My 2009 tally of 21 new Marilyns was my highest since 2001, but my total increased by 23 since I had already climbed Mynydd y Cwm and Creag na Criche as SubMarilyns. All the new hills were in regions 27 and 28, as my short-term ambition is to complete the Marilyns, SubMarilyns and Donald Deweys south of the Highland line. These numbers will seem paltry to many readers, but in mitigation I now have to drive over 300 miles to reach my nearest unclimbed Marilyn. Those of you from Scotland who moan about regions 38 to 42 should think of the far greater problems for those of us who live there. I still hope to reach the Upper Hall one day - if I live that long.
My main achievement during the year was to complete the Deweys, which I did on 3 June, a significant date for me. Exactly 20 years earlier I had climbed my final Munro, Stob a'Choire Odhair. Ten years later, on what I call my tenth Munroversary, I climbed Whernside, which was my final English Marilyn, final Hewitt and 700th Marilyn. There was a clear need to mark my 20th Munroversary in a suitable way, which I did on Castle Knott, near Sedburgh, my final Dewey.
Colt Hill (27C) and its nearby Donald Dewey of Benbrack provided an interesting experience, as I had totally forgotten Dave Stanford's photo in Marhofn 196. As I approached from the south-west, there seemed to be a large cairn on Benbrack. When I arrived at the top I found that it was one of artist Andy Goldsworthy's four-metre high 'striding arches'. I found a second arch on Colt Hill but have yet to visit the third one, on Bail Hill. I have read critical comments about these arches, but I think they are rather fine. The hills around Cairnhead are pleasant enough but undistinguished, and there seems no harm in adding interest in this way. They are a welcome contrast to the sitka spruce forests and wind farms in the area.
I'll conclude with some thoughts on Colin Crawford's 'Alone again' article in Marhofn 196. Yes, I'm coming out as well. Much of my walking, and nearly all of my recent bagging, has been alone. I was surprised to find that only 61% of my Munros were climbed alone, but at that time in the 1980s I had two regular hillwalking companions in Scotland. My three primary completions - Munros, Hewitts and Deweys - have been reasonably gregarious affairs, with 15 to 20 people present on the hill. However, I have had many other completions (Furths, Donalds, County Tops, Wainwrights, Outlying Fells, etc) where I was happy to be alone. Indeed, I agree with Colin that 'solitude adds an extra dimension'. I have not worked out my exact percentages for other lists but I'm confident that over 90% will have been done on my own. However, I shall never achieve a solo Munro round as I know that, even in my more confident days, I could never have climbed the In Pinn without the comfort of a rope.
