Gummer's How - G/LD-050 SOTA (2023)

Summits on the Air Activation Report

Activation Date: Monday 9th January, 2023.
Activator(s): Richard M1HAX.
Summit: Gummer’s How, Lake District, England.
Summit ID: SOTA reference G/LD-050 (1 point).
Summit Height: 321m elevation, 217m prominence.
Summit Location: Lat./Long. 54.28836, -2.93791. Maidenhead Grid IO84mg.
Distance: 2.1km travelled with 166m of ascent.
Difficulty: SAC Grade T1.^(?)
Elapsed Time: 50m (including operating).
Weather: 5°C, strong winds, raining.
Radio Equipment: Yaesu FTM100D, MFJ-1714, Zippy 4200mAh 4S LiFePo4.
Callsign Used: M1HAX/P.
Contacts: 5 (2m FM).

Trip Notes

Gummer’s How, standing at 321 metres, is in my opinion, one of the most accessible and rewarding minor summits in the Lake District. Located at the southern end of Windermere, this small but distinctive hill offers spectacular panoramic views of England’s largest lake and the surrounding fells - rewards that far exceed the modest effort required to reach its summit.

For this January activation, I approached from the Gummer’s How Car Park situated directly south of the hill. The Forestry Commission provides free parking here, with additional roadside spaces available just outside the designated area. This easy accessibility makes Gummer’s How particularly appealing for SOTA enthusiasts looking for a quick activation in the Lakes.

Setting off from the car park, I followed the obvious footpath heading away from the road, passing through several gates onto the open hillside. This area is marked as a tree plantation on Ordnance Survey maps. The initial section of path proved rather wet and muddy - typical January conditions in the Lake District - but remained perfectly manageable.

After walking approximately 250 metres, the muddy sections gave way to a more solid, rocky path that provided easier walking. The gradient remained gentle, making this an excellent hill for novice walkers or those introducing children to hill walking.

As I approached the summit, the incline increased slightly, requiring a simple navigation around or over a small rocky outcrop. Beyond this point, the trig point came into view at the top of the hill, marking the final stage of the ascent. The total walking distance from the car to the summit was approximately one kilometre, a very modest effort by SOTA standards.

Weather conditions for this activation were less than ideal, with strong winds and persistent rain making for challenging operating conditions. Seeking shelter behind the tip of the hill, I set up my equipment directly on the ground to minimize exposure to the elements. Despite the inclement weather, I quickly completed five contacts on 2 metres FM, working several regular Lake District SOTA chasers including David G6LKB/M from nearby Ulverston.

Eager to keep my radio equipment dry in the worsening rain, I packed away and descended via the same footpath back to the car park. The return journey was equally straightforward, completing the entire round trip in just 50 minutes.

Gummer’s How exemplifies the appeal of the smaller Lake District fells, offering impressive views with minimal effort. To the immediate west, Windermere stretches northward in a spectacular vista that feels disproportionately rewarding given the modest exertion required. On clearer days than I experienced, the panorama extends to the higher fells of the central Lake District and even as far as Morecambe Bay.

This summit makes an excellent introduction to SOTA for beginners or a convenient activation when passing through the southern Lakes en route to more challenging peaks. With over 400 recorded SOTA activations, Gummer’s How’s popularity speaks to its perfect combination of accessibility and reward. For those wishing to extend their exploration, an additional network of paths continues to the north and northeast of the summit.

Photos

Below are some photographs taken during my activation of Gummer’s How on Monday 9th January, 2023.

Walking Route for Gummer’s How

The interactive map below shows my GPS track taken to the SOTA activation zone for Gummer’s How. The G/LD-050 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 5 amateur radio contacts operating as M1HAX/P from G/LD-050 Gummer’s How on Monday 9th January, 2023 (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 Gummer’s How:

• Sotl.as Summit Page for G/LD-050 Gummer’s How.
• Hill Bagging UK Summit Page for Gummer’s How.
• Google Maps Page for Gummer’s How.
• Wikipedia entry for Gummer’s How.

If you found this content valuable, why not Buy Me a Coffee?