Following the relaxation of travel restrictions, I thought of a flying visit across the border to the Lake District, it had been four years since our last visit, late 2018 and 2019 were taken mostly looking for and preparing to move eastwards to our new home, 2020 and the first half of 2021 were the Coronavirus pandemic.
I’d planned a couple of new fells to hike up and do some radio SOTA work but ‘staycations’ have made a normally busy Lakes into an exceptionally busy Lakes.
We had decided on a day visit, we are now an hour less travelling so we decided to watch the weather forecast but I had to get all my radios charged and ready to go. Everything was still in the rucksack from my last attempt at a Fife hill so emptied everything out then repacked it all back.
I’d been waiting until I got to the border before deciding if I was heading up Dale Head, the north-western Fells had patchy clouds showing so after a stop for some scran, it was Borrowdale and Honister Pass bound.
I haven’t done any serious walking in almost a year so I expected a bit of haul up to the summit but I slowly made my way up a familiar route before summiting and enjoying my favourite Lake District view, it never fails to exhilarate.
I’ve done a few blog posts on this hill so HERE HERE HERE are a few, I didn’t bother with many photos as you can see more views in the previous posts.
The ascent had been busy with walkers, I arrived to an empty summit so a couple of photos then I got ready to activate the hill, SOTA uses the Marilyn hill system and Dale Head is worth 6 points BUT only if I manage to contact another 4 amateur radio stations.
I contacted 9 stations to the east and south of me, one was on the summit of Tal-Y-Fan, Wales’s latest mountain which I’d activated in pouring rain almost 8 years ago.
I set up the antenna and portable mast and got ready, I’d heard the aforementioned station in North Wales but I called on 2m FM and my first contact, a mobile station to the east on the M6 motorway, I then located and spoke with Dave on Tal-Y-Fan, other contacts were made in Lancaster (2), Morecombe (1), Wirral (1), Penrith (2) and Caernarfon.
It was good to talk with regular chasers Sue, Brian, Geoff and John, I threatened them I was be back down soon, hopefully on another fell, I must pour over the map.
The summit by this time was a constant stream of walkers and I fielded the usual ‘what are you doing?’ and the now ‘Calling Mars(or other planet)?’ comment which I don’t mind, it doesn’t take long to explain what I was doing.
Once again phone coverage was patchy so a quick text and call to Katie and I packed everything away and it was time to do the bit I’m beginning to dislike, the descent, I don’t do descents very well but I could see her in the National Trust car park,. A wave of acknowledgement and just under four hours later I was back at the car, glad to get my walking shoes off.
There has been quite a lot of mining and slate workings in the area, the old miners and slate workers must have been a hardy lot. From the summit the 360 degree views take in to the north, Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike, Skiddaw and to its east, Blencathra. The south and west, nearby Pillar, Great Gable, Hindscarth and Robinson.
There is an old slate mine at the top of Honister Pass across from the start point with tours etc, see HERE
Some Lakes mining info HERE
Another visit to a hill that is in my top 5.
Wonder when I’ll be back?
Perhaps my 70th birthday hill, eh, 25 months to go.
Dale Head, Wikipedia entry HERE
aching legs and CQ 