A second year with few new Marilyns recorded, as the attractions of English and Welsh Hump collecting held sway. Meeting up with other group members for the AGM plus a number of boat trips and milestone celebrations (and even stumbling into them in the Lakes by chance) was invariably a pleasure, usually washed down with a good brew.
A winter weekend trip to Arran was memorable for a great day slithering over Beinn Tarsuinn in sunshine with axe in one hand while listening to the gripping coverage of the India v England draw in the World Cup from a radio clutched in the other.
Beinn Tarsuinn, Arran (photo: Alan Dawson)
May's Torridon trip notched up one a day in generally poor weather. However, the elements relented for the final day with some extensive sunshine, and a round of Beinn na h-Eaglaise and Beinn Damh proved highly enjoyable. Similarly, poor weather limited aspirations during my Christmas week based in Inverness. Contact with a new Marilyn summit was achieved on most days, but barely clinging on to the trig pillar of lowly Knock Hill will live in the memory for some while. Highlight of the week was The Bochel in Glenlivet, a shapely feature stuck in among the monolithic Grampian moorlands, whilst getting disorientated during a blizzard on the descent of Brown Muir and thereby missing my planned bus was probably the hillcraft low point of the year.
