Hutton Roof Crags - G/LD-052 SOTA (2022)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Monday 21st March, 2022.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Hutton Roof Crags, Lake District, England.
Summit ID: SOTA reference G/LD-052 (1 point).
Summit Height: 275m elevation, 177m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 54.19141, -2.68044. Maidenhead Grid IO84pe.
Distance: 3.3km travelled with 127m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T1.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 1hr (including operating).
Weather: 17°C, moderate breeze, sunny.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: M1HAX/P.
Contacts: 8 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Hutton Roof Crags is an intriguing limestone hill located in Cumbria, England, rising to 275 metres above sea level. This distinctive area forms part of a larger limestone upland that extends into Yorkshire and is renowned for its remarkable limestone pavement formations - a rare and protected habitat that resulted from glacial erosion during the last Ice Age. The hill’s geology supports a diverse range of plant species, including several rare limestone-loving plants that thrive in the grikes (fissures) between the clints (flat stones) of the pavement.

During a long journey to the Cairngorms in Scotland, I decided to break up the drive with a short activation of this accessible summit. The hill is ideally situated just a short distance from the M6 motorway, making it a good stopping point for Marilyn hill baggers heading north or south through the region.

I began my walk from the free car park located to the south of the woodland that covers much of the hill’s lower slopes. This parking area is easily reached via minor roads from the motorway and provides ample space for visitors. The location is popular with local walkers, and several other vehicles were already parked when I arrived on this pleasant spring day.

From the car park, a network of footpaths leads through the woodland and onto the open hillside above. I chose what appeared to be the most direct route, following a clear trail that gradually ascended through the trees before emerging onto more open ground. The landscape opened up beautifully as I gained height, with expansive views across the surrounding countryside towards the Lake District fells to the north and Morecambe Bay to the west.

The upper sections of the hill were being grazed by cattle. They seemed accustomed to walkers and posed no concern as I navigated around them. Several other groups were enjoying the hill when I visited, testament to its popularity as a local walking destination.

After approximately half an hour of easy walking, I reached the true summit marked by an Ordnance Survey trig point. The location provided excellent visibility in all directions, with particularly impressive views towards the Yorkshire Dales and across to the distant outline of the Lake District mountains.

I set up my Yaesu FTM100D radio with the MFJ-1714 antenna near the trig point and began my Summits on the Air activation. As often happens during these activities, my operation attracted curious glances from passing walkers, several of whom stopped to ask questions about what I was doing. These interactions are always great opportunities to explain amateur radio and the SOTA programme to interested members of the public.

The activation proved successful, with eight contacts made on the 2-metre band in quick succession, including a particularly good signal report from John GW4ZPL operating from Wales. After completing my radio operations, I packed up my equipment and retraced my steps back to the car park, ready to continue my journey northward.

Hutton Roof Crags offers an ideal combination of accessibility, interesting terrain, and magnificent views that make it well suited for a break during a long drive. The network of paths throughout the area would easily allow for a longer exploration if time permits. This pleasant limestone hill certainly warrants a return visit.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Hutton Roof Crags on Monday 21st March, 2022.

Walking Route for Hutton Roof Crags

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Hutton Roof Crags. The G/LD-052 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/LD-052 Hutton Roof Crags on Monday 21st March, 2022 (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 Hutton Roof Crags:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for G/LD-052 Hutton Roof Crags.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Hutton Roof Crags.
• Google Maps Page for Hutton Roof Crags.
• Wikipedia entry for Hutton Roof Crags.
• 360° Panorama near summit of G/LD-052 Hutton Roof Crags.

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