Blue Rag Range and VK3/VE-024 – 5 April 2014

Over the first weekend in April I went to Mt Hotham as part of our ski club 50th anniversary celebration. This provided a great opportunity to get a few SOTA activations in when I could either convince the group to go in the right direction, or alternatively escape! On Sat there was general interest in a 4WD expedition up Blue Rag Range and since my 4WD experience is pretty close to zero, it was a good opportunity to activate Blue Rag Range in the company of some experienced 4WDers.

Blue Rag Range (VK3/VE-015)

The Blue Rag Range track was graded during the 2013 fires as part of the fire control activities, so is apparently a lot easier than it used to be. However it was still challenging for me.

Heading up Blue Rag Range track

Heading up Blue Rag Range track

Arriving at the trig point, it was misty with occasional light drizzle, so the views were non-existent. I hoisted my pack onto my back and headed back down the track for the requisite 25m vertical and back, under the quizzical gaze of the onlookers.

Most of the audience thought going for a hike down the road was a bit strange...

Most of the audience thought going for a hike down the road was a bit strange…

I had an interested audience while I set up, whilst trying to explain what SOTA was about. Most were already familiar with 2-way radio from their 4WD expeditions and a couple had VKS-737 HF radios in the car which they were able to tune to listen in on the activation. Not sure I sold any on getting their licenses, but it was useful educational exercise.

Always helps to have a hand to set up the squid pole.

Always helps to have a hand to set up the squid pole.

Setting up the station with an interested audience (including my 7 year old daughter)

Setting up the station with an interested audience (including my 7 year old daughter)

I warned everyone that I would get very busy once a spot went up on SOTAWATCH and not to wait for me to finish.

Working the pileup with an audience - they soon got bored!

Working the pileup with an audience – they soon got bored!

The plan was for us to separate with the rest of the party heading off another track while I went back to Mt Blue Rag with my daughter for the next activation. Thirty minutes and 23 contacts later (including 2 S2S with Matt VK1MA on VK1/AC-023 and Rob VK2QR on VK2/SW-039) I finished huddled under an umbrella to keep the drizzle off the radio.

Trying to keep the radio dry in the drizzle!

Trying to keep the radio dry in the drizzle!

At this point, my daughter decided that she’d had enough radio and demanded to go home! I knew it would end badly if I tried to cajole her into a bush-bash to the next two summits I had planned, so I took the sensible course and drove back to the lodge at Mt Hotham.

Heading down from Blue Rag Range into the mist

Heading down from Blue Rag Range into the mist

That unfortunately killed the possibility of getting three summits in for the day and I decided to skip Mt Blue Rag this trip.

VK3/VE-024 (near Mt Freezeout)

After dropping my daughter back at Hotham, I headed back down the Dargo road to the picnic table near Mt Freezout.

The plan was a simple hike to VK3/VE-024 via the summit of Mt Freezout as recommended by Peter VK3PF. I’d thought it would be about a 20 min hike, but I underestimated the amount of bush-bashing required and it turned into about 40 mins and 1.6km. The re-growth is moving quite well following the fires and it probably won’t be too long before this becomes quite a challenging activation. The worst part is from the picnic table up to the top of Mt Freezout. From there to VE-024 is more open.

Re-growth on the climb up Mt Freezeout

Re-growth on the climb up Mt Freezeout – it’s mostly about knee deep at present

 

VK3/VE-024 from the top of Mt Freezeout - the undergrowth is not bad through here.

VK3/VE-024 from the top of Mt Freezeout – the undergrowth is not bad through here.

The top of VK3/VE-024 is quite open with lots of burnt trees to choose from to hold up a squid pole (all are too small for a throw-bag deployment).

The summit of VK3/VE-024 is quite open with plenty of small trees to use for squid pole mounts

The summit of VK3/VE-024 is quite open with plenty of small trees to use for squid pole mounts

The summit cairn at VK3/VE-024 - needs a few more visitors!

The summit cairn at VK3/VE-024 – needs a few more visitors!

I quickly set up the station complete with chair and table. These are very light units from Helinox that pack up very small and attach to the sides of the pack easily. They make operating a pileup much more comfortable. I used my modified KN-Q7A with a 40m EFHW to work 30 stations over the next 30 mins including a S2S with Marshall VK3MRG on VK3/VC-014 (Mt Disappointment). I received a number of compliments on the signal quality which is very pleasing given the work I’ve put into improving the performance of this radio. Interestingly, I managed both activations on a single 2200mAh 3S LiPo and it still had nearly 50% left at the end.

My operating position on VK3/VE-024 - the chair and table make for comfortable pileup management!

My operating position on VK3/VE-024 – the chair and table make for comfortable pileup management!

The operating position with the squidpole holding up the 40m EFHW as an inverted V

The operating position with the squidpole holding up the 40m EFHW as an inverted V

It was 5pm local by the time I’d finished the session and so I wasted no time in packing up and heading back to the car as I didn’t want to be bush bashing in the dark with no torch.

MT Freezeout from near the top of VK3/VE-024

MT Freezeout from near the top of VK3/VE-024

It was a pleasing day’s activations with two more 10 pointers in the bag, some 4WD excitement and a good bush walk. Thankfully no blisters or broken equipment given the plan to do an overnight to Mt Feathertop the following day.

The track profile to VK3/VE-024

The track profile to VK3/VE-024

 

Track from picnic table to VK3/VE-024. Note that I was a little navigationally challenged on the return hike - its hard to navigate while bush bashing!

Track from picnic table to VK3/VE-024. Note that I was a little navigationally challenged on the return hike – its hard to navigate while bush bashing!

2 thoughts on “Blue Rag Range and VK3/VE-024 – 5 April 2014

  1. Pingback: Mt Feathertop - 6 April 2014 | VK3IL BlogVK3IL Blog

  2. Pingback: Blue Rag Range - 22 March 2015 - VK3IL BlogVK3IL Blog

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