Mealisval summit was a 'free' Marilyn, being a mystery checkpoint on the Western Isles Challenge (a three-day team race involving hill running, sea kayaking and cycling the length of the western isles from Barra to the Butt of Lewis). It was memorable for being filmed falling in a bog and then interviewed by Sky Sports at the next change-over. To my delight the cameraman got his feet wet when he inadvertently followed me into the loch where I was washing off the heavy cladding of peaty gunge.
Highlights from 1999 and 2000:
Binnein Shuas (4B): Climbed Ardverikie Wall -a 600ft climb up the granite slabs. One of the classic rock climbs of Britain (climbers have tick lists as well, bagging routes in books such as Classic Rock, Hard Rock and Cold Climbs).
Beinn Mholach (24A): The view was extensive and superb, but the approach over 5km of flat pathless bog and peat hags must surely deter recreational walkers? At least most hills slope upward from the start so that you feel like you are actually getting somewhere. After two hours of desert-like solitude on my lonely mission I finally returned to the oasis of the road, only to be shouted at by an irate fisherman sitting in a hut by a loch. Having apparently never seen anyone set off for the hill in the last 20 years he had inexplicably had to contend with a flood of people running past his hut window all afternoon, and by the time I arrived was rather cheesed off. The hermit scene from Monty Python's Life of Brian springs to mind.
Cairnpapple Hill (28A): Flew into Edinburgh Airport from a holiday climbing the volcanoes of Ecuador. Had developed a tooth infection and swollen face on Chimborazo which required an emergency appointment with the dental hospital in Edinburgh on my return. I had three hours to wait for the appointment, giving time for a paracetamol-drugged ascent.
Ettrick Pen (28B): A big solo run round the Ettrick horseshoe in February, seeing no-one for eight hours.
Isle of Man (29): All five Marilyns in a hill-running weekend adventure with my mate Rob. Friday overnight ferry and then bus to Port St Mary before running north-eastwards in mountain marathon style with all our provisions (training for the 'Karrimor'), camping wild high up and finishing in Ramsey with ice creams and a tram ride back for the Sunday night ferry. We both finished our Bridges (2000ft tops of England and Wales) on Snaefell -just getting inside the summit cafe as a summer thunderstorm hammered hail down.
Detling Hill (42): Dragging an incredulous climbing friend into a North Downs stubble field on the way to a climbing holiday in the Alps.
