to VK5CZ:
It’s the same for all of us Ian. Mountain Goat is a significant achievement - it isn’t supposed to be easy. I have got 1400 activations logged in the Database, at an average of 1.37 activator points per summit.
Never mind “4 lousy points”. They are 4 excellent and hard-earned points; be proud of them.
Being able to do 4WD approaches up rough tracks to get anywhere near the summits? We’re not allowed to do that here in the UK. 14 hour day with 100km of driving? Luxury. Mine on Saturday was a 14 hour day with 175km of driving. $1.60 a litre? Are you boasting now? Have you seen the UK fuel prices?
You see there’s always someone worse off than yourself! 
Keep up the good work and enjoy!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to VK5CZ:
I appreciate your point, Ian, but imagine how complex the point allocation system would be if you had to factor in the length of the drive, the amount of off-roading and the steepness of the ascent! By sticking to the KISS principle, you will find that most Associations will have some summits so easy that they are a gift, and other summits that are right b****rs! In the GM Association there are some summits that require a round walk of over twenty miles, I think the longest is GM/NS-013, A’Mhaighdean, with a 27 mile round walk, for six points (and a heck of a lot of satisfaction, I might add!) Funnily enough, nobody has bagged that one yet, I wonder why?
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Yeh I know and to top it off we lost the cricket .
Still enjoying “living the dream” and the buzz with the pile ups.
Ill bank those proud 4 points and look at it that way in future.
Thanks for the attitude adjustment, we were a bit ambitious trying to do those 2 Summits in the one day on Saturday, getting wiser as we grow old.
73 Ian vk5cz …
In reply to VK5CZ:
I forgot the 100km bit in 14 hours .
100km to do Stokes hill plus maybe 12 km in 4WD. I did about maybe 500 plus km for the weekend could be more .
all good here not retiring hurt yet.
73 de Ian vk5cz…
Pleased to hear it Ian. SOTA in Australia appears to be in very good health and going from strength to strength.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to VK5CZ:
Looks like you have to be tough over in vk5! I didn’t realise you and Paul were going so far north to reach new summits.
For added pleasure once vk2 is going you’ll be able to go over the border and drive 300km between each of the half dozen summits in the upper western region, each worth 1 point. The whole region, about the size of Western Europe has only 1 point summits. I think the highest is just under 500m. The access to them could be “interesting” too.
Cu again on 14cw…
73
Andrew vk1da//2uh
Edited to clarify intentions of “tough” comment
In reply to VK1DA:
G day Andrew thanks for the nice interstate Rubbing of salt.
I had just got over my rant .
I hope to do a big SOTA week from next Tuesday, clean up those Summits off highway 1 and move up into the hills around Quorn. The XYL is only taking 1 week off work middle of my holidays she has her spare time filled up with art classes and teaching mosaic . We may go to vk3 yet that week along the old river you have up that way. I managed to work HB9BCB who was on HB/BE-149 on Thursday arvo while I was testing an antenna for the RD 5w 2 way and DF2GN/P on DM/BW-570 yesterday morning 3.30 am when I woke up with a head ache . Best cure is a couple disprin and some cw.
See you out there soon.
de Ian vk5cz …
In reply to VK5CZ:
Hi again,
No salt-rubbing intended, just appreciation for the efforts you guys are making to activate those summits.
You must be getting better prop than I am on 20m. I listen for some spotted stations on 20m overnight and rarely hear any activity.
Better antennas are on the way.
73
Andrew vk1da/2uh
In reply to VK5CZ:
Hi Ian,
It would be nice if we could redo our KX3-to-KX3 QSO next week.
Could you provide approx. date/time of your planned activations (at least date and am/pm or date and day/night)?
BTW, will you be assisted again by the lovely Rocky the Rocket?
73 es hpe cuagn,
Heinz HB9BCB
In reply to HB9BCB and VK1DA
No she’s right Andrew that’s just my strange sense of humour re the salt.
Heinz No Rocky can’t make it I am going into National Parks and dogs are the enemy in Parks. But I will be spotting my movements day by day assuming I have my phone internet working out there. We seem to have a bit more daylight into the late afternoon so my second activation for the day could linger on longer and give the EU stations time to be out of bed.
73 de Ian vk5cz…