This was the first activation of Mt Karetu ZL3/CB-650 in the North Canterbury foothills. Permission is required from Paul Spark 027 220 1839 to climb this summit.
Ian ZL3GIG and I left Kaiapoi at 8am on a cool autumn morning and drove to the top of Okuku Pass in just under an hour. The climb to the summit is relatively easy, head up the spur along a fenceline and then walk around the tops to the summit. Takes about an hour.
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| The summit upon arrival. unusual trig and abandoned repeater site |
It was a nice day up there but with a stiff northerly wind. We set up on the Southern side and admired the panoramic view from Mt Grey in the East to the Southern alps in the West.
We quickly had our radio gear set up and worked 52 contacts on VHF (27) and HF 40m and 20m (25). Equipment: VHF - 2m handhelds and HF - KX2 using a 41' endfed and 9:1 UNUN. We both qualified the summit and departed around 12:30pm for an uneventful descent.
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| Pig sign near the summit |
This is a very nice summit and people with a reasonable level of fitness could tackle it. The landowner is good to deal with.
