GM4ZFZ/P - Mountain Adventures with a Radio

Cruim Leacainn

A very accessable top indeed, a pleasant wander up a good track leads from the A82 up to the top and radio masts. My first 1 pointer!

Cruim Leacainn - GM/WS-344 - 232m - 1 point
QSOs: 40 CW - 4, 2m FM - 1

I was set up and running by 0730 with the 'Walking Pole Dipole' which is proving a thoroughly practical antenna. I am sure the band sounds much quieter with the feed point only 2m off the ground and yet the signals come in very clearly and I don't seem to be having any problems getting out. I am using a simple jumper dipole for 40m&30m. It is erected extremely quickly and requires no guying.

Today it was raining again so didn't hang about but worked the following stations in <25 mins with only 1 watt.

EI7CC, Dublin - 539
2E0OOO, York - 539
G4MZC, Isle of Wight - 539
GM0AXY, Edinburgh - 559

Both Ken, AXY & Pete EI7CC were coming in strong at 589. When I first started, an initial tune around revealed really quite flat band condx and I wondered how I would get on. There was some QSB but even on max fade out every station (even the qrp 2E0OOO) was readable due to the band being quiet. The FOF2 at Fairford was 6.0MHz at time of activation.

I was packed up and ready to go less than half hour after arriving on the summit, just in time to catch Robin, GM7PKT/M for a quick natter on 2m FM.

Meall Luidh Mor

I discovered the other day that because of the slightly unconventional shape of the handles of my trusty KOHLA walking poles, they strap together beautifully to make a near 2.5m pole when fully extended (just 2x70cm when collapsed). So took it for a test drive this evening with a simple 40m dipole.

Meall Luidh Mor - GM/WS-296 - 515m - 2 points
QSOs: 40m CW - 5

The forest track leading up along the west side of the hill is in a pretty desperate state of repair and I had to drag the bike through swamp half the time! So I was up on top at 2030bst, a little later than planned.

EI7CC - Dublin - 579
2E0ATZ - Canterbury - 589
GM0AXY - Edinburgh - 579
G4RQJ - Walney Island - 589
IZ6FYI - Camerino, Italy - 559

Obviously good band condx, but not bad especially when used to the 6-7m of the SOTA pole. I used the full 5 watts of the 817 throughout because it was tipping down with rain and I didn't want to stay there a minute more than I had to! I'll try with lower power next time. But considering I take these poles with me anyway, this is good news.

Thanks to the chasers I was all done in under 50mins. Thanks guys!

Currently drying out - dram in hand!

The picture is somewhat poor because I didn't have my camera with me and had to use the one on my phone. It shows the general idea though.

Stob Coire Easain & Sgurr Innse

An adventure in thick clag! 12 hours of very low visibility made for an interesting if slightly surreal expedition. A good exercise in micronavigation.

Stob Coire Easain - GM/WS-015 - 1115m - 10 points
QSOs: 40m CW - 3, 2m FM - 2

Feeling keen I took the mountain bike a fair way up Coire Laire until I was utterly exhausted and the terrain became too rough. Shanks pony took over and I headed towards the NE Ridge. I'm getting to know this place pretty well. Saw a golden eagle here a couple of years ago. Halfway up I was into the clag and wasn't then out of it until mid morning the next day when coming off Sgurr Innse.

Once on the summit (about 2130) I made the discovery that the 40m dipole tunes rather well on 2m and then promptly worked Robin, PKT who informed me this is no new thing as GM4COX does it all the time! Pretty cool though and worked MM3USU in Falkirk on it also. 40m CW found Age, PA0XAW with a very strong signal as always and then F5VAO (with difficulty due to big static crashes) and Roger, MW0IDX (again a strong signal).

By the time I was down the hill the clag had reached the coire floor so had to navigate off the ridge and across to the bealach and then hunkered down in the bivi bag for the night.

Sgurr Innse - GM/WS-166 - 809m - 4 points
QSOs: 40m CW - 4, 2m FM - 1

Got up and away just before the heavens opened (about 0530). Greatly relieved by this since getting my 6'3" frame dressed and sorted in the confines of my bivi bag is quite a trial. Made my way up the SW ridge of Sgurr Innse which gets quite steep and interesting near the top (in the low vis. it's possible I didn't take the easiest break in the summit defenses).

DJ1QR, DF7IS, G3ICO & PA0XAW were worked on 40CW in fairly quick measure followed by a rather marginal qso with Robin, PKT/M on his way to work in the fort. By this time I was very wet and cold and so beat a hasty retreat back down to Coire Laire.

Effort expended on mountain bike on an approach is amply repaid on the way out. Picked up the bike and weeeee...all the way home!

Binnein Shuas & Binnein Shios

A windy & overcast day ended up sunny for an extremely pleasant walk back. These are really enjoyable hills in a great area. Binnein Shuas has some outstanding rock climbing on its south side including the celebrated Ardverikie Wall. The area is also great for cycling.

Binnein Shuas - GM/WS-198 - 746m - 4 points
QSOs: 40m CW - 3, 30m CW - 1

This hill provides good atomospheric interest up the craggy north side. The descent towards Shios requires care but due east from the summit there is a steep grassy gully that provides escape from the summit area.

I was on the summit by 1300 and after finding some shelter from the wind had the jumper dipole up and was working G4DMP from Leeds within minutes followed by DJ4ST, Hamburg & G3GUR, Bognor before moving to 30m and working DL4ZU near Berlin.

Binnein Shios - GM/WS-239 - 667m - 2 points
QSOs: 40m CW - 2, 30m CW - 2

This top also provided some good shelter from the wind and fine birds eye view over Ardverikie Castle (aka Glenbogle!) and the Lochs on both sides. On 30m DL8IG, Wilhelmshaven & DL5DTL, Dresden, followed by G3SES and G3RLG in Chester and Wimborne respectively on 40m. The battery was starting to struggle towards the end so dropped down to 1 watt for the last qso and still received a respectable 589 into Dorset.

This brings me up to 100 activator points. Seems small fry compared to those at the top of the table!

Cnoc Dearg & Beinn na Lap

A very pleasant day in the mountains but not wholly successful due to 1) Running out of battery power and time so not managing to activate Beinn na Lap, 2) Missing the train at Corrour thus adding about 3 hours and 14km to my day!

Cnoc Dearg - GM/WS-032 - 1047m - 8 points
QSOs: 40m CW - 2, 2m FM - 2

Tried a variation on the start point for this hill. Parking the bike at the dam at Loch Trieg and crossing the railway, the forest track passes close to the railway about 50 yard up the railway track. Contrary to what is marked on the map, taking this forest tract north leads out onto the hill. Some pleasant bits of scrambling/bouldering to be had on Sgriodain depending on the route taken.

I reached the top of Cnoc Dearg at about 0900 as planned and worked DK5JPL amidst QRM, then MM0BHX in Cumbernauld and MM0PWR in Falkirk before going back to 40 and finding Rob, G4RQJ. Difficult conditions means this took the best part of two hours.

Beinn na Lap - GM/WS-091 - 937m - 6 points
QSOs: 2m FM - 2, 40m CW - 1

Quite a slog up from the north, but got to the top around 1300 and worked GM7PKT/M in Fort William and Shirley, MM0YLS/P on the Ballachulish Horseshoe. 40m CW then yielded a nice chat with George, G3ICO in Yeovil after which I found I was running out of time and battery power. Some frantic calling yield nothing so I admitted I would have to try this one again and legged it for the train.

Missed by 5mins - ouch! Next train 6 hours time, what to do? It was a pleasant sunny evening so I decided to walk the 14km or so back to the bike. The last few k had to be done on the track which is trying. They seem to have placed the sleepers at an infuriating distance apart!