After reaching Pamplona and finding a hotel for some welcome relative luxury compared with the 8-16 double bunks in the bedrooms of hostels (typical of the low cost accommodation on the Camino) I had arranged to meet Guru EA2IF so we could activate a nearby summit,  Mt. Erreniega EA2/NV-092.

In fact he parked near my hotel and I easily found him when I left the front door. He was nearby and waving to me. So we set off towards the summit, chatting about SOTA, radios, antennas etc as radio hams do.

Arriving at the summit it was easy to set up the antenna and the FT817 with atu for 20m. Conditions were not as good as they had been three days earlier, but I made more than enough contacts to qualify the summit. As I had worked Ignacio EA2BD at this summit in 2018 this activation made this summit a “complete” (ie. worked and activated).

Guru was trying to make contacts using an economy HT on 439 MHz. There were no replies.

In an attempt to let him make at least one valid contact on 439 fm we walked down the hill far enough to be out of the activation zone. Guru returned to the top and called me using the ft817. I could hear the signal from the FT817 but the HT was transmitting so little power that the reverse path did not work. I walked back up the hill and was within 10m of the other radio before the HT was heard. Clearly a fault in the transmitter.

On the way down we passed the Alto Perdon with its monument to pilgrims and Guru told me I would pass that on my way out of Pamplona on Monday. You can find my pictures of the monument etc on my walking blog. Https://Walkdontrun.travel.blog. Look for the post about departing from Pamplona, day 7.

We then visited the site of a contest station owned by local hams and I admired the rotary antennas etc. then we went to his home for a short time, then to a local club for a meal and of course a longer chat about the same subjects.

I first contacted Guru about the possibility of activations in this area. Thanks to Guru not only for the advice but the hospitality and for taking me up for those activations.

Evidence of my presence on the hilltop