SOTA Big Badga Hill VK2/SM-059

After stopping overnight at Jindabyne drove NE to Cooma, then continued heading NE to the small town of Numerella, onto the Countegany Rd then Badga Rd. This road is unsealed however well graded and able to travel at a good speed. Continued on to Pikes Saddle, where there was an unsealed dirt road on the right.

A short distance along this road there was a turnoff to the right, this is the Badga Firetrail.

Last time I used this road I struck a couple of fallen trees, requiring detours onto temporary side routes around them. Since then Compton VK2HRX had cleared the trees, thanks Compton. After a fairly easy drive in my Nissan Xtrail reached the Badga Trig parking area.

From here an easy walk to the trig. As per last time good views. View West to Bald Mountain, VK2/SM-052, my next summit.

View East to the coast. A bit hazy today, Tabletop Mountain in the distance.

Set up the squid pole on the trig, running out the dipole legs to some small bushes nearby.

Shack on the tarp at the base of the trig.

Got on 40m. As seemed to be the pattern lately another S2S with Mitch VK7XDM on VK7/WC-013.

NVIS signals were down, making close by stations weak, but did however manage to work Andrew VK1MBE/p on VK1/AC-048, Mt McDonald, having just made Mountain Goat, well down Andrew!

Usual chasers followed from VK2, VK3 and VK5. Worked David VK3IL/p doing a WWFF park activation of VKFF-0947. A very weak contact with Paul, VK5PAS/p doing a WWFF park activation of Red Banks Conservation Park VKFF-1086.

A good copy on Ron VK3AFW/p on VK3/VE-008 Mt Buller.

I saw a spot for Peter VK3PF/p on VK3/VE-237 Huon Hill, but too weak to work. He eventually called me when the band improved a bit later.

Tried switching the links to 20m. I immediately found Paul VK5PAS/p in park VKFF-1086, a lot better on 20m, peaking S3.

Stayed on 20m as it seemed to be working better than 40m, working VK2, VK4, VK4 and VK5, even Matt VK1MA made it from North Canberra on 20m. Also worked ZL1BYZ John and Jacky  ZL1TZW.

Note I was also in a park here. VKFF-0138 Deua National Park. Combined with my previous activation had more than 44 contacts so Deua NP now finished for a WWFF point.



  

SOTA VK2/SM-059 Big Badja Hill

Big Badja Hill is an 8 point SOTA summit to the NE of Cooma on the Western edge of Deua National Park. From Canberra it can be reached via Captains Flat Road then Cooma Road, lots unsealed, or via the Monaro Highway to Cooma, Numerella Road, Countegany Road and Badja Road. Either way it is about 2 and three quarter hours drive... I chose the slightly longer but more comfortable way via the Monaro Highway.

Drove along Badja Road, entering Deua National Park

Badja Road rises up to a saddle called Pikes Saddle. Left the road on the right for Minuma Range Fire Trail. Note the road is not signposted.

A short distance along the Minuma Range Fire Trail is Badja Fire Trail on the right. This is also not marked...

There is a sign just past the junction though so you can verify you are on the right road.

Continued along the Fire trail, not too rough, until reaching a serious road block...

Just to the right of the tree block some 4WDs had created a bypass track through the scrub, narrow, but managed to negotiate this okay.

Continued on until reaching another road block...

Like the last block there was a rough bypass track going around it up the hill on the left, looked pretty rough to me...As only about 500 m from the summit decided to just park here and walk.

The road climbed up and to the East of the summit. As not that far off the summit here left the road and headed up through the scrub to the trig, joining the proper walking track just before the top. Trig now visible ahead.

Reached the trig. Usual rocky cairn with a disk on a post, ''Badga" stamped on the disk

Excellent views. Looking South to the Snowy Mountains

Looking East towards the coast. Euranbene Mountain to the left, Dampier Mountain to the right of it, Mt Dromedary on the right in the far distance in the clouds.

Zoomed in. Euranbene Mountain, VK2/SC-002 on the left, also called Tabletop by bushwalkers. Not yet activated. To the right of this "Mother Woila", a favorite tough bushwalking destination, very rugged area with cliffs. Above this on the right Dampier mountain VK2/ST-007 which can be reached by proper low range high clearance 4WDs.

Looking West to my next destination, Bald Mountain VK2/SM-052

Set up the squid pole on the trig

Shack on the tarp just behind the rock pile. Got on 40 m just past UTC. Many chasers from VK1, VK2, VK3 with good strong signals. After the 40 m pileup stopped went to 20 m. Worked VK5MDB Bill, VK5IS Ian, VK4JD Peter with great signals. Got a spot from Mike VK6MB who was just reading me, managed to work him okay. Went on to work VK4GSF George and VK5HP Paul, both very strong.

After lunch packed up and headed for my next summit. Bald Mountain VK2/SM-052 nearby.

Track log of drive and walk