Kinder Scout - G/SP-001 SOTA (2021)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Saturday 23rd October, 2021.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Kinder Scout, Southern Pennines, England.
Summit ID: SOTA reference G/SP-001 (4 points).
Summit Height: 636m elevation, 497m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 53.38481, -1.87391. Maidenhead Grid IO93bj.
Distance: 10.2km travelled with 484m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T4 / Grade 1 Scramble.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 2hr 55m (including operating).
Weather: 6°C, strong gusts, light rain, cloudy.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: M1HAX/P.
Contacts: 8 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Kinder Scout is the highest point in the Peak District National Park, standing at 636 metres above sea level. This vast plateau of moorland and peat bogs dominates the skyline of northern Derbyshire. The area is steeped in history, most notably as the site of the 1932 Mass Trespass, a pivotal moment in the campaign for public access to the countryside which ultimately led to the creation of Britain’s national parks. The mountain is known for its dramatic gritstone edges, extensive peat bogs, and the Kinder Downfall - a waterfall which, in strong winds, can actually be blown upwards creating a spectacular sight.

For this SOTA activation, I parked at the roadside near Hayfield campsite. While there is a pay and display car park nearby with space for about 20 vehicles, I found ample free roadside parking along the approach road, which is typical for this spot when not visiting on peak summer weekends.

Setting out on a circular route, I followed the main path northeast along the side of Kinder Reservoir. Rather than taking the popular steep path up the mountainside where most walkers ascend, I continued along an easy-going minor path following the reservoir, progressing towards the base of Kinder Downfall.

The route continued alongside the River Kinder, which can be quite boggy in places, until I reached the point where Red Brook branches off. This marks the start of the Grade 1 scrambling route that would take me to the summit plateau. The scrambling begins with a steady incline over loose rocks and small boulders, becoming progressively steeper and more technical as the gully narrows.

As I ascended, I found myself increasingly using my hands for balance and having to carefully select footholds on the wet, mossy rocks. Despite the damp, cold, and windy weather, the scramble provided an enjoyable alternative to the standard walking routes. The experience was made more atmospheric by the misty conditions, giving a sense of wilderness despite the mountain’s popularity.

The scramble eventually topped out directly onto the Pennine Way, where I turned south to follow this national trail to the Kinder Low trig point at 633 metres - slightly lower than the true highest point but marked with the trig pillar that serves as the most recognizable summit marker.

At the trig point, I set up my Yaesu FTM100D with the MFJ-1714 antenna for a Summits on the Air activation. Operating on the 2-metre band, I made eight contacts in total, including two summit-to-summit contacts: MW0JKS/P on Tal y Fan (GW/NW-040) and GW4TQE/P on Foel Fenlli (GW/NW-060).

After packing away my radio gear, I continued the circular route, following the footpath south and then west to Kinderlow End, descending back to Hayfield and the car park. The descent offered occasional breaks in the cloud, revealing glimpses of the sweeping views that make this area so popular.

The Red Brook scrambling route provided an excellent alternative to the standard paths up Kinder Scout, offering just enough technical challenge to be interesting without being intimidating. Despite the less-than-ideal weather conditions, the route made for a very enjoyable outing that I would happily recommend to others looking for something a bit more adventurous in the Peak District.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Kinder Scout on Saturday 23rd October, 2021.

Walking Route for Kinder Scout

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Kinder Scout. The G/SP-001 summit area is marked on the map with a blue pin icon.

You can download the route shown above as a GPX file suitable for use with most GPS devices. This file is provided for information only, to support your own walk planning and research (it may contain navigation errors, detours and/or safety hazards). The route downloads provided here are governed by the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.

Station Log

I logged the following 8 amateur radio contacts operating as M1HAX/P from G/SP-001 Kinder Scout on Saturday 23rd October, 2021 (all times shown are UTC):

In the notes field I will usually log the other operator’s name and the signal report they provided. In accordance with the Summits on the Air rules, I do not make a log entry where a complete exchange of callsigns and signal reports was unsuccessful.

Additional Information

The following resources may be helpful to walkers, mountaineers and SOTA activators interested in Kinder Scout:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for G/SP-001 Kinder Scout.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Kinder Scout.
• Google Maps Page for Kinder Scout.
• Wikipedia entry for Kinder Scout.
• 360° Panorama near summit of G/SP-001 Kinder Scout.

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