My first ascent of any hill in 2005, if one excludes Wittenham Clumps (which does not feature on any list I'm aware of), did not take place until 12 March. Perhaps this is what happens to those who've lived in region 39 for a while. Moel-ddu (30B) had been saved for my last Welsh Marilyn and it proved a good choice. The outward route over the summit and return along the east side was interesting, the topography quite complex and the weather near perfect. There is a subsidiary summit 500 metres away on the other side of a wall, an obstacle negotiated with a little difficulty by a female member of the party. While celebrating with Welsh wine on the summit, we were amazed to see an athletic sheep making the crossing with considerably less trouble, leaping several feet to land four-legged on the top of the wall before jumping down again.
A couple of longer trips to Scotland produced a fair haul of Corbetts, but the most memorable day was the sextuple Graham completion on Druim na Sgriodain on 8 October. I also remember a fine brocken spectre on Sgurr nan Eugallt on 19 March.
My other bagging trips were all to the north of England, a region I've rather neglected since moving south. It was satisfying to put into action a walk in section 34D I've been planning to do for ten years, ever since prospecting it from the summit of Green Crag: a traverse from Eskdale over Whitfell and Black Combe through to Whicham. This must be the least walked ridge in the Lakes. It needs two cars but is well worth doing if you can organise the transport. For those interested in such things, the walk picks up a dozen Wainwright outlying fells. Two weekends were based in Penrith, where Costa's tapas bar draws my partner Jo and me like a magnet. The first visit was two weeks after publication of Marhofn, and so newly-promoted Arnside Knott became my 700th Marilyn. The following day we visited Great Yarlside to verify the position of a curious circular trig station mentioned in Wainwright's outlying fells guide. We spent another weekend in the North York Moors but I did not find the hills there especially interesting.
A further two weekends based in north Lancashire enabled me to mop up 35B and 36. We exercised our newly-won right to roam by exploring the large tract of moorland to the south-east of Boulsworth Hill, making the circuit from Hardcastle Crags. The moor gave a splendid sense of isolation, but at a price. After a couple of hours of heather bashing, some of it of Cefn Gwyntog standard, our enthusiasm for exploring virgin territory began to pall. However it gave a much better day out than Barden Moor, where the main point of interest was the obelisk at SD993588, which might be higher than Thorpe Fell Top. I now have just three English Marilyns left to do.
