I started the year with the Grampian Club at Strontian, 11 months late for the Marhof 2009 meeting. I struggled through the forest for the SubMarilyn, Sgorr an Tarmachain, but found the Land Rover track at the west end of the ridge on the return trip. The following weekend I still lacked stamina when I did Meall Ban from Loch Creran.
The Mary Doune trip in 2010 was to the north-west coast, taking two days on the Summer Isles and suffering no ill effects from landing on Gruinard Island. This meant that I used the Ullapool meeting for bagging SubMarilyns rather than boat trips.
After many years of trying, I managed to get a bed at Loch Ossian hostel. I went up the glen to Beinn a'Chumhainn (four hours) for lunch in glorious weather, so decided to return via the ridge (six hours). On the next day I went for Garbh-bheinn (CTM) and felt so great that I did the eastern Easains too. It seems I had finally shaken off the bug I got when I fell in the River Dee during the Dalry meeting three years ago. The medics had said that it might go as suddenly as it came.
The pattern of a day on the hills was often a ten-hour day, so I travelled out the evening before and home the day after. I am just thankful that Mary has been well enough to give me the confidence to leave her and that I am healthy enough to enjoy the isolation. I am hoping to bring my son, Chris, and his wife to the Portree meeting so that I have company on the Skye hills. Happy days on the hills and hope to see you all in June.
