My interest in Marilyns began... after having climbed all the Munros, Corbetts and Grahams, climbing the Marilyns gave us a focus to keep motivated to go out each weekend, giving us an opportunity to visit even more remote places in this lovely country of ours.
My favourite Marilyn is... the In Pinn. When I was forced to start climbing hills, I did not intend to complete the Munros due to my inherent fear of heights. So to actually conquer this peak on a beautiful sunny day gave me such an immense feeling of satisfaction. The abseil down, which again was a first for me, along with the outstanding views, made this a day never to be forgotten.
My least favourite Marilyn is... Sgreadan Hill. Although only 397m high, the going up was extremely tussocky and unpleasant. Trying to find an easier way down, we ended up in a never-ending forest where the underfoot conditions were every bit as bad as the ascent, making for another unforgettable day for all the wrong reasons.
Do I keep Marilyn bagging a secret? No.
I... have had the privilege of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and Toubkal, visiting Annapurna and Everest base camps, canoeing down the Yukon River through forest fires, spending two weeks in the Algonquin wilderness, and had a lion sniffing round our tent during a safari in the Serengeti.
