SOTA Booroomba Rocks VK1/AC-026

A nice sunny Saturday forecast with a top around 25c, decided to reactivate one of my favorite VK1 SOTA peaks, Booroomba Rocks VK1/AC-026.

Drove to the Booroomba Rocks car park, took about an hour from home, got there at 10 am. Quite a few cars in the car park, probably rock climbers and other walkers.

Sign at the start of the track. a 2.5 Km walk.

The track climbs slowly at first, then gets steeper. A large granite boulder along the way.

Once reaching the top of the track headed off into the scrub to try and break into the first rock slab. The bush was pretty thick but didn't last. There used to be little rock piles to guide you along the easier path through the scrub, I couldn't find any of these until getting to the top of the intermediate summit.

Looking towards the SOTA summit from the intermediate summit.

Descended into the treed gully, luckily the rock piles here made it easier.

Walking up the rock slabs towards the SOTA summit. There are rock piles that lead you around to the left and up the Eastern side of the summit, avoiding the worst of the scrub just before the top.

After over an hour reached the summit. Someone had scattered the summit cairn rocks apart :(... thankfully the single gum tree for my usual squid pole support was still going strong.

Always enjoy the fantastic views up here, at over 1300 m. Canberra visible to the North East.

Looking West to the Brindabella Range

I put the summit cairn back together :) It used to be quite large many years ago.

Set up the squid pole on the lone gum tree, legs of the dipole tied to the rocks one end and to a dead snow gum branch at the other end. Also set up the 2m Jpole ribbon antenna. This is a really good VHF site.

Shack on the tarp at the base of the tree. It afforded little shade... luckily not too warm a day. There were lots of small ants here, seemed to like running over the radio, hopefully none got inside.

Got on 40m. Started by working Peter VK3ZPF/p in VKFF-0480 Tarra Bulga National Park with a good signal.

Then spotted myself on ParksnPeaks. Went on to work VK3EQ Rick, VK3LED Col, VK7CW Steve, VK3PF Peter, VK3CAT Tony, VK4RF/VK4HA Rick. Took me a few attempts to get my report to Rick, not that strong. A big signal from local VK1NK Nick, VK2HHA Dennis, VK2KYO Ken.

After 40 m died down went to 2m on 146.500 Mhz the FM calling frequency. Worked VK1MT/m Matt, VK2KBB/m David and VK1MA Matt with a huge signal as usual.

VK1AD/2 Andrew and VK1DA/2 Andrew had come up on VK2/SM-024 Tantangara Mountain. This was on the other side of the Brindabella Range in the Kosciusko National Park, over 50 Km away, but they were up at 1700 m so an easy S9 copy on 2m FM for S2S contacts.

Returned to 40 m for another park contact with VK3ZPF/p Peter, this time in VKFF-0626 Morwell National Park.

There was a spot for Rob VK4AAC/5 in VKFF-0796 Ewens Ponds Conservation Park. Rob was fairly weak, I gave him a 53 report, and he was struggling to copy me at 22.

Worked Gerard VK2IO, Robert VK7VZ/2 portable at Braidwood and Chris VK2SR/m near the ACT border, running 400w in the mobile.

After 25 contacts packed up and headed back down. Took about an hour to get back to the car.

SOTA Booroomba Rocks VK1/AC-026

With a warm sunny day forecast decided to activate another close by summit, Boorooma Rocks, VK1/AC-026.

As per previous activations parked at the start of the Booroomba Rocks walking trail. This is used by rock climbers to access the rocky slopes.

Climbed up to the saddle. Steep but a good track.

After reaching the saddle a bit of a scrub bash to reach a rocky slab. Small rock piles to guide the way up with the least scrub.

Still managed to lose the trail now and then, lots of false tracks through the scrub made by animals. There are 3 summits, looking from the 2nd summit to the main SOTA summit.

After some more scrub bashing came up the East side of the summit to the rock pile cairn on top. My usual SOTA squid pole support tree on the right.

Set up the squid pole on the tree. One dipole leg tied to a dead snow gum, the other to a stump. Looking North. Canberra on the right in the far distance.

Looking South. 2 m Jpole ribbon antenna dangling down.

Shack at the base of the squid pole on the tarp.

Got on 40 m. Chased Paul VK5PAS/3 activating Murray Sunset National Park with a good signal.
Got going on 7.090 Mhz with a keen pile of chasers calling. A S2S with Andrew VK1DA/P on Mt Majura about 20 Km away.

After 40 m died down switched to 20 m. After several calls worked Mike VK6MB with a fair signal.

Tried 2 m FM using the Jpole and 5 w from the FT817. Worked several stations around Canberra, Queanbeyan and Yass with good signals, Booroomba Rocks provides excellent 2 m coverage with few trees to block the signal. Had a call from Andrew, VK1NAM, climbing VK1/AC-012 Orroral Hill, still around 30 minutes to the top, so waited for him to get there.

When he arrived worked VK4JAZ/1 Grant and VK1FJAW Adan as well, with very strong signals on 2 m FM. Although only 11 Km away so should be strong. They had a tough walk up with thick scrub.

Packed up at noon and headed down for lunch.

SOTA Activation Booroomba Rocks

Time for another SOTA activation with winter bonus points. Picked Booroomba Rocks, VK1/AC-026 as not too far away with a good track to the top.

Left home early in fog, and temperature only around 1 c. As I drove past Tharwa the fog vanished and some sunshine. Drove down Apollo Road then the dirt track to Booroomba Rocks carpark. Start of the walking track. The 30 minutes is to the saddle where the rock climbers go, the SOTA summit is another half hour walking cross country from the saddle.

The Southern side of Booroomba Rocks does not get a lot of sun, so still some remnants of snow from the recent falls in places.

Some more snow on the track. Nothing deep, easy to step over.

Got to the saddle and made my way to the summit cross country. Basically crossing rock slabs with some scrub bashing in between. There are small rock piles to guide you along the least scrubbiest route

View to the main summit

 Another rock track marker. Snow covered mountains in the distance

Reached the summit cairn. Note the small tree on the right, used this to support the squid pole

Strung out the 20/40 m linked dipole. A lack of trees on the rocky top, tied one end to a tree stump not visible in this photo.

The other leg managed to just make it to the branch of a dead snow gum. View looking East towards Mt Tennent. Note the fog down below.

Looking North towards Canberra, still covered in thick fog

Set up the SOTA shack at the base of the small gum tree. A recent addition to my SOTA gear, a small tarp kept things a little cleaner.

Got on 2 m first on the hand held, worked Andrew VK1NAM for a S2S on VK1/AC-043, Mt Stromlo with a solid signal. Then hopped on 40 m. Found had just missed VK3YY/VK3ANL on a peak. Anyway good pileup of chasers from VK1, VK2, VK3 and VK5, and Andrew VK1NAM again on 40m. Another S2S later with Ian VK3TCX doing his first activation of VK3/VG-074.

After 40 m pileup stopped changed the links to 20 m. A good strong signal from Greg VK8GM in Alice Springs. Also worked VK1ATP, VK1NAM and VK6MB.

Finally tried the 30 m dipole. Had a good S8 signal from VK8RC/4 Rob in Brisbane. He reduced power to a few watts, could still hear him just fine. No further calls though, 30 m is not a popular band.

Packed up just before 1 pm as the wind had picked up and headed down. Missed VK3YY/VK3HRA again on their next summit, plus VK3IL...All up 27 contacts.

A frozen pond near the summit.

Track log of walk. 2.2 Km each way with about a 300 m climb.

SOTA Activation Booroomba Rocks 1382m

Saturday 30th March 2013

After activating nearby VK1/AC-027 set off to do nearby Booroombra Rocks, VK1/AC-026. This is an area well used by rock climbers so was a car park and walking track to get within 500m of the summit.

A 2.5 km return walk. There were lots of people on the track, a lady asked me what the squid pole was for, was I going fishing :)

Got to the top of the track and bush bashed across to the summit. 

Booroombra Rocks is really 3 peaks with the highest being the SOTA summit. Lots of rocky slabs, with some scrub bashing/wading to get between them. Okay once you get onto the rock slabs...

Reached the rock cairn on top. Managed another 2m hand held to hand held with Wayne, VK3WAM/1 heading up to Mt Scabby. 

Worked a few locals on 2m FM, all very strong. This is a great VHF site! Wedged the squid pole in a rocky crevice and set up the FT817 nearby on the rocks

Didn't seem to be many of the regular chasers about, only worked 5 stations on 40m. The band was good though, there was a CQ WPX contest on, could even hear Russian and European stations quite well.

View was fantastic! Photo below of Mt Tennent and Tuggeranong valley to the left of it.

Packed up about 4:30 pm. Headed back down the same way.