Only a dozen new Marilyns in 2013 with the usual excuses; guiding, guidebook work, decrepitude. An additional distraction has been the Sims, which have taken up some of the spare half days I had previously used for Marilyns. I have 43 Sims left to do, including eight in Ireland, so probably will not finish this year.
Best new Marilyn was a dead heat between An Grianan, whose dramatic prow manages the feat of dominating its glen despite being squeezed between two good Munros, and the wonderfully crumpled Beinn na h-Iolaire on Raasay. On the latter day the Iolaire was present and correct and the tides just right for a dry trip to the summit of the tidal Eilean Tigh - a Hump, but I am not bagging them, just could not resist the challenge, honest.
An Grianan (photo: Martin Richardson)
Lots of superb weather makes choosing a best day invidious, with fantastic days on Cir Mhor, Beinn Starav, Liathach and Observatory Ridge on Ben Nevis all being contenders. The best whole trip was definitely four days on Rum stringing together scrambles in perfect weather, Narnia arete on Barkeval being particularly memorable, perhaps the juggiest climb in Britain.
Outside the UK I picked up a few more of the 3000m tops in the Pyrenees, despite having my wallet nicked early in the trip. I still had 1.65 Euro in change and the bus to the trailhead cost 1.60 Euro so I went up anyway and had a superb four days. The highlight was the Cresta Bardamina-Paul next to Posets, a two-kilometre long sharp arete of superb granite, wildly exposed in places, with the odd move of moderate grade. It is so good I turned round and did it again in the opposite direction straight away.
On a less successful note, the Calendar Rounds game did not quite get finished, with one date left for a 600m round (110kph winds led to a wimp-out) and one for a UK rock climbing round as I was out of the country on the relevant date. Maybe the most satisfying achievement was finally getting a good day of weather in Galloway after twenty foul ones spread over 34 years. One previous day was so windy that I was blown flat as soon as I stepped outside the door at Backhill of Bush bothy.
