For today's summit we were undecided. Yesterday the temperature was around -7 degrees Celsius at noon. The weather reports for Sunday seemed decent, so Saturday evening we thought to give it a go. We looked at two other summits before settling on Chicera Neagra (Black Peak).

It was cloudy and gloomy as we left home around 9:30 AM. Nearing the mountains the mist got thinner and later it finally gave way to a very sunny day. It was cold, though, and most of the climb was in shade. The trail we initially chose was a few tens of meters to the left of where we ended up walking, the middle of the creek. It was frozen solid and, despite being very slippery, it provided the best route to the top. Probably during warmer months it wouldn't be wise to walk through there, but today was pretty OK. About halfway up we lost the creek and instead went ahead on a very steep dirt road. The final stretch, no more than 200 meters, we climbed on very deep snow, but with a crust that gave way only a couple of times.

At the top we chose a spot near a barn. It was sunny and quite pleasant when the wind didn't blow. After setting up we started calling in 2m and 70cm. We logged only a few QSOs, so we swtiched to 17m and spent half an hour there. Then we rewired the antenna for 20m and spent another 40 mins at the station before turning it off and calling it a day. We managed to make about 76 contacts between us and one S2S with a ham in Norway.

A big thanks to all our chasers! 73!

Target summit: YO/EC-476 "Batca" (also Bâtca or Bîtca) - http://www.sota.org.uk/Summit/YO/EC-476​
Our Route: Moderate gradient with some short steep bits, 3.7km long (7.5km round trip), 450 meters altitude difference from bottom to top, trail goes through wooded and exposed areas. The trail starts near a stream which has to be crossed as is (there was no bridge of any kind). Probably the stream is very small in summer months and winters, but can considerably gain in size after storms or when snow melts. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but once on the pasture there are many sheepfolds and therefore lots of dogs. Plus fences all around. We had to avoid all the sheepfolds and fences through the left, near the treeline. Check the map and download the GPS track here: http://www.wandermap.net/en/route/3506792-batca-sota-yoec-476/ .
Summit conditions: Open, but very close to the treeline (you can set up and activate from the woods if you prefer). It has a large bench and a fireplace which are very convenient for the activation (check the pics below).

Today the temperature was well above zero and all the snow was melting away. It was foggy and raining when we left home, but the weather improved as we neared the summit. At the bottom of the trail the weather was good, sunny, but the slush, mud and overflowing streams chipped away at our optimism. As we climbed up the snow disappeared almost completely. Found bear droppings in two places on the track (which is on a dirt road). Once out of the forest, a bunch of dogs approached us, barking. Two of them, quite large, "said" nothing and approached us more and more... until touching their large, wet noses to our hands, backpacks and clothes. I was pretty much at a loss. There were about 4 large dogs barking and 2 large dogs sniffing us at point blank range. :) We worried that the barking dogs might incite the other two. If they would bite, we had to act super-quick to limit the damage. After a while the two dogs lost interest and gained some distance. Then again they got very close, but seemed friendly. The others barked relentlessly. Walking in dog land we sidetracked a bit and realized we have to turn back to avoid some fences. As we turned back, the barking dogs followed us once again and wouldn't cease until we got well away from their territory. At the top we found a table, benches and a fireplace... and two young lads. They were shepherds, but from another pasture. We installed the equipment and started CQing, while Marian, a friend who came with us, made the fire. After we activated in 70cm, 2m, 20m and 17m bands, the rain started and we had to pack up. We pulled the potatoes from the fire and had a great snack before climbing down - again through dog land - and reaching the car. Check the pics below. The video will be available in a few days. Thanks for reading / watching / chasing! 73!

In this video you can see our typical SOTA „camp” deployment.

Today we (YO8SBR & YO8SSQ) activated Ghirileu. The weather was pretty good, sunny and a couple of degrees over freezing. Without checking our location on the GPS we parked the car near a wooden bridge, changed our clothes and started on our way. Something didn't feel right, though. A brief glance at the GPS and it was all clear: we were 5 kilometers downstream from the entry point, on a different bridge. We got back into the car and drove to the right spot.

Immediately the climb gets pretty steep. The trail itself is sketchy, with ice, mud and boulders hidden under a layer of snow. The peak is just 2 kilometers away, yet we take it easy. Still, I overheat quickly and have to discard some layers before I can continue. The hot weather (~2 degrees C) is a nice change, though. We spot a fox, but nothing else. At the top we find a large tree stump and decide to use it as a table. Bad idea, because the position is very uncomfortable (our feet fall asleep .zZ .zZ several times).

First we make two S2S QSOs on 145.500 and then I focus on 14MHz. There are plenty of stations in 20m and I spend a few minutes to find a quiet frequency. A few calls and the pile-up is on. Weirdly enough, many of the stations quickly lose interest and leave before we can make contact. Still, there are a lot of people calling and I log an entire sheet without much effort. I'm glad to make contacts with the "usual suspects" again, a group of chasers which are always there, listening. Then I step aside and give YO8SSQ a chance to "doodle" on his blank sheet. Meanwhile I check the 145.500 and make a couple more contacts there. Then a S2S from France in 20m. At the end of the hour, we log about 60+ QSOs between us. The battery is almost dead and the cold starts creeping in. We pack and head home. Down at the bottom, while crossing the bridge we spot a great egret fishing in the freezing water. We think it's a very unusual time and place for an egret...

Target summit: YO/EC-576 "Cota 1071" - http://www.sota.org.uk/Summit/YO/EC-388
Our Route: Moderate to steep gradient, 2km long, 340 meters altitude difference from bottom to top, through mixed wooded and exposed areas. The trail at the bottom is tough, both muddy and rocky at the same time, gets better with altitude. Check the map and GPS track here: http://www.wandermap.net/en/route/3505826-ghirileu-sota-yoec-388/ .
The route is marked as a touristic path by red crosses (white squares with red crosses painted on them). Map and downloadable GPS track here: http://www.wandermap.net/en/route/3505200-cota-1071-sota-yoec-576/ . At the top, the path blends in with the ridge trail marked on the trees by a blue vertical line over a white square (which goes all the way to another summit, YO/EC-584).
Summit conditions: Wooded, mixed beech and pine trees, but with plenty of space to set-up radio equipment. Plenty of shade too. Can be done regardless of season. No authorization required (Jan 2017).