It's been a fun year again. Dressing up for Hegdon Hill as though it was Everest, then walking down to the village with my eldest son and back up again, to properly claim it by the road, not fancying the clogging mud of the field paths. My bemused wife and middle son (his 100th - can he really claim it?) just waited for our return then got out of the Zafira and ran to a point on the road where their head was higher than the trig point and said that they'd done it, while Matthew and I climbed the gate into the field to reach the trig, then searched for that elusive highest clog of earth. My seven-year old daughter couldn't be bothered and just stayed in the car drawing. You might have thought that turning 50 back in February, I'd have grown up a bit. But no - still as 'p.dantic' as ever!
The summer holidays saw yet another trip to Scotland, where I bagged five more Munros (now only 24 to go). On my second visit to Stac Pollaidh, in a heatwave this time with no wind, we actually reached the real summit at last, via a tricky scramble. A guidebook says to scramble over the boulder rock in the way on the ridge, but although technically easy, it was extremely exposed, and I did want to see Nicola and the children again. So we found a route hugging a lower boulder, climbed through a hole in the rocks to reach the ridge beyond, and then it was an easy stroll to the highest point and the cairn. The next day we hiked to Shenavall bothy for two nights and climbed my three remaining Fisherfield Munros from there. It was a glorious day again, doing a strenuous round of Sgurr Ban, Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair and Beinn Tarsuinn. The last one was my favourite, as it is a very shapely mountain with an exposed ridge scramble reminiscent of Crib Goch on Snowdon. A superb walk, which made me forget that I'd earlier dropped my camera in a pool of water.
Sgurr Ban, Fisherfield (photo: Phil Dant)
I've always loved both hillwalking and football, so what better way to spend a day than to climb a Marilyn then go for a pub lunch before seeing your favourite team play in the afternoon. This I realised again last year on my trip to York, staying with Charles Everett. My daughter had little choice this time, as we climbed Bishop Wilton Wold from Bishop Wilton, a lovely village at the bottom of the hill, along a road then via a farm to look at the llamas. We climbed every mound of the reservoir, the trig area and the surrounding road verges, then decided that the highest point was in a clump of trees in the middle of the field next to the reservoir. All possible highest points tackled, then it was a meal of crisps and chocolate before descending to the car. No pub this time, as it was a mad dash back to York to greet Charles, who had tickets for the match - York City against my beloved Cambridge United. We sat down to hot dogs and tea and enjoyed a 'thrilling' 0-0 draw. What do you expect from two non-league draw specialists? Previous Marilyn-footy combinations I've 'enjoyed' have been:
Christ Cross: Exeter 0 Cambridge 3
Hardown Hill: Exeter 1 Cambridge 2
Walbury Hill: Reading 3 Cambridge 0
Beacon Batch: Bristol City 1 Cambridge 1
There are loads of possibilities out there, so all you football fans, get your atlases out (I refuse to get Satnav), and plan a fun-filled Marilyn / footy trip in 2009. Other highlights were:
