After Ben Tirran a couple of weeks ago we were hoping for a something a little less exciting. The forecast looked OK (and I treated it with my usual caution) and fancied something we'd not done for a while. We've walked Monamenach GM/ES-028 in WAB NO17 a couple of times before, always from the Glen Beanie side. The Swift declared that if I wanted to walk it again, he wasn't coming...
It's not as if it's a particularly high or remote mountain, just that the terrain to get to it from Glen Beanie is deadly. There are really nasty peat hags and bogs. The first time we walked it there were also really deadly snow bridges across the very deep gullied streams.
OK, lets try from Auchavan - the Walk Highlands reports describe a track and a reasonable path to the summit. It's only about a 4.5km walk up, but 450m ascent so not exactly flat.
There is ample parking by the burn which was in good spate!
The walk starts from there and heads pretty much straight up to the bealach, the tops were shrouded in cloud
From the bealach the views opened up beautifully to the south, here you can see Mealna Letter, another sota summit done several times.
And looking down to Auchavan
As we got to the summit, it was as though we were chasing the clouds away and the views around started to open up, sorry, as usual i couldn't decide which pictures not to include, so you get the lot.
So, what of the radio bit?
Well, quite good actually.
We managed to get active at exactly the time spotted. We made a contact on 7162, but there seemed to be something going on there so I announced my intention to qsy and a lurking m3feh popped up to say 7165? And there I went. And then it got busy! Over the next 20 minutes I had 34 qsos in the log, with some very big signals coming in, the usual report was 59 and even with my 4watts out many of the incoming were 59 too! It's a while since I've had a good pile-up on a summit. There was one s2s on 40m, Juerg hb9bin/p. Very pleased to get some into the log that I've not heard for quite a while on 40m, Mick m0mda, Esther and Ian gi0aza/b and GMs. It's a long while since we had such a general opening on 40m.
A quick visit to 80m netted Ian, Esther and Karl again along with Steve mm0xpz. 80m seemed a bit slow and I was getting a bit cold. I'd put my cagoule over my normal walking jacket just to keep in some heat, but that wind was getting pretty keen. The temperature on top would be about +3C. So time for a break, some hot soup and a wander around flapping arms!
A quick visit to 20m gained another two s2s contacts also in HB9. And I was very surprised to be called by 3 US stations, ki4svm and ab4pp in NC and aa1vx in MA. Not too bad for my 4 watts out to a dipole.
But, by this time the cold was starting to become unpleasant and I had started to shiver a bit. My minder declared I was starting to go blue, time for a sharp exit!
And to head down to the newly re-opened GlenIsla Hotel for a pint of Harvieston Bitter and Twisted, by the log fire.
Another Grand Day Out
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