OK/G4OBK/P Czech Tour analysis

OK/G4OBK/P 25th - 28th September 2015

Summits activated = 24

SOTA Complete = 22
SOTA Points accrued = 173

Czech Area of interest: OK/KR (23 Summits) OK/ST (1 Summit)

Number of completed SOTA contacts = 584

Summit to Summit contacts = 23

Miles driven (approx) = 300

Distance walked (approx) = 32 miles 

Ascent on foot (approx) = 5500 feet

Without a shadow of a doubt this was my most successful overseas SOTA Tour to date. It has to be said though that most of the SOTA operating done so far outside the UK has been part of a holiday. This trip was 100% SOTA for four days, using up all my available time in daylight for activating summits - yet I learned so much about this country, the Czech Republic, that you cannot learn from a tourist trip to Prague. 

My perception of the country and the people I hold in high regard. The Czech people come across as hard workers, the service provided to me as a tourist was always respectful and efficient, despite my inability to speak the language and pronounce words I could not read correctly. The road network is well maintained - and without doubt in better order than in the UK. The hotels were clean, and so long as you like goulash type meals with dumplings the food is excellent and of good value. There did not appear to be a "class system" as far as I could tell.

I will be returning to the country for a proper holiday with my wife and some friends including other radio amateurs in 2016. Finally, staying in the Czech Republic is such excellent value for money... It was more expensive for me to park my car at Bristol Airport for four days than it was to stay 3 nights half board at Masaryk's Cottage, and I had enough change from the difference to buy myself 3 pints of beer!

Overall this was a low budget tour and this is another reason while I will return to the Czech Republic as soon as I can, it was a great experience and I enjoyed every minute of my time there, especially the high spot which was my pre-arranged meeting with Vrata OK1KT and Jan OK2PDT on day 2 and my unexpected meeting with Jindra OK1NOR on a summit on day 3.