13th Feb 2019 – Munros on the Air – James Gentles GM4WXP

At the meeting on 13th February 2019 LRS member James Gentles GM4WZP talked about “Munros on the Air”. 

Long before SOTA (Summits on the Air), Amateurs were out on the Scottish hills activating them. Whilst James Gentles GM4WZP wasn’t first, his story is of the first Amateur to systematically activate every Munro in the 1980s, making at least one QSO from each of them, using repeaters if necessary. He was accompanied on many of these climbs by his fiancee, Lyndsay.

As well as a nostalgic look back at the trials and tribulations of this radio marathon he reviewed the highs and lows of line-of-sight propagation and ‘the little lifts’ (both radio and otherwise) that made it possible to activate all 277 Munros.

With some statistics for the numerically-minded as well as a summary setting the achievement within the modern day concept of SOTA, the talk was a radio and photographic tour of Scotland.

Culra Bothy

 

Contents: Glencoe

 

Hugh Munro

 

5-ele beam operating

 

Munro Map

 

Navigation Equipment – Essential!

 

Winter Equipment – also Essential; note sharpened crampons!

 

Belay 1 – safety rope to hold other climber in the event of a slide down the snow.

 

Belay 2 – retaining other climber.

 

BEN TARMACHAN looking towards Ben Lawers

 

BEN TARMACHAN sub-top

 

BEN NEVIS from Banavie

 

BEN NEVIS from south

 

BEN NEVIS from CARN MOR DEARG

 

BEN NEVIS Trig point in typical cloud with typical number of visitors!

 

BEN NEVIS Observatory Refuge & Memorial

 

WHITE MOUNTH – James’s Personal Rules, including use of Repeaters when absolutely necessary!

 

Radio Equipment

 

An Coileachan   “Ski/Tent/Hang-glider” – JOKE!

 

Torridon, LIATHACH

 

LIATHACH looking to ASSYNT

 

LIATHACH looking dangerous!

 

BEN HOPE – most Northerly Munro, shortest night on mainland UK

 

BEN HOPE – Sunrise

 

BEN HOPE – Trig Point

 

Loch Mullardoch – ring of 12, snow in June on CARN EIGHE!

 

West of BEN EIGHE, camp at 2700ft

 

Most difficult Radio Munro, diminutive AN SOCACH. Could only raise GB3HI repeater (Mull) with beam,

nothing else. (GB3HI was >100km away).

 

Looking back at “green little” AN SOCACH

 

The emergency way out of Mullardoch, race against triggering a rescue.

 

BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR – Glencoe

 

Brocken Spectre and Glory near Glencoe ski lift.

 

Torridon Village Rainbow and CAIRNGORM Solar Halo.

(Nah – he was running QRO but won’t admit it)!

 

AONACH EAGACH, Glencoe

 

AONACH EAGACH Spectres and Glory

 

Arnistale TV repeater and unknown military pop-up repeater

 

BLACK CUILLIN on Skye

 

CUILLIN, SGURR MHADAIDH looking south, NO 5-ele beam carried here, very precipitous!

 

CUILLIN, SGURR GHREADAIDH, operating handy-talkie from narrowest part of ridge.

 

CUILLIN, from SGURR BANNADICH south to THE PINNACLE

 

   

CUILLIN, THE PINNACLE from the South – shoulder blade of rock

 

CUILLIN, THE PINNACLE (right), overtops the main mountain (left of shot)

 

Climbing up THE PINNACLE, operating through the GB3HI repeater on Mull.

 

James abseiling off THE PINNACLE

 

CUILLIN, SGURR ALASTAIR from south.  Compass was useless, rock magnetic!

 

Final Munro, LOCHNAGAR June 1990. Total distance travelled: 2200 miles and 750,000 feet.

L: James with soon to be XYL, Lyndsay

 

 

SMC Entry in Journal #790

 

Worked all Britain, FAILED!

 

The 2 life-saving repeaters, and the Munros where no repeater was raised.

 

Rate of Climb

 

 The 11 stations that were heard on 110 summits 

 

Best and Worst DX-chart

 

 GM-G Contacts

 

 GM-G curvature map

 

GM-PA Contact – tropospheric

 

GLYDER FACH, CANTILEVER STONE            WALES=15 Radio operate tops

 

MOUNTAIN RAILWAY to Llanberis – this is SNOWDON

 

Lyndsay at GALTYMORE SUMMIT CROSS, completes the Irish 3000ft in 1992

 

HELVELLYN Completes the “furth” in 1995. THOUGHTS ON WHERE THIS FITS?

 

George Burt GM3OXX – a pioneer of Munros on the Air.

 

Montage of GM3OXX – many talents

There is a comprehensive Silent Key of GM3OXX, by Alan GM3PSP on the LRS website:

http://www.lothiansradiosociety.com/lrs-archive/51-silent-keys/752-silent-key-george-burt-gm3oxx-20-september-2017 

 

SWAMP (Scottish Worked All Munros Project), precursor to SOTA

 

 SWAMP AWARD

 

SOTA builds on what has gone before

 

 Take a rest!

You deserve it, James. Many thanks for a most interesting talk illustrated by your beautiful photographs.

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