Peak bagging, for me, is just one of the reasons for getting out into the hills. Being a multi-list bagger, my totals in the various categories tend to advance slowly. However, as my hoped-for entry into the Hall of Fame loomed nearer, I recorded 81 new Marilyns for the year, reduced by two because of deletions.
As all outstanding new summits require time away from home, most accommodation consisted of camping, hostels and, on occasions, cheap Travelodge deals. This included an amazing £9 a night for Enid and me for five days during February in Dunfermline. We had beautiful weather and completed a dozen region 26 summits, including the unexpected delights of Bishop Hill and Benarty Hill. After completing the Moray Coast Trail, Cullen Harbour hostel provided another ideal base for some of the lower Marilyns in region 21A, which were sometimes problematic but it was always satisfying to have solved the problems of ascent.
I have completed countless miles in the Welsh hills over the years, much of it quality walking, and I managed four trips for various summits. This brought my Welsh total up to 133. The only downside was arriving at Corris hostel to find that my expensive Ortlieb map case, together with marked-up map, had been lost on Gamallt (CW: I left a map and map case on Gamallt as well - spooky).
My Graham and Corbett totals are advancing steadily, but Munro totals continue to increase at a more rapid rate. These included a raid into Glen Affric, the Strathfarrar four, and celebrating my 500th Marilyn with friends on An Riabhachan. This was after a great start to the day when we were taken by Karl the boatman along Loch Mullardoch to climb An Socach.
On a more mundane note, my remaining A9 Munros were completed during a short spell based in Newtonmore. We had the advantage of good weather and got superb views from Beinn Udlamain and Geal-charn to the snow-covered Ben Alder massif.
On the way up Geal-charn (photo: Lindsay Munro)
The highlight of the year was the trip to Harris and, from there, to St Kilda. This has to be one of the best days of my life. Many thanks to Graham Illing, who organised the trip, and Angus of Kilda Cruises. The journey there and back was enjoyable, but the excitement really started from the first sight of Hirta and, away to the right, Boreray and the sea stacs. We had four hours ashore, time for an exploration of the island and the ascent of Conachair. Then, for me, began the best part of the trip. After being ferried back to the boat, we had over an hour in close proximity to Boreray, Stac an Armin and Stac Lee, with thousands of sea birds wheeling overhead. Awe inspiring. An ascent of Stac an Armin, once one had gained an initial hold on the rocks, certainly looked possible, although I am not too sure of the descent. Stac Lee was definitely out of my league.
While staying on Harris at the comfortable Am Bothan bunkhouse, we were able to visit some of its enchanting hills, with their stunning vistas of sea, lochs and mountains and were grateful to Alan and Beryl Castle for organising boats to the islands of Scarp, Pabbay and Taransay.
Another superb year on the overall peak-bagging front, with 150 new summits visited on various lists, including the Ultras of Teide and Mulhacen among ten Spanish ones on my own list.
Jeff Parr and home-made ladder on Great Links Tor
As a great believer in only claiming a summit when actually having visited the highest point, Great Links Tor provides a bit of a challenge, so a ladder was my answer to the problem, involving a 4km walk and 300m ascent from the Fox and Hounds. The ladder was about seven feet long, enabling me to get over the difficult section. I was lucky to find a groove in the adjacent tor, which holds the trig, to position the ladder. My wife, Enid, also assisted. Climbers use artificial aids, including ladders on Everest, so why not Great Links Tor?
