Menteith hill - very Scottish and surprisingly nice!

The forecast was for a reasonable day and as the winter activity season was coming to a close we sought something that would be an interesting radio site for the Worked All Britain crowd but also being a SOTA summit to ensure interest.   We've run out of convenient large OS squares without a long drive but GM/SS-223 in NN50, trig TP4227 looked interesting as it is one of the WAB "Golden Squares".  It's one and half hours drive so a bit further than we like but not somewhere I've walked before.  Just outside of Aberfoyle in the Trossachs, it looked to offer an interesting enough walk which turned out to be 10km long with 400m ascent due to not quite following the route!   On the map above we followed the blue route to the northwestern limit and then cross country to the summit. Then continuing northeast to the bealach and down quite a narrow couloir to pick up a track back to the car.

Well,  the reasonable day turned out to be a lot damper than forecast!

But with increasingly "Scottish" views,  we're glad we went to the northwest point because it was pretty stunning

And it was at this point we'd realised the error of coming so far.

But hey-ho a compass bearing gave us the right way to go and soon we'd got through "leg break heather ally" and the summit was in sight.  (real one on the left)

From the gaps between the two peaks the view down to Lake of Menteith was very pretty

And the final bit of the climb took us to the trig

We quickly got the radio set up, the rain was off for now - but for how long?

And how did the radio bit go?  Starting on 40m, it was clear things were good,  an initial quick call on 7160 brought both Dave (as GB0ABG) and Karl 2E0FEH right back (which became a bit confusing as both were strong, couldn't hear each other and each thought I was talking to them!).  Following that, quite a few other WABers appeared and a number of SOTA regulars such as Don G0RQL and Manuel EA2DT and Pedro EA2CKX (in spain) plus a SOTA s2s with Colwyn MM0YCJ/P on a nearby mountain.  In total 18 in 16 minutes. 

A trip to 80m became slightly tricky as the WAB net were busy with a Welsh station and I couldn't raise attention.  It was suggested I go 5khz hf and some found me there,  propagation was not good on 80m so early (1300Z) but 6 qsos were had.   Serge RV9DC was waiting patiently for me to come to 20m,  and I was really surprised to hear him with a great signal calling me!  Serge is quite a long way east, nearly as far as India and I was surprised he heard my 4watts. Immediately following Serge was an s2s with S56KVJ/P on s5/pk013 a mountain in Slovenia and immediately following him was KD1CT in New Hampshire!  A few more good signals followed including OH3GZ and a further two s2s with Romania and Slovakia.

By now it was getting a bit cold,  I have been asked on the internet by Derek 2W0FLW why we stay so long on the summit.  Well, activating on HF is not the quick in and out with 4 qsos on a handheld as it is on VHF.   Getting setup at all with the telescopic pole and aerial takes time and is often tricky due to the very cold weather gear we need (thick gloves!) although not an issue on this day!   Each band requires changes to the aerial to make it work and it can be several minutes gap between each.   And then there's the late straggler who turns up, wanting a qso on a band we've already done, eh Derek?

It was on the route out, following to the northeast to make a circular trip that some of the full beauty of this hill was revealed, with terrific views across Loch Venachar due north, and around to Loch Katrine in the Northwest

It was quite steep down on the north edge,

But then the full delight of this route was revealed, a brilliant couloir, the camera inevitably flattens out the steepness.

So a good day was had by all!

Craiglich by Aboyne, vastly underrated

Despite it having been quite a hard week at work, or perhaps more because of it, the desire to get out on a hill was high, but where?   There was incoming weather, forecast, coming in from the west so not there.   North was attractive, Large OS square NJ was untouched so good for the WAB winter award.  Why not try an extra attractive one, NJ50, sought after by the WABers for the Golden Jubilee?   Within NJ50 there just happens to be a SOTA summit, GM/ES-068 with a trig TP2523, not particularly high but enough of a walk to be interesting.  In addition it had only ever been activated 6 times before.   The only problem, to get there we had to cross some pretty high hills and the weather had been iffy, with a possible ice problem.   In fact on checking the route, it was only an extra 15 minutes to go all the way to Stonehaven and up via Banchory, so that's what we did.

The weather forecast was for a total overcast all day but light winds.   As we approached Stonehaven though bits of blue sky showed and we became hopeful, this vanished as we hit thick fog around Banchory,  in addition the amount of snow in the surrounds increased dramatically

But as we pulled up in the layby it started to offer hints that we might walk out of it as we climbed

As we entered the forest track, the amount of snow became quite a surprise

And as we climbed the skies became bluer, and as the forest opened up, the most incredible views were revealed

Once we were out of the cloud, the sunlight became very pleasant even to the extent I shed my coat onto the top of my pack, despite a probable temperature of -5C!

So we got setup with the radio

How did the radio go?  Very well.  We started out on 40m around 1150 and in 20 minutes there were nearly 40 in the log before things started to tail down.   There were a couple of summit to summit qsos to Germany (Juerg DL/HB9BIN/P) and Switzerland (HB9DBM/P)vand qsos with almost all the regular people.  This was a Worked All Britain Golden Jubilee summit (NJ50) and so I was particularly pleased to get the full house of special calls GB50WAB, GB9WAB, G7WAB and G4WAB.   After the success of 40m, I thought 20m might be good, it was and it wasn't.  I only made 6 qsos but amongst those were KD1CT in NH and K4DY and N4EX in NC.  KDICT particularly surprised me by calling me with a 59 signal!  The other 20m qsos were EB1IFK, SV2HSY and a great surprise G3RDQ!   This only left 80, where Northern Ireland dominated with Esther and Ian, GI0AZA/B and Paul MI1AIB, plus Karl, 2E0FEH, down in Cornwall.

All the above with 4 watts output from and ft817 and link dipole for 40/20 (plus loading coils for 80m).

By this time it was approaching 1300 and suddenly a light breeze started and it started to feel quite cold.  (It must have been about -5C).  Time to packup and head down.  Now follows a long selection of extra photos that I couldn't bare leaving out.

It wasn't a particularly arduous walk, a mere 8km and 200m ascent but enough to build a bit of a thirst, so off to Aboyne to The Boat Inn.

Cheers!

Post script.

The weather on Sunday started a bit dreich but rapidly approaching clear spells prompted a little wind-down hill.   Berry Hillock is a steep 120m climb in around half a km and is just a few minutes drive.  It's in NO34 and has trig TP1338

A brief radio activation failed to get anyone on 40m!  I did hear a very strong Indonesian station but no-one who would hear me.   But 80m productive enough with 7 QSOS including James, M1TES, for what I think is our first qso.

It was a nice brief visit with a reminder that you don't need to drive far here to get great views.