Marhofn 106.06 - May 2004

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Emerging from obscurity:

Emerging from obscurity: Harrold Thomson

After being badgered in Marhofn 93, I looked up lots of old diaries and decided that maybe I could just about exit the Corridor in 2003 if I put my mind to it. As it happened I didn't quite make it by the end of the year, as neither my memory nor my diaries were accurate enough, and I'm not claiming any if I'm not certain about them. So I had to go out and climb some new hills instead of trying to discover them in my diaries. Highlights of some new Marilyns for me were:

Mona Gowan (21A)
Wonderful walking, with great views, on crisp dry turf, covered on the tops with hundreds of cloudberry flowers.
Druim na h'Earba (4A)
This has to be one of the easiest Marilyns, but what a view from its lowly top, over Loch Linnhe to the Ardgour hills.
Carn a'Bhodaich (12B)
Another low hill climbed in the dying days of 2002 on a clear day with distant views of the Glen Affric and Strathfarrar hills covered with early snow.

Most challenging was Craig of Monievreckie (1C). Don't be misled by the map of this innocent-looking hill. Tackling it from Arntamie looks fine, and is at first, but the route I took from there is not recommended unless you're fond of head-high bracken, thigh-depth heather and thistles, excess tree density, steep bouldery slopes, and a climb up the conglomerate of the Highland Boundary Fault (aided by a via ferrata in the shape of wire from a broken fence). I did reach the trig point and eventually one of the forest tracks down to Braeval car park. But there must be an easier way!

Connie having recovered from her hip replacement operation, I also climbed a few (repeat for me) Corbetts with her, ranging from Shalloch on Minnoch in Galloway (there weren't any trees the last time I was there) through the Glen Esk/Glen Clova area (to escape the midges in Galloway) to Carn a'Choire Gairbh in Glen Affric (where the midges were even worse than Galloway, even at 450m). Wettest was Wether Hill (27C) via Cornharrow - despite warnings, there were no problems with access, but it never stopped raining.

Most unusual hill was Beinn Leoid (16E). I was one of a party of four who climbed this hill on a very pleasant, sunny day at Easter. Not one of us completed the same route, one accomplishing three Marilyns, two climbed two, and another climbed just the one. We met at various points en route, concluding with a mass assault on Beinn Leoid. The arrangements made for use of mobile phones were not required, as the pre-arranged meeting places and times were on schedule and everyone was happy to have climbed at least one new hill.

I had an interesting day when I finally reached my 600th. Firstly I was diverted off the Glen Fruin road by roadworks, then I battled against gale-force winds and thick mist to the summit of Beinn Chaorach. The sun came out later but didn't give good views over Loch Long due to very hazy conditions. The walk down the ridge from Beinn a'Mhanaich was pleasant except that I was occasionally knocked off course by the north-east wind. But I did see my first purple saxifrage of the season as consolation. I'm making no further plans or promises for 2004, but it would be nice to climb a few more island Marilyns.

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