GM/WS-263 - Beinn na Gucaig - 616m - NN063653 - 2 points
5 QSOs: 15m CW - 1, 30m CW - 3, 2m FM - 1
Once I realised this was not going to be an easy activation and had made the decision to abandon the other three tops I was planning to activate, I quite enjoyed chilling out on this hill. The sunset over the Ardgour Hills was stunning and there is a commanding view down Loch Linnhe toward Mull. Also, behind, Ben Nevis looms with a particularly good view of Five Finger Gully.
Parking at the West Highland Way access point (NN100667) I followed the road across the bridge and at the road's high point took a rising traverse of the hillside above a couple of deep cut gullies to the beallach NE of the summit, and then up the ridge to the top and trig point. I returned the same way. The SW ridge from Inchree looks like a better route and I might have taken it if I had known is was only doing this hill. However, the advantage of the route as described is a 170m head start on ascent!
40m was S9 static noise and precious little signals when I started so no contacts there. 30m was little better but SQ9FQC came in strongly from Poland in reply to my CQ there. I popped back down to put out another CQ on 40m and heard a G4 station responding but just couldn't copy in the noise. Sorry if you are reading! 15m was much quieter and I was delighted to work WA1GEP in Lincoln, Nr Boston USA. It'd be great to have a summit to summit one day to the US or for that matter any other country outside the UK!
In the morning 40m was pretty dead so it was back up to 30m for F9KP in Dijon and DJ4BG in Pinzberg to qualify the activation and then a quick chat with GM7PKT/M on 2m FM before packing up.
Picture below shows Doire Ban GM/WS-280 one of the ones that got away.
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