What is SOTA?
Summits on the Air (SOTA) is a form of radiosport that combines portable amateur radio with hiking to designated hills or mountain tops. The sport aspect of this activity includes rules and an honor system of points and awards for operators on the summits (activators) and operators or listeners down below (chasers).
Activators carry portable radio gear up to designated summits and “activate” the peak… Chasers hunt the activators…
http://www.pnwsota.org/content/getting-started-sota
I think I first learned of SOTA while watching Josh Nass’ ham-radio-eclectic HRCC YouTube channel, but major inspiration to participate came from the videos of Jerry, KG6HQD and his striking, well-produced vlogs of some of his SOTA adventures. I got to meet both Josh and Jerry on my second SOTA hike on Mt Pacifico (On that SOTA expedition, I made my first long distance and out of country contacts).
Josh KI6NAZ 
Jerry KG6HQD
As an aside before moving on from this introduction, I want to share something hilarious, amazing and inspiring. The major SOTA activator award is called, the “Mountain Goat”. Serendipitously, there is an expert activator, Steve W6G0AT, who hikes to radio summits with pack goats. Check it out.
GOALS
SOTA lines up some life goals and personal interests for me. I’m looking forward to the years ahead (Lord willing) and thinking I need to get more conditioned in order to enjoy them. Hiking will aid this goal. I also look forward to meeting new people in the area. All but one of the SOTA hikes I been on have been with other people. Walking together has allowed me to spend time getting to my companions better and make friends. Also, I haven’t found a better way to experience the thrill of living in this creation, than the breathtaking views from summits… even the little ones like yesterday’s Round Mountain “no points” activation.
1k points Shack Sloth and Mtn Goat Awards 
Round Mtn view of Anacapa & Sta Cruz Islands
Finally, I’m really enjoy the things radio is teaching me about science and about being a better communicator. Constructing and operating a radio station is a practical application of the electromagnetic spectrum – invisible stuff that can thrill or kill. You’ve got to learn both physics and engineering to do it safely and effectively. Talking on the radio has a formulaic framework, but adding warmth and personality while being clear is an art. I’m happy to have so many good radio communicators to emulate online, on-the-air and in person to strive.
My goals for the sport aspect are modest, but challenging. A “Mountain Goat” in SOTA terms logs 1000 points. In the Santa Monica mountains that might be 666 hikes! That’s more than 10 years of hikes every weekend… In the San Gabriel Mountains that might be 150 hikes. Mountain Goat is an unlikely goal for me. Cary is interested in the chaser activities. She doesn’t have her General license to talk on the long-distance radio bands yet, but is interested in “Shack Sloth” (the chaser award) side of the sport. She can start with her Technician line-of-sight bands and also as a shortwave listener on the long-distance ones. Having fun together with Cary is another of my goals.
Kim’s SOTA Goal: Complete 16 Peaks
In terms of RadioSport goals, I thought I might try to activate the peaks nearest me, in the Santa Monica mountains. I looked at map at the top of the page – drawn from the wonderful Sotl.as web/mobile app by Swiss amateur operator Manuel HB9DQM – and decided I might be able to do all the landward peaks south of the 101 Ventura Freeway and west of the 405 San Diego Freeway – 16 peaks. The map at the top shows green for lowest elevation class and lighter green for those over 2500 feet. Also notice each peak within it has a number within its marker. This is the number of times they have been activated. The peaks with more than one activation are easier to reach. The ones with 1 or 0 are less accessible due to lack of trails or being on gated private property. Castro Peak, subject of a dramatic helicopter rescue during 2018 Woolsey fire, is going to require permission to visit (update 14 Nov 2020, Greg KN6EZR got us permission and we’re the first activators!).
I’ve had failed attempts at Round Mountain (permission) and Conejo Mtn (heat); I’ll be back! My favorite peak so far is 1838, Malibu Springs behind Leo Carrillo SP and above Nicholas Flat – magical misty morning, tons of spring flowers and ghostly live oak returning to life after Woolsey fire, 200+ mile VHF to Mt. Palomar, giving a spare map to lost hikers and a JS8Call contact! So grateful to family and friends who have come along without being hams and the hams who looked out for me when the trail was too much (Ladyface KN6LFB) or telling me to return to fight another day (Conejo Mtn KB6CIO, AC6AC).
This my list of summits thus far 10/16 (14 Nov 2020):
| Date | Summit | Name | Altitude | Points | Activations | QSOs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2020 | W6/CC-056 | Sandstone Pk | 3110 ft | 2 | 22 | 18 |
| 12 Nov 2020 | W6/SC-285 | Ladyface | 2037 ft | 1 | 11 | 6 |
| 11 Nov 2020 | W6/CC-057 | Castro Peak | 2825 ft | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 29 Aug 2020 | W6/SC-292 | Clark’s Peak | 1965 FT | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 29 May 2020 | W6/SC-311 | 1838 | 1837 ft | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| 07 Mar 2020 | W6/SC-219 | Triunfo Lookout | 2657 ft | 2 | 34 | 8 |
| 31 Dec 2019 | W6/SC-347 | 1470 | 1470 ft | 1 | 14 | 6 |
| 21 Dec 2019 | W6/CT-214 | Calabasas Peak | 2162 ft | 1 | 21 | 19 |
| 23 Nov 2019 | W6/CT-218 | Temescal Peak | 2126 ft | 1 | 17 | 14 |
| 13 Oct 2019 | W6/CT-274 | Saddle Peak | 2831 ft | 2 | 24 | 6 |
| Date = my activation date for the summit | Summit = unique SOTA ID code for peak | Name = name or designator (e.g. 1470) of peak. | Altitude = summit elevation | Points = height based score; requires min 4 QSOs | Activatons = # times peak was activated by all persons. | QSO = radio contacts I made on the peak. |
The gallery below shows some of the peaks I’ve been to on this quest and a few pictures from the activations.
10 of 16 summits activated 11/14/20 
Clark’s Peak solo 
KN6EZR obtained permission to enter Castro Peak. 
Ladyface w KN6LFB 
1838 solo 
Sandstone Peak w Murray
SOTA RadioSport has been a real joy to experience, even when I don’t get my points (Round Mountain – insufficient contacts). I’m still learning how to construct the station to be reliable to deploy (I broke my Tenkara pole antenna masts on peak 1470 and another mountain) and get enough practice with the mechanics of the communications so I can focus on the person at the other end.
Next steps – clean up and put away from yesterday’s hike!
Updated – Nov 14, 2020 – Thanks to KN6EZR (impossible-to-get permission to first activate Castro Peak), KN6LFB get me safely up and down Ladyface (hardest trail), Murray best pal patience while I spent an hour jabbering at a radio on Sandstone Peak (highest in SaMo Mtns).