Tuesday 10 June 2014

SOTA Activation Gurkeroo Ridge

After stopping at Tumut for the night decided to try one more Tumut area summit before heading home. Picked Gurkeroo Ridge, VK2/SW-051, previously activated by Ben VK5TX.

Continued South along the Snowy Mountains Highway, along the Eastern side of Blowering Reservoir, then turning off just before Talbingo onto Yellowin Forest Road, which crosses Jounama Pondage dam wall. The road on the other side was unsealed with a warning about 4x4 vehicle access only, however I found it not that bad, would be okay in a 2WD as far as to the summit walk.


Followed Yellowin Road until coming to a junction with major high voltage power lines. Parked near here and set off walking up a steep 4WD only road starting from the base of the 1st set of power lines.


The road climbs and passes under a 2nd set of power lines. Blowering reservoir on the right.


And a 3rd set of power lines. The start of Gurkeroo Ridge visible on the right.


The track comes to a saddle before another side road heads straight up to Gurkeroo Ridge. A good view South from here to Talbingo and the Tumut 3 power station


A close up shot of Tumut 3 power station


Climbed up the steep access road. At the top the road head downs again, a walking track leads off along the ridge, this is part of the Hume and Hovell Walking track, although not marked as such.


Fairly easy walking along the track on the ridge. Approaching the summit.


The track passes close to the summit, really just a high point on the ridge. Looked for a suitable place to operate...


Found a tree stump with a nearby log for the SOTA shack


Shack on a nearby log


Got on 40 m. Being a work day not the usual mad pileup of chasers, a bit more orderly...Contacts into VK1, VK2, VK3 and VK5 with good signals. Switched the links to 20 m, worked Mike VK6MB and John VK6NU with good signals. All up 12 contacts, good for a week day activation.

Headed back down. GPS shows 1.4 Km walk with about a 160 m climb, took me about 40 minutes or so.
Track log of walk








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