As WOTA is a competitive activity it is necessary to have rules that define what is a valid contact. We have tried to keep them as simple as possible. Where not specifically stated in the rules, the guiding principles are that all activity should be conducted within the law, your license conditions and in the spirit of amateur radio.

General rules

  1. A summit for the purposes of WOTA is defined as all of the 214 peaks described in Wainwright's "Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells."
  2. The fells described in Wainwright's supplementary volume "The Outlying Fells of Lakeland" are not included.
  3. Contacts must be made directly between the two stations, using any band or mode allowed by your amateur radio license. Contacts made using a satellite or repeater may not be counted.
  4. The starting date for the programme is Saturday, 21st March 2009. Contacts made with Wainwright peaks before that date do not count.
  5. Contacts for annual tables and annual awards must be logged by 14th January of the following year.

Rules for chasers

  1. The objective for chasers is to complete contacts with stations operating from as many Wainwright summits as possible in accordance with the general rules stated above.
  2. Only contacts made using one call (including /M or /P suffixes and UK national prefixes, but not contacts made using a club call or any other call you may be entitled to use) may be logged for points.
  3. Each contact counts for one point.
  4. Points are accumulated over the course of a calendar year, for the annual table, and in perpetuity for the all-time table.
  5. For the "Peak Baggers" table and awards, only one contact with a summit may be counted during the period in question (i.e. only one contact per summit per year for the annual "Peak Baggers" table.) Therefore the maximum number of points is 214.
  6. For the "Fell Runners" league table, every unique activator / summit contact counts for one point. In other words, you could work three different stations on the same summit for three "Fell Runner points". The same station worked on the same summit on another occasion in the same period would not count. The purpose of the "Fell Runners" table is to encourage contacts with activators on frequently visited summits that most chasers have already worked. An award will be issued to the top Fell Runners each year.
  7. A Worked All Wainwrights (WAW) award may be claimed by stations making contact with all of the summits in one of the seven "Pictorial Guides", and for the completion of contacts with all 214 summits.

Rules for activators

  1. The objective for activators is to operate from as many Wainwright summits as possible in accordance with the general rules stated above.
  2. Each activation counts for one point.
  3. A minimum of one valid contact must be made during the activation in order for it to count. Note: This is different from SOTA rules which require 4 contacts to be made from a summit.
  4. Each summit may only count once during the period (calendar year, or all-time) for activation points. Therefore the maximum number of points is 214.
  5. An Activated All Wainwrights award may be claimed by activators who successfully activate all of the summits in one of the seven "Pictorial Guides", and on completion of successful activations of all 214 Wainwright fells.
  6. The site of the equipment and antennas should be as close to the summit as practical and no more than 25 metres below it.
  7. Notwithstanding rule 7, activators must at all times ensure that the safety of the general public and their enjoyment of the fells is not marred by their activity.
  8. Activators are responsible for their own safety and that of others when operating on the hills. The owner and organizer of the WOTA programme hereby disclaims any liability arising out of the activites of others pursuing this award, however caused.