After my completion of the Grahams last year, the rate of accumulation of new Marilyns has dropped. I got three on Skye, two each on Arran and Eigg, and one on Rum. The rest were scattered round the Highlands. 152 of my Grahams were climbed solo, which will not be unusual. However, 145 were reached by public transport, which probably is. I am claiming the title for the lowest carbon emissions UK hill round (AD: Not a bad effort but, as far as I know, Peter Lincoln and Andrew Allum both did over 600 all on foot during continuous rounds of Munros, Corbetts and Grahams).
I remain busy on the bigger hills. In October I completed a third set of Munros on Sgurr Eilde Mor, but the new third round, starting after the second, is only up to 187. The after age 60 Munro round is at 88, and Corbetts second round at 153. The most memorable days of 2009 were Munro-bagging from bothies in Glen Dessary and Glen Kingie. I had a superb day on the north side of Glen Dessary; there was a profound feeling of remoteness when alone on the summit of Sgurr na Ciche. While going for Gairich from Kinbreak bothy I was caught on the wrong side of the River Kingie by a mighty cloudburst. After slogging through horrendous terrain for half an hour, I found a place fordable at knee-deep level most of the way, though the last couple of steps were scary.
Another memorable day, of the type preferably forgotten, was on Arran's A'Chruach. My ascent from Brodick included seemingly vertical slopes of deep heather and my descent was down a steep-sided valley between the forestry plantations, thickly overgrown with heather, bracken and birch. There must be a better way.
