SOTA Mt Gingera VK1/AC-002

With a public holiday in the ACT and a warm day predicted decided to head for the high mountains to escape the heat, and grab the last of the SOTA winter bonus points. Mt Gingera is up around 1800 m and is typically 7-10 C cooler than Canberra, which was expecting around 30 C, so looked ideal.

The drive up was a bit less than the usual 1.5 hours it has taken me before, the road to Mt Ginini seemed smoother than before, suspect has been graded to allow easier access for fire tankers in the coming bush fire season. Stopped at the Mt Ginini car park and got out the mountain bike for the ride to Priors Hut

The first couple of Km are all downhill, meaning I could coast along, at times getting up to around 20 Km/h, but having to brake to avoid rocky patches. Then I got to the uphill bit, where I got off and walked, I'm not a great mountain bike rider...After half an hour arrived at Priors Hut, which would normally have taken me a good hour or more to walk the 5 Km to.

Locked up the bike here and started walking the 1.4 Km to the turnoff to Mt Gingera, marked by a blue rock on a post

Looking back to the road from the start of the track

The track climbs fairly steeply to a ridge, then winds its way up to the summit. The track goes to the Northern end of Mt Ginini, I saved some walking by cutting up the slope when around 100 m from the top.

Reached the top. The trig had been straightened and now has a hat! As usual the views are magnificent. Looking South towards Ginger Ale and Bimberi Peak

Looking over to South West and the Snowy Mountains. Could see white on some of the higher peaks, last of the winter snow. None on Mt Gingera though.

To get out of the sun set up near a small snow gum, putting up the 2 m Slim Jim and the 40 m dipole.

Looking the other direction towards the summit.

Got on 40 m. Heard Paul VK5PAS activating VI5ANZAC a good S8. Tried calling him, no answer, and not getting any power out!... Checked on 2m FM, able to drop a carrier, so the transmitter was fine, just no audio out... I checked by listening to my signal on the 2 m HT. Looked like the microphone was broken.

So with no other option set out to qualify the summit on the 2 m HT. The FT-60R has an SMA connector, the Slim Jim had a BNC connector for the FT-817 so couldn't even use the slim jim, just the 2 m whip :( Although did have one advantage, an 1800 m high antenna...

I put a spot on SOTAwatch and got Andrew VK1NAM/p on Mt Stromlo. He must have contacted some of the locals as I then got Matt VK1MA with a strong signal, then Tony VK1VIC/P on VK1/AC-038 Mt Tuggeranong. Al VK1RX nice and strong, then Andrew VK2UH at Yass. So with 5 contacts got the required 4 contacts to qualify the activation :)

Thanks guys for helping me out to qualify the summit.

Packed up and headed back to Priors Hut for lunch. Here is the interior.

Rode back to the car, going downhill then walking uphill. On the way startled a couple of wild pigs. These are a pest in the park and are baited and trapped by rangers. They vanished into the scrub.

On the drive home the outside temperature rose from around 23 C to around 32 C in town, a hot day.

SOTA Mt Gingera VK1/AC-002

With a forecast top of 29 c for Canberra and only 21 c for Mt Ginini decided a good day to activate VK1/AC-002, Mt Gingera. At 1855 m it is the 2nd highest in the ACT and a 10 pointer.

Set off from home. First obstacle was a bike race, hundreds of bikes on Uriarra Road from Uriarra crossing to the Brindabella Road junction. Crawled along behind groups until safe to overtake, lost a lot of time on the drive up. Headed up to the Mt Franklin Road, followed this to the locked gate and car park at the start of the walk.

As I have found the 4 Km road bash from the gate to Priors Hut a bit boring, decided to take my mountain bike this time.

The bike is a 24 speed "Giant" brand. Put on my pack as normal with the squid pole in the side pocket and started riding. Stopped to sign the walks register.

Noticed road was being upgraded with new drains, probably graded too as not too rough. Quite a steep quick descent to about 2 Km from the gate, then uphill, where I went back to walking...
Reached the stockyard spur track junction.

From here fairly level so able to ride a bit more. Got to Priors Hut in half an hour, this is normally about a good hours walk...

I locked the bike up here against a tree, as advised that no mountain bikes can be ridden past Priors hut. After about a Km walk reached the track to Mt Gingera, marked by a post with a blue rock on it

The blue rock...

The track head up to Mt Gingera. Just near the top took a short cut directly up to the summit

Mt Gingera summit. The trig pole looked a bit angled, didn't use it this time for squid pole support

Instead used a dead snow gum nearby

Shack at the base. A little bit of shade for the radio here,

Rucksack Radio Tool on the phone, which had only started working near the summit, reported Andrew VK1DA/P on Mt Coree, VK1/AC-023. Quickly got on air to work him. I then realized I hadn't tied the dipole legs up after laying them out! He was still a good S9...Tied up the ends. One leg tied to a well photographed snow gum near the summit.

Stunning views here. Looking South into the snowy mountains. The ACTs highest mountain, Bimberi Peak, VK1/AC-001 visible.

Returned to 40 m and a large pileup of chasers. Some more S2S contacts with VK3EK/P on VK3/VG-030, VK3PF/P on VK3/VT-046, VK3TCX on VK3/VG-049. 14 contacts before UTC and 14 more after.

Tried 20 m, there was the CQ WW DX contest on, the band was full of strong contest stations running high power...Managed to find a fairly quiet spot, worked VK5PAS Paul and VK5WG Nev.

Tried 2 m FM. worked Paul VK1ATP, and John VK2VEX at Yass with good signals.

Approaching noon starting to get hot with no shade, so packed up and headed back to Priors Hut for lunch in the shade. Rode back. There was a lot more "up" returning so walked a fair bit, took about 45 minutes.

Track log of cycle/ walk

Track profile showing speed and altitude. Due to rocky ground hard to maintain a top speed, best was around 28 km/h

SOTA Activation Mt Gingera 1855m

Left home at 8am, after a 1 1/2 hour drive got to the locked gate at the Mt Ginini Car Park.

After this a basic dirt road walk...all fairly easy if a little dull. After almost an hour reached the Stockyard spur track intersection.

Glad didn't come up this way, long and steep! Another sign showed my progress

After another km got to Pryors Hut. This historic hut was built in the early 1950s as a shelter for workers at the 'Alpine Botanical Gardens', also known as 'Bendora Arboretum', an arboretum of different pines that were being trialed for suitability for growing in Canberra.

After about another km, got to the track leading up to Gingera Summit. Marked by a post with a blue rock on it ?!

From here its a steady climb up to the summit. Got to the top around 11:30am. Great views.

Got out the 2m ht and worked Andrew, VK1NAM on Bullen Range for a S2S, also 2 other VK1s.

Used the summit pole as a support for the squid pole and lashed it on

Set up the FT817 on the rock nearby, worked 12 more stations, including S2S contacts with VK3ZPF  on Pretty Sally and VK3HRA on a Grampians peak

Altitude around 1861m, bit more than the 1855m registered. Could just be my GPS.

Packed up at 1:30pm and walked back down the same way. Got back to the Ginini Car Park at 3pm.

APRS was not much good, only around the summit was good enough for a sporadic mobile phone data connection. I really need a proper 2m APRS Ht, as the Ginini digipeater, VK1RGI-1 would have been very good here.