A little jaunt over the border in Aberdeenshire

If I was to do any walking today it would be a solo trip,  the carrier of the "heavy thing" had more pressing things on (aka  "a life") and so I would also be carrying said "heavy thing" myself.   I was forbidden from attempting what we'd failed at last week and quite honestly having monitored the weather through the week it would be a killer.  But I needed to get out somewhere!  Strathfinella hill near Fordoun had been on the radar for a while as a bad weather option, and while it was quite nice and sunny it was pretty windy and really with the way things are in the "real mountains" things aren't that safe once you get above 500m at the moment.

So, it's only 3/4 of an hour away and the start was next to the cemetery of Auchenblae.

The initial path made me think it might have been a good idea to go for the full boots rather than the chosen stout walking shoes.  I immediately found that the OS map is not exactly accurate,  the hill is actually riddled with tracks through the forest,  actually they're mountain bike tracks.   On the way down I met the makers (one of whom is 68),  two guys use the forest as their personal playground, making new extreme tracks which they like to use in the dark!!  Mental,  and the younger is probably my age!   Anyway, the tracks made a good route up but required a compass to avoid disorientation!

As i got higher things started to get a bit more wintery, although the summit was only 414m it  was still February

And by the time I was on the final run up to the summit it became fully winterised

Looking back there were nice views out to sea over Stonehaven

The summit is pretty flat but where is the Trig point?  I was sure it had to be on the track across, but no!

The trig was off another wee rabbit run to the north and then through a gap in the trees that I missed first time,  real follow the white rabbit country!!  The trig is actually completely embedded in the forest!

So, the aim of getting there was to activate this summit GM/ES-075,  NO67,  TP6221!  But checking the phone which had a signal until 500m away - nothing.   So no self spotting.  First a visit to the WAB net, who kindly let me break in again and provided 9 qsos in 3 minutes!  Efficient as ever.   Then I had a look around to find somewhere to do some CQing,tricky, conditions were odd following a few days of high solar activity but I settled on 7.118.   After 10 minutes I was beginning to think it was time to cut the losses and try 20m when 2e0kvj (who I'd worked on the net) popped up to say he'd found me and spotted me on sotawatch.  This was great and did the trick,  thanks also to mike 2e0yyy who'd spotted me on Facebook.   Although some regard spotting as a bit of a cheat, when I've limited daylight left and I'm getting cold I'm happy to take all the help I can get.  As it was my hands were painfully cold by the time I'd finished packing up.

A small run on 40m then followed with a few  regulars,  M6RUG started the show, Mike G6TUH was his usual 59 (although suffering as usual from his proximity to EU on receive).  Phil G4OBK was endstopping, Mick M0MDA was also a great signal.  But after 6 minutes and 8 Qsos it dried up.   At 1540 it was time to try 20m, which seemed very quiet, and yet oddly Robert SP8RHP who found me at the outset was a good signal for his qrp.  RV9DC (east of the Urals) was weaker than normal but we made it.  Mariusz SP9AMH who along with Robert is another qrper was also, if anything, stronger than normal, as was Manuel EA2DT.   A few other big signals appeared mainly from OK and OE.  AC1Z was the only US from New Hampshire,  and finally EA8/PA7ZEE.  By now it was 1600 and so I should think about getting going, but first,  I had taken up my dads old hb9cv up to see if I could hear anything on 2M.  Nothing, nearly.  I could hear the SB repeater quite well but that was all.   I tried a couple of calls on 145.50 with no result,  but I was getting cold and it was time to go!  By the time I got down it was getting quite darkish so I had not left the top a moment too early!   A fun little trip, but colder than I had expected!