Life has continued in a similar pattern with travel, hillwalking (climbed 242 hills this year), reading and courses at Lancaster University (mostly philosophy type).
In January Ann and I visited the Antarctic Peninsula on a cruise ship (the Polar Star). I visited the Dominican Republic and Haiti in February.
We rented a cottage for a week on the beautiful island of El Hierro in the Canaries at the end of February.
Between March and June we spent a lot of time in Scotland using our motor caravan. We were having to make up for time lost last year due to foot-and-mouth disease.
Antarctica whet our appetite for polar regions so in July we boarded the nuclear-powered Russian ice-breaker Yamal in Longyearbyen and smashed a route to the North Pole, returning via Franz Josef Land.
In August we spent a few days walking in two of our favourite spots, Zermatt and Grindelwald. I had a few days cycling in the Moselle area of Germany in late August.
In late September we had a long weekend in Bologna, which enabled us to visit Venice and bag a new country, San Marino.
At the end of October I cycled from Glasgow to Inverness. It was pleasing at my age to achieve an average of 62 miles a day.
We then visited China and travelled by boat through the Yangtze gorges before they are flooded when the world's largest dam is complete.
Our final trip of the year was a week at Nerja near Malaga in December.
2003 update: after bagging a few new countries (Antigua, Dominica, Saint Kitts, Bhutan), Rowland thought it was about time for a new Marilyn, and popped over to Hirta to bag Conachair in early May.
The target for 2002 was the Murdo, Munro Tops and Furth completions, which were toasted on Broad Crag (34B) in September, where I was joined by my friend from schooldays Bill Forbes, who was completing the same lists. Bill was with me in 1960 when our Boys' Brigade company saw us to the top of Carn nan Gabhar of Beinn a'Ghlo. This was a camping trip from Enoch Dhu, a big outing for fourteen-year-olds. Bill completed the Corbetts in 2002 and is now chasing the Grahams. I am encouraging him to embrace the Marilyns, but he remains sceptical. Flowers and Corbett Tops were my other main interests, and 2002 was a good year for both. Picking a fine crop of wild rasps to the east of Knock Hill (21A) was an unusual bonus. Ireland and Wales trips were amazingly dry and successful in September. Marilyns have again taken a back seat due to the remoteness of unclimbed hills and the attractions of CTM bagging. The Marilyns of Wales and north Kintyre put pine needles in my semmit and reminded me that wee hills mean hard work. Some great winter days and some dreich winter days, but good summer days in Scotia were few and far between this year.
Worst hill: Dun Leacainn, largely due to an ill-chosen frontal forestry assault.
Notable outings: round of Glen Finnan and a sunny Suilven traverse from Elphin.
Some highlights:
A busy year, with 27 islands visited, including the Isle of Man, and three centuries reached: 700 on Bishop Wilton Wold (37), 800 on Beinn an t-Sidhein (1C) and 900 on Moncrieffe Hill (26).
Highlights: A visit to Shetland using public transport, making use of ample bus services early in the morning. Overnight ferry allowed an early trip to Noss, where landing is at the discretion of the warden, who ferries one from Bressay following the appropriate wave to attract his attention. Despite many attempts, fulmar chicks failed to have me stinking. Ward of Bressay varied the return trek. Why does the grazing between Fitful Head and Ward of Scousburgh have to be in 100-metre strips? It means a lot of barbed wire to negotiate.
Hill of Arisdale is readily claimed as one travels north over Yell. On Unst there is a non-scheduled service north as the bus returns to its depot. It gives you time to visit Keen of Harmer nature reserve and unusual bus stands before continuing north. I did not get arrested inside MoD property on Saxa Vord or climbing the barriers on Valla Field. Hermaness nature reserve is well worth a stroll, including the sighting of Muckle Flugga lighthouse (not quite the most northerly point, as Out Stack lies beyond).
Fetlar was planned for a bus-free Sunday. Strictly speaking I was not permitted, despite being a RSPB member. However I completed a good circuit without encountering one of the 100 natives. The bus south allows one to alight at Voe (pack left at stores) for a circuit of the ridges to include Scalla Field, before an evening bus goes to Hillswick (B&B with jacuzzi highly recommended). The tall chamber near the summit of Ronas Hill was missed in the dense cloud, but I found it on the descent. The return journey to Lerwick was broken at Brae (pack left at stores) for Dalescord Hill and Muckle Roe (linked by bridge).
Twenty-four hills visited in all, with many tops cloud-covered from island micro-climates and bombarded by bonxies. Besides hills, there is an abundance of flowers, birds, museums, stained windows and archaeology to keep one busy. I hope to return to visit islands under 500 feet.
Disappointments: Failing to get to Lundy Island after paying twice (refunded) - the new pier cannot handle the boat in an east wind; failing to land on Pabbay (24D) for the second year was compensated by spotting corncrakes on a revisit to Eriosgaigh. Fair Isle was also a huge disappointment due to MoD archaeology, though entry was made to both lighthouses.
Worst expeditions: 2500 motoring miles and 43 hills, starting with Turner's Hill (West Midlands), taking in sections 39, 40, 41 and 35B, and finishing on North Berwick Law, although north of the Humber Bridge was a pleasure. I was returning to my roots but I agree with all that has been said about Dundry Down. No problem locating the moss-covered trig point or highest point on Staple Hill (41). The problem was navigating the lanes from Glastonbury Tor, where in my teens I took part in the annual pilgrimages. Trouble-free access to Carnmenellis (40) by starting 50 metres from the forbidden track; glad it was April, not during full vegetation growth. Hensbarrow Beacon was followed by circumscribing the tops of spoil. I hope I have selected the correct ones when the update comes! The best challenge was the tors of Dartmoor, while the Watch Croft ridge prove satisfactory.
On Kintyre I followed Rob Woodall's ascent of Sgreadan Hill (see Marhofn 84) but coming off, oh dear, the cloud came down, I got a different re-entry to the forest and knowingly stumbled out 2km east of the car and non-driver Mary.
The year was topped and tailed on Speyside. January 1st with Hilary, floundering in deep powder snow on a sparklingly clear day on Creagan a'Chaise; Hogmanay with Alison on a circuit of the three Corbetts at the head of the Feshie / Tromie, making good use of the frozen ground, all available daylight and mini-Petzls.
In between, judicious monitoring of weekend weather forecasts (thanks, Radio Scotland), and good fortune in the choice of a week away to the north-west at Easter, resulted in some truly memorable days. Highlights:
Closer to home, shorter days often spent running around in my orienteering 'pyjamas'; man-eating heather on Benarty Hill; running on Dumyat, two hours after the party (and boy, could I have done with some cake that day); the rocky summits of Dumglow; an owl on Deuchar Law. And all, or indeed any of these, were infinitely more interesting than my new personal high-point of the lump of Quandary Peak, Colorado, though by all accounts July in Alberta and Colorado was preferable to being at home in Edinburgh.
A lot of tidying up for me in 2002:
Our first visit to Orkney in June with indifferent weather was magical - met the real Harray potter! The earth moved for me also on Mochrum Fell (27C) in February, with fallen pines blowing in the gale, propped up by their neighbours, lifting their large root balls by as much as a foot - quite scary. I picked the three worst days of weather in February for my first trip over the border - nine in total for the year.
Other highlights were Sgiath a'Chaise (1B), Druim na h-Earba (4A) and Bidein Bad na-h-Iolaire (4A) - superb views of the tourist path zigzags up the Ben with Glen Nevis below. Dun Rig (28B) had the best-kept trig I've see in many a day - even returfed around the base of the column.
Has anyone ever got to the top of Sgurr an Fhuarain (10B) with dry feet (or dry anything for that matter)?
Worst trudges were Bainloch Hill (27C), Newtyle Hill (6B), Deuchary Hill (6B), Craignaw (27B), Creag na Doire Duibhe (4B) and The Fruin (1E) - apparently without any local Helensburgh interest. Law Kneis (28B) by forest rides as recommended, avoiding the beast of Deephope (now deceased - AD), is definitely best left for ex-commandos.
The first trip to Scotland in late April 2002 was to complete visits to county council tops previously unvisited. These were the new 1996 tops which only came about with the introduction of unitary urban councils such as Inverclyde, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, Dundee and Aberdeen.
On 2 May 1977 I had become the first person to visit the county tops of the British Isles as they then stood. Year 2002 marked the silver jubilee of that completion and it seemed right to complete my last 'new' Scottish council top on the silver jubilee day. A small but select party of enthusiasts joined me on the visit to Cort-ma Law East Top, North Lanarkshire. The Ton Mhor Islay went down well, and fortunately I had brought carrot cake to enhance our vision for the descent at dusk. Marhofn readers are cordially invited to the golden jubilee walk on 2 May 2027, at a venue to be announced nearer the time.
Ward Law, Hoy, Orkney, 2 May 1977.
Ann McNaughton, Phil Cooper, Ellen Duncan, John Ronson
The jubilee tour continued with a fortnight's trip over the border in July, concentrating on Grahams in Perthshire and Easter Ross. Also in July I had ten days in mid and south Wales to pull in the sub-2000s not previously visited. South Wales is ideal for motorists who enjoy short walks up their Marilyns, many of which have summits less than an hour's walk there and back from one's wheels. I drove 800 miles in nine days attempting to pick the shortest route from mid-Wales via the numerous unvisited small Marilyns, to finish up on the south Wales / England border. Marilyn number 1000 came up on Foel Cwmcerwyn in the Preseli mountains on 23 July.
I had been looking forward to Myarth with great anticipation due to the accounts recorded by earlier pioneers. Can you recall that feeling of excitement and something special coming up in your early hillwalking days, after reading an account of a traverse of Aonach Eagach, the Carn Mor Dearg arête or the Cuillin? Well I'd have to say the reality of Myarth was more understated than those examples; it wasn't that traumatic even with the July growth. If you've been on Myarth before but didn't find the wee cairn and two-foot tall oak tree at the summit, surrounded by high bracken interlaced with brambles, then you'll just have to go back (or kiss Myarth goodbye - AD). A pair of garden shears, or at least secateurs, would be useful, but please mind that little oak tree.
The third Scottish trip was Loch Lomond to Loch Tulla in September, visiting many Grahams and completing all the region 1 Marilyns.
At the end of September I spent four days revisiting the Wasdale mountains in glorious 'Indian summer' conditions: still T-shirt and shorts weather. This trip reminded me what quality mountain walking is all about (as opposed to our alternative sport of Marilyn bagging) - beautiful, steep, craggy mountains all around, fantastic views, a superb lake and tarns, with no thrashing through forestry, heather or bogs, no telecom masts or power lines, no midges or ticks. Scafell Pike via Piers Gill was especially fun (keeping in the ravine where possible), also Great Gable by the climbers' traverse. But I'll be back to those Grahams in 2003.
Some short Dewey-bagging trips (500m hills) allowed me to complete the Deweys of the Lakes, Peak and Pennines, leaving the top'n'tail (Cheviots and Dartmoor), plus one in Shropshire, to finish later. Also I bagged some local Clement-Yeamans (100m drop) but I don't intend to travel the whole country visiting these.
Environmental impact statement: I drove 3635 miles in pursuit of 144 new Marilyns (25 miles driven per Marilyn) and eight county council tops.
Cort-ma Law East Top, North Lanarkshire, 2 May 2002.
Dave Hewitt, Bert Barnett, Peter Bibby, Phil Cooper, Tessa Carroll, Mary Cox, Alan Dawson (photo: Phil Cooper)
I guess that I'm rather a new kid on the block, given that I only outed myself as a Marilyn bagger midway through 2002. Yet there again maybe not, as I passed the magic 600 as long ago as August 2000 but elected to maintain a low profile for quite some time. Whatever, this last year has certainly seen a burgeoning obsession come into the harsh spotlight, and I've contrived to ascend an absurd number of sub 2000-foot hills in a twelve-month period. I guess I'll never repeat that feat, as I'm rapidly running out of unclimbed hills within any reasonable driving distance. 2003 should mark a return to some form of sanity (but not until after I've reached the milestone of entry to the upper hall).
The first major event of my year was an utterly enchanting week spent on Jura in March, a north-to-south walk crossing all twelve Marilyns. The weather allowed an easy ride over the feisty mini-mountains of the north-west, before closing in to deny me any views from the Paps - an excellent excuse to return. Jura seems to me to epitomise the real reason for climbing Marilyns; summits such as Ben Garrisdale and Corra Bheinn concede no superiority of character to their higher neighbours and are a damn sight less scarred by access paths.
Ardgour in April gave a similar haul of superlative unfrequented summits - a mixture of nine Corbetts, Grahams and lower hills. Quite my favourite was Druim Leathad nam Fias (18B), an elegant grassy whaleback offering dramatic views to the surrounding giants. Mind you, Meall an t-Slamain (18B) was another delightful grandstand, with Ben Nevis seen to advantage from an unusual angle across Loch Linnhe. This hill also had the notable feature of making Fort William appear almost attractive. Curiously, this ugly urban sprawl looked equally appealing from Druim Fada (10D) on an early October morning.
September saw a change of venue from Highland hills, when I completed a north-to-south stroll through Wales, based very loosely on Offa's Dyke path. Someone commented after I'd dropped from the Clwydian hills that the toughest part of the route was now over. Little did he know! Over the next 13 days a further 27 Marilyns were traversed, making for a strenuous completion of an otherwise tame national trail. I'd recommend this trip, and I'm sure that some of the committed hard cases could link together an impressive total of tops in a much shorter time than my relaxed perambulation.
Midway through November I hauled out the malt to celebrate a significant moment on the summit of Creag Dhubh (9C) - my 250th new Marilyn for the year. The weather, sadly, declined to join in the bonhomie, preferring to hurl a painful hail squall across my flank. The ice added to my dram was most unwelcome.
My bagging year ended with a trip to Cadderlie bothy in the week between Christmas and new year, collecting the awkwardly placed Beinn Mheadhonach (just missing a wee shite terrain nomination due to the mitigating factor of its views), and the more convenient but equally treacherous Beinn Duirinnis (3B).
As always, I feel I should have done more hillwalking, but this time I really do not have any good excuse other than that I often cannot be bothered driving to get to hills. Also, most of my hillwalking is on hills which I have been up before. However, I did have two trips which let me bag a reasonable number of new Grahams and some lower Marilyns, with a couple of weeks in the Borders and Galloway in the spring, and a week in Cowal in the autumn (where I was accompanied up one hill by a local dog).
Some of my best hill days of the year were on Skye in early May - for example, on the southern part of the Cuillin ridge, in glorious sunshine, with Rum wrapped in mist, and in Torridon in September, when I had perfect weather for a traverse of Liathach. Another memory is of trudging up Garbh Bheinn in Ardgour in muggy, cloudy, midgy conditions, to find the top in sunshine and surrounded by a sea of cloud.
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