Sgorr Dhearg - GM/WS-042 SOTA (2022)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Wednesday 23rd March, 2022.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Sgorr Dhearg, Western Scotland, Scotland.
Summit ID: SOTA reference GM/WS-042 (8 points).
Summit Height: 1024m elevation, 729m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 56.65392, -5.17151. Maidenhead Grid IO76jp.
Also Activated: GM/WS-057.
Distance: 16.1km travelled with 1350m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T4 / Grade 1 Scramble.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 8hr 15m (incl. operating and other summit(s) on the same hike).
Weather: 16°C, gentle breeze, sunny.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: MM1HAX/P.
Contacts: 4 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Sgorr Dhearg, reaching 1024 metres in height, is one of the prominent peaks in the Beinn a’Bheithir massif near Ballachulish, Scotland. This imposing mountain, which translates from Gaelic as “red rocky peak,” is named for the distinctive reddish hue of its scree slopes in certain light conditions. Geologically composed primarily of granite, the mountain offers spectacular panoramic views across Loch Leven, Glen Coe, and the broader Western Highlands region.

My objective for the day was to activate both summits of Beinn a’Bheithir for Summits on the Air, completing a circular walk with a friend. We had initially planned to undertake the Twin Ridges (Grade I) winter route described in Gary Smith’s well-regarded guidebook, but there simply wasn’t enough snow and ice remaining at lower altitudes to justify a true winter ascent.

The subsidiary peak of Sgorr Bhan was clearly visible as we began our walk through Ballachulish village. The route started with a stiff climb up from the village, quickly gaining height along a well-defined ridge. Upon reaching Schoolhouse Ridge (a Grade 1 scramble), we sought out the most interesting lines while other walkers in the vicinity picked their way through intermittent paths. As we progressed, it became increasingly apparent that the rock-climbing equipment we had brought along was merely adding unnecessary weight to our packs. We briefly contemplated practicing some rope work but decided against it as the ridge proved short and straightforward.

After completing the ridge section, we were rewarded with a magnificent view of our first target, Sgorr Dhearg (GM/WS-042). The weather was exceptional with bright sunshine, a gentle breeze, and temperatures reaching an unseasonably warm 16C - perfect conditions for highland walking, if not for winter mountaineering.

We continued along the second ridge, which was disappointingly not in winter condition, and made good progress towards the summit. Along the way, we stopped for a pleasant conversation with two hill walkers - father and son - about their hiking adventures. In retrospect, I suspect one of them may have been Dan Bailey, editor of UKHillwalking.com.

Upon reaching the summit of Sgorr Dhearg, I quickly set up my Yaesu FTM100D with the MFJ-1714 antenna. Despite the relatively remote location, I managed to complete four QSOs in about ten minutes on 2 metres FM. These contacts included Stuart MM7SWM in Glasgow, who would become a regular radio contact throughout my week in Scotland.

Taking in the spectacular panoramic views that stretched across much of the Western Highlands, we continued our journey towards Sgorr Dhonuill (GM/WS-057), the second SOTA summit on our planned route for the day. The ridge connecting these two peaks offered continuous excellent visibility and consistently rewarding mountain scenery.

Although our intended winter mountaineering route had transformed into more of a scrambling adventure due to the seasonal conditions, the combination of technical interest, magnificent views, and successful SOTA operation made this an immensely satisfying mountain day in the Scottish Highlands.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Sgorr Dhearg on Wednesday 23rd March, 2022.

Walking Route for Sgorr Dhearg

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Sgorr Dhearg. Note that this summit was activated as part of a multi-summit hike and the map below shows the full route taken on the day. The GM/WS-042 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 4 amateur radio contacts operating as MM1HAX/P from GM/WS-042 Sgorr Dhearg on Wednesday 23rd 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 Sgorr Dhearg:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for GM/WS-042 Sgorr Dhearg.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Sgorr Dhearg.
• Google Maps Page for Sgorr Dhearg.
• Wikipedia entry for Sgorr Dhearg.
• 360° Panorama near summit of GM/WS-042 Sgorr Dhearg.

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