I been asked many a time by Radio amateurs that are not capable of climbing a summit due to a disability or illness if I know of any SOTA summits that are very easy to activate.
With the help of other activators I have compiled a list of SOTA summits that can be activated by less able bodied persons. The summits listed are ones that can technically be activated from a car park or a location where you could get a car, summits that require very little walking or are wheelchair friendly.
* In the rules of SOTA you can not activate from a car (see rules at base of this page) so I am not recommending that you do activate from a car.
47 Summits listed so far.
64 Points in total without using the winter bonus.
Last update 20th November 2007
All positions are based on 20m vertical distance to keep you just inside the activation zone,
however the offical SOTA rule is.....
"The Operating Position must be within the permitted Vertical Distance of the Summit, as
defined in Rule 3.5. The terrain between the operating position and the actual Summit
must not fall below the permitted Vertical Distance. (25m)"
Please do check however the suitability of the summit and don't take risks. Burton Amateur Radio Club can not be held responsible for the accuracy of the information given in this page.
Please do let me know if you know of any other SOTA summits that are easy to do.
Mail 2E0KPO, see contact page.
Tips - Park in car park. You would be safe activating from the car park as it within the activation zone. Beware VHF pager transmitter breakthrough. If you want to go to the trig point then the walk is on flat grass, no real slope and about 0.23 miles from the parking spot. There is a gate and some mud to deal with.
Activation Type: I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips -Walton Hill has a wide easy angled path of hard beaten red earth but the wheelchair might need a bit of an assist at one point where the path has a bad rain gully crossing it.
Tips - A good place to park is where the Ridgeway enters/leaves the woods at SP900080
Another option is a gate to the field at SP891099 where you can park for a quick activation. This gate is not used. You can see the trig point in the field from this gate. Watch out for the cows, friendly but inquisitive if you do go to the trig point. I would not suggest going to the trig point via the gate at SP891099 it is not been designed to open. Not much of a view however.
Activation Type: Short Walk. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - If you park at SO417942 (Elevation of 493m aprox) and walk 50-60m towards the summit at about SO416943 you are in the activation zone. Another option is to go to SO417946 in a 4x4, you can do this as it is a 4x4 track and again you are in the activation zone.
Another option would be to park at SO414939, South of the summit, and just 30m lower than it. A wide bridleway leads gently upwards, just 400m to the summit from here, and much less than that to get inside the activation zone.
Activation Type: Short 50m Walk. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - Golf Club may hire you a golf cart, you can also drive to SO286585 this is almost within the activation zone if you walk 10m toward the trig point you will be in the activation zone. Watch out for stray golf balls.
Activation Type: Short 400m Walk. From car no problem, seek permission first* I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - If you approach from the East you can park at the head of the public road at SO415487, it is only a short distance up a reasonable track to a point within the AZ around SO412489 No doubt by asking at the farm permission could be obtained to park further up the track within the activation zone if necessary.
Tips - Trig point is in a field behind a metal fence, gate by the main road. Activation can be done on the bench by the cricket green hut. This one is very civilized. Not much of a view however.
Tips - Top car park is 10m out of activation zone according to my OS map. I have had a comment that its within the activation zone. Warden can be a problem. SX376715 is just in activation zone according to OS. Based on information. This can be activated from the car park
Activation Type: Very Easy. From car no problem if up track*
Tips - Approach from Ribblesden only. Tom Tom may bring you in from the north.. Drive or walk to the transmitter station along the track and your in the activation zone, more suitable for a 4x4. Not a very tidy area though watch where you walk and drive.
Option 2. Park at the gate at the end of the tarmac road SE101453. The Masts are on your right. Go through the gate separating the tarmac road and the untarmaced road down to Ilkley. Immediately turn right and climb the small bank (very small step and it is a path). You are now well inside the activation zone at 382m. Summit is 402m.
You could of course operate where you parked but that is 380m at the right hand fence (380m contour line just enters fence boundary) and in my eyes a bit close for absolute surety.
Tips -- There are several pull-offs off the road to the South of the summit that are within the AZ, including the end of the ride into the wood at ST232162 which is quite large but will probably be in use for woodland management during working hours.
Other area that is in the activation zone is on the road at ST245160
Activation Type: I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - There may be a way up via a path to the transmitter station. If you are local it may be worth having a look. The road at SY403944 is almost in the activation zone. 2m short
Activation Type: Easy Walk. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - Walking 250m up the track from the road junction at SU380615 gets you in the activation zone.
Activation Type: Very short walk. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - The car park is not within the activation zone from looking at OS maps (I stand to be corrected on this however, you need 250m asl). Just off the car park towards the transmitter on the path at SU712201 you are within the activation zone. The summit has masts on it VHF radios will struggle.
Tips - Trig point on the side of the road and is in the activation zone. The true summit is being quoted as SZ569785 The car park at the end of the road is within the activation zone.
Tips - Activate from the White Horse Wood (TQ 807 586). There is a pay-and-display car park accessed from the A249 (20p for an hour). There are picnic tables too! Disabled activators will find this an easy summit.
Alternatively approach the Wood via the back road from Thurnham (the road is blocked at TQ 808 585). There is plenty of room to park at the top of the road free-of-charge.
Activation Type: Steady 0.4 mile walk. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - The Begwyns might be do-able on a nice day. It's not too far and a fairly gentle grass path from the road. 0.4 miles. Seating at summit
GW/MW-026 Long Mountain-Beacon Ring, 408m, 1 point.
Tips - There is a gate at SJ268054, often open, if not it will not be locked. You can drive up the old roman road (Tarmac) and sit by the masts. The summit has masts on it VHF radios may struggle.
Activation Type: Short Walk. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - - Road SN608677 is about 6m outside activation zone. About 1 min walk into activation zone and 5 minutes to the summit.
Activation Type: 100m Walk. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - a 100m walk gets you in the activation zone from SN501282 OS shows a track that may be drivable.
Tips - You can do this by the train. Check times and be aware that you don't get much time on the summit. The cafe is not in the activation zone. You will need to go outside and up toward the trig point. It can be an easy 10 points though it will cost you a few pounds to do it. There is a new cafe for 2008 on the summit.
Activation Type: 4x4? 940m walk 57m ascent. See below I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - This has a driveable green track to very close to the summit, which would make it viable for disabled activators. Road starts at SH224280 191m ASL, track starts at SH225285 241m ASL and trig point is at SH228293. If you can get to SH227291 you are in the activation zone.
Tips - Car park is in the activation zone it's pay and display, 60p for 2 hrs at this time of year, and operate just over the wall, approx 2ft high with gaps to get a wheel chair through, although best accompanied because of the terrain. Not brilliant for 2m HH operation though because of breakthrough erect an antenna horizontal or for HF.
Tips - Winter Hill G/SP-010 is wheelchair accessible even from the car-parking spot at the lower end of the access road. I would recommend parking above the two cattle-grids as I found the bypass gates to be locked on one occasion.
Another option for this hill without annoying Arqiva (the owners of the site) is to park at the fenced enclosure about 500 yds below the main site. This is within the activation zone and so a 1 m ascent (about 10 foot of walking) would suffice. The fence also can be used to lash the antenna.
Activation Type: Short walk. Uneven surface. There is a stile to climb over. I not sure this summit should be included in this list. Please make you own judgment. Please do let us know your comments and what you feel regarding this hill
Tips - There is a stile to climb. If you walk aprox 240m to SJ969611 you are in the activation zone
Tips - You can activate from Crank Road between SD520016 and SD523018 or you can go up the drive by SD523018 and have a easy walk to the trig point. Best to park at the back of the houses by the transmitter station. Not a great summit
Tips - A little SE of Belfast, not really in the Mournes at all. A tarmac access road leads right to the top. Car park adjacent the earthwork beacon ring, in which the trig point can be found.
Tips - Apparently has a public car park in the immediate vicinity of the activation zone
Germany:
DM/HE-001, HE-003, HE-327, HE-330.
France:
F/VO-019
Switzerland:
HB/BS-001, HB/ZH-004.
Disclaimer
Activators must be competent to undertake their proposed Expedition and must carry
suitable equipment, taking account of the terrain, weather conditions, etc. Activators take
part in the Programme entirely at their own risk and the Programme and Burton Amateur radio club in its entirety shall accept no responsibility for injury, loss of life or any other loss.
Activators are reminded that hill climbing is an inherently hazardous activity. Accidents can
and do happen in the mountains and the risk is neither increased nor mitigated by the SOTA
programme.
Taken from the SOTA website on the 19th November 2007
Copyright SOTA
3.1 Purpose
The purpose of SOTA (the Programme) is to encourage Amateur Radio based activity from
the summits of hills and mountains in countries around the world and to provide an award
system for Radio Amateurs in all DXCC Entities.
The Programme is intended encourage activity from clearly defined peaks, including major
mountains. To enable participation in the Programme to be as wide ranging as possible,
lesser peaks can also be included. An incremental scoring system recognises the higher
peaks accordingly. * The Programme does not accept operation from or in the immediate
vicinity of motor vehicles.
The programme provides for participation by Activators who make QSOs from the Summits,
Chasers who make contact with the Activators and Short Wave Listeners.
3.7.1 Criteria for a valid Expedition
For an Expedition to be considered valid, the following criteria must be met:
The Activator must hold an appropriate transmitting licence.
All operation must comply with the amateur radio licensing regulations and must use the
permitted amateur radio bands of the country in which the Association is based.
The method of final access to the Summit must be “person powered”. Valid methods
include hiking, skiing, mountain biking.
The Operating Position must be within the permitted Vertical Distance of the Summit, as
defined in Rule 3.5. The terrain between the operating position and the actual Summit
must not fall below the permitted Vertical Distance. (25m)
All equipment must be carried to the site by the Activator team.
All equipment must be operated from a portable power source (batteries, solar cells, etc).
Operation is expressly forbidden using permanently installed power sources or fossil-fuel
generators of any kind.
All operation must comply with any limitations on the use of transmitting equipment that
may exist for the Summit.
At least one QSO must be made from the Summit. In order for the activation to qualify
for the points attributed to that Summit, a minimum of four QSOs must be made, each of
which must be with a different station.
QSOs with others on the same summit do not count towards the QSO total.
QSOs via terrestrial repeaters do not count towards the QSO total.
Activator points accrue to the operator regardless of the callsign used. The operator
must be entitled to use the callsign. Multiple operators of the same station may claim
activator points. Each individual operator must make the minimum number of QSOs
stated above in order to claim Activator points.
Activators must submit a log of the Expedition in order to claim points. In the event that
a claim is not to be made, Activators are still asked to submit logs so that Chaser claims
can be substantiated. Logs may be submitted by filling in an entry form on the SOTA
web site or as a log file. Full details are on the SOTA web site.
Where the mountain peak has been issued a reference number in two or more
Associations, the Activator may only claim points from one Association in any one
ascent. The Summit ascent must start from within the owning Association and the
Operating Position must also be within the Association. The same peak may be
activated once per year in each Association but each activation must be a separate
ascent.
