SOTA Mt Perisher VK2/SM-007

After stopping overnight at Jindabyne headed up to Perisher Valley, to climb Mt Perisher for SOTA. Note there is a $17 park entry fee for a day trip into Kosciuszko National Park. Sign at Perisher Valley.

Drove to the base of the Eyre Tbar lift, which like all the lifts is shut down in the summer. There is the Alpine Eyre Cafe at the base, so you can get a coffee here before or after activating.

Just to the left of the cafe a faint track used for maintenance of the lift. Started walking up here. Avoids some scrub under the lift at the start.

Eventually joined up to the track under the lift

The lift terminated near the top of Mt Perisher, along with several others running in different directions.

The summit is then just a short scramble through some rocks

Reached the summit. The trig is still here, but missing the Perisher Valley flag that was here last time.

Some views from the top, down to Perisher Valley

Looking the other way towards the main range and Mount Kosziusko

For a change not too windy on top, so set up the squid pole here. Poked it into a rocky crevice, some creative use of bungy cords to keep it in place...

SWR fairly good on 40m

View of the antenna near the trig

Got on 40m. Able to spot myself on SOTAwatch. Good signals from chasers

VK3PF

VK2VH, VK4AAC/2

VK2IO

VK2YK/5 Park to Park in  VKFF-1755 Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park

VK2YW

VK3YV

VK5PAS

VK7LTD

VK2HRX

VK3MDH

VK2MK

VK2TER

VK3FSTU

VK2MWP

VK2VRO S2S on VK3/VN-027 Mt Gordon

VK1AD

At this stage the LifePO4 4200 maH battery I was using was almost flat, so packed up and headed down.

Some flowers just below the summit

View going down

Mid way down, road visible

In all took me about 35 minutes to get up and about 20 minutes down. It is steep! From 1800m to around 2000m elevation over 1.1 Km.

SOTA Mount Perisher VK2/SM-007

After staying overnight at Jindabyne drove to Perisher Valley to climb Mount Perisher for SOTA. A view of the mountain by the sign for the village of Perisher Valley, the mountain just to the right of the sign.

As per other activations stopped at the base of the Eyre T Bar. There is a Cafe there during the summer called Alpine Eyre.

Rather than climb directly up under the shut down T bar walked up a rough access track to the left, avoiding some boggy bits and dense vegetation.

Joined back up with the track under the T bar

A first aid hut used during the ski season, deserted now.

The top of Mount Perisher, as far as all the lifts go.

Theres a rough access track past a radio mast on the right of the summit, took this.

The summit trig on top of Mount Perisher. Noticed there is now a flag placed on top of the trig for the Perisher Valley resort. The old broken trig that was below it was gone. Not the best spot to operate, it was blowing a gale!

Terrific views here. Looking back down over the ski resort.

View to the Snowy mountains range, including Australias highest peak, Mount Kosciuzsko, VK2/SM-001 at 2228 m. Here I was around 2000 m. You can just make out a few patches of snow on the main range.

Looking the other direction towards Geehi.

Got down as far too windy to operate at the summit. Set up the squid pole jammed in some rocks just below the summit.

Laid out the 20m 40 m linked dipole. The squid pole bounced and bent in the wind but stayed up.

Looking at the antenna from just below the summit.

I managed to find a small amount of shade for the radio behind a rock, and a bit of shelter from the wind.

Got on 40 m. I was able to spot myself easily on my phone, suspect there was a mobile tower close by... Worked the following on 40 m SSB.

VK2IO Gerard
VK2LBG Barry
VK3ZPF Peter
VK3SQ Geoff
VK3PF Peter
VK4TJ John
VK2PEZ Andrew
VK2YK/P Adam
VK3GTV Col
VK3HN Paul
VK3ZPF Peter

VK2YK/p Adam was in park VKFF-1410 Port Stephens/Great Lakes Marine Park. A park to park as I was in VKFF-0269 Kosciuzko National Park.

Tried 20 m. It was in good shape, with summer sporadic e meaning I could work some of the same stations again with strong signals

ZL1SKL Soren
VK3SQ Goeff
VK4AAC/P Rob
VK2IO Gerard
VK3GTV Col
VK3PF Peter
ZL4DVG Daniel
VK3WRL/P Ben S2S on VK3/VG-022 Mt Pendergast

As in a prime VHF spot could not resist giving 2 m a try. Called on the Canberra VK1RGI Mt Ginini repeater, which was full scale, got VK1MA Matt coming back. We tried 2 m FM simplex first on 146.500 Mhz. I had him 52, he received me 41. Not bad around 147 Km away! Also tried 2 m SSB, but signals were similar, just less hiss than 2 m FM. Note was just using a 2 m Jpole ribbon antenna. No other callers on 2 m, returned to 20 m.

Saw a spot for ZL2ATH/p Wynne on ZL1/NL-062 Mount Tiger in the North Island of New Zealand, so called him for an S2S contact. Always nice to make an S2S overseas.

Also managed to work VK1MA Matt on 20 m, somehow.

Worked VK6NU John and VK3ARH/m Allen, before packing up and heading down. 

SOTA Mt Perisher VK2/SM-007

From Jindabyne drove up to the ski resort of Perisher Valley. Mt Perisher overlooks the resort.

Drove through the village until getting to the Eyre Chairlift. Parked here

Just to the left of the chairlift is a faint walking (ski?) track. Andrew VK1NAM suggested an easier way to avoid some of the initial scrub under the chairlift.

Headed up. Steep but not too bad.

The track eventually joins the chairlift route.

Headed up further, reaching a ski patrol building, and some other chairlifts.

Behind the chairlifts the summit of Mt Perisher in a rocky outcrop.

Reached the top. Remnants of the trig on the ground. At over 2000 m amazing views all around.

Fantastic view East. Perisher village visible.

Looking to the West

Looking South to the main range, and Australia's highest peak VK2/SM-001 Mt Kosciuszko

Used the old trig to support the squid pole

Set up the shack in between the rocks at the base of the fallen trig, out of the wind.

Despite the altitude I couldn't get mobile coverage to Perisher Village, so asked Matt VK1MA to spot me on 40m. An S2S with Allen VK3HRA, Wayne VK3WAM and Warren VK3BYD on VK3/VE-037. Some more S2Ss, VK1DA and VK2FPMC on VK2/ST-040, VK1NAM/2 on VK2/SM-038 and VK2IO on VK2/CT-043. Plus a pileup of keen chasers as this was a 10 pointer!

Tried 20 m, but as unable to spot myself no luck.

Returned to 40 m post UTC and worked some more S2Ss with VK1NAM/2 on VK2/SM-038, VK2IO on VK2/CT-043 and VK2TWR/VK2BJP on VK2/SM-053.

Packed up and headed down for lunch. Track log of walk

Track profile. A 1.2 Km walk with a 250 m climb.