Marhofn 133.07 - May 2005

Obscure no more:

Andy Hyams, North Yorkshire (619)

There can only be one highlight of the year: entering the Hall on 12 July 2004 on Stob a'Bhealaich an Sgriodain (née Druim Tarsuinn) - a sunny day only slightly marred by horrendous excess tree density on the descent to Glen Hurlich from the SubMarilyn Sgorr an Tarmachain. Celebrations continued the following day for my 150th Corbett - Stob Coire a'Chearcaill. This strenuous debut in region 18 produced 20 Marilyns (only three below Graham height) in eight days.

My other major expedition was collecting everything on Islay and Jura (but not Scarba) over a week in May. I think I had a close encounter with another Marilynist on 15 May. I chickened out of the track up Beinn Tart a'Mhill from Kelsay because of the combination of a working farm and a proliferation of MOD signs, and instead slunk towards the hill from Cnoc a'Buaile to the north-east. In the process I got totally tangled in thick vegetation and the marshy morass of Loch a'Bhogaidh (presumably pronounced 'boggy'). Having finally and gratefully returned to my car, I spotted a couple about 200 metres into their obstacle course on a slightly more southerly route than mine, having left a Vauxhall Astra in the next pull-in. I hope they made it. Anyone answering to this description feel free to contact me: andrew.hyams@virgin.net

Other highlights and lowlights:

• Miles and miles across Rannoch Moor from Kingshouse to Stob na Cruaiche, and the same even wetter miles back.
• Windy Hill and An Cliseam - my first visits to Bute and Harris as part of an island-hopping holiday with my wife (officially not a walking holiday, so I was told).
• Beinn a'Choin (1C), where I had to get a nice man in a water board van to tow my car out of a ditch.
• Great Coum (35B), my first English Marilyn for years even though there's a fistful within an hour's drive from home.

Thanks to Marhofn I renewed contact with an old friend, Graham Bunn, whom I had not seen for some five years. We now meet regularly to discuss hills but have never walked together (he prefers his wife Anne). I don't quite match others' dedication in collecting Marilyns; perhaps because I know I will never complete them all. When (if?) I complete the Corbetts, I will concentrate on Corbett Tops and then the Grahams and Graham Tops. However, if there's a Marilyn nearby...