The Hall of Fame (31/12/98) set me analysing the ages at which people started on their hills. A summary can put it as 12 pre-teens, 11 teens, 7 early twenties, 3 late twenties, and none older (inadequate data on some).
Interesting points: The youngest was 4 and there's one 5, 6, 7, 8 and then the largest single year of five aged 10. A couple at 11, pause, then a very steady teens entry: two at 13, two at 14, two at 15, two at 16, three at 17, a bigger pause then two at 21, two at 22, three at 23, one at 25, two at 28, one at 29. About two-thirds started as children or teenagers, which perhaps points to parental guiding and/or youthful rebellion. Are the culprits ready to talk? (I can happily blame my parents; one of my earliest memories in life is crying on a window seat because I couldn't spot my parents on a hill I wanted to do with them. It did happen to be 50 miles away - Fuji! I'm the only overseas birthplace but with a brother born in Japan and mother in Thailand you could say we collected countries at an early age).
Not surprisingly the biggest number were born in England and live there now, but an astonishing number, 10, have moved from England to Scotland. Five born in Scotland are still there, and one born in England has shifted to Wales, but there are no natal Welsh at all. Which is interesting as Snowdon and Great Orme (three each) head the common starting hill. Dunkery Beacon, Great Gable, Worcestershire Beacon and Lochnagar have two each, the bigger hills tending to go with the older entrants. Peter Lincoln, casting a shadow before him, put in the highest first ascent, Lawers, at 8. Coniston Old Man and Schiehallion were done aged 10. Snaefell is perhaps the biggest surprise. Roughly a quarter of starts were in Wales.
All but three of the 22 known 600s are in Scotland. What record-keepers people are becoming to actually know their 600th. Of the top 15 only five do, of the 22 following only five don't. The serious chasers can be spotted by an IoM tally of five: all the thousanders!
Alan Dawson adds: We now have a Welsh member, Bill Fairmaner, who started at the age of 3. Only three of the other new members are Scottish, but three of the seven new English members now live in Scotland, so the trend continues. Dunkery Beacon has joined the leaders with three 'firsts', while the two starts on Ben Nevis (Mike Milmoe and Brian Ewing) will be hard to beat.
North from Bla Bheinn (17B) (photo: Mary Cox)
