Hopes of reaching my 1000th Marilyn were dashed by illness, which reduced my year's activity largely to a few day trips to the Scottish lowlands and Borders. However, a fine September week in Kirkcudbright allowed me to bag thirteen hills and get to fifty short of my target.
My outstanding memory of the year is of a blazing hot June day in Knoydart with four of us going ashore at Barrisdale from a boat anchored across Loch Hourn at the narrows. The others set off for Sgurr a' Choire-bheithe but I was intent on climbing the Grahams, Slat Bheinn and Meall nan Eun, despite knowing my fitness and stamina were below par. I found it hard going on Slat Bheinn but put that down to the heat and felt a bit better on the descent to Glen Barrisdale - virtually back to sea level again. I really started toiling on an agonisingly slow ascent of Meall nan Eun and by now my food and water had been consumed. As a marathon runner I once hit the wall but this was much worse. I felt utterly drained of energy and seriously doubted my ability to reach the top. Instead of feeling relief on gaining the cairn, I was further daunted by the sight of the big descent to Loch Hourn and the length of the return to our landing point. On the nightmare descent of the rough, heathery ground I staggered constantly and fell over frequently - even being unaware of losing my glasses. The seemingly endless undulations of the lochside track felt like individual hills, but eventually I made it back, more than two hours overdue. My friends, on the point of starting search and rescue proceedings, were as relieved to see me as I was them. That night I slept like a log.
