Black Down in Sussex was my first Marilyn of 2015, not a new one but a new start in Fernhurst to give a lovely three-hour walk. A dusting of snow on the high heath. A month later I was on Leith Hill, could be my 30th-ish visit. It was so clear that it was worth paying to go up the tower. There are a surprising number of Marilyns in view while drinking hot chocolate bought at the ticket kiosk.
Serious bagging expeditions started in May, first in south Wales including a weekend with my brother when we spent half a day bagging Allt yr Esgair. Drizzle and cloud base at 550m made this ridge over to Llangorse Lake and back just right. A fine day linking Bryn Arw, Sugar Loaf and the pub at Pant-y-Gelli was memorable. I then made my way through Herefordshire and the Berwyns to add 13 new Marilyns.
We went to Scotland at the end of May and stayed at the Clachaig Inn. Did Curved Ridge for the first time but the Buachaille summits were new only for Pete. Watched ice-climbing with a pint in Kinlochleven after a traverse of Garbh Bheinn, a much-wanted hill and real back-country on the way down to the town. Then Arran, which included the year's highlight, Cir Mhor, with Caisteal Abhail, new for both of us.
Caisteal Abhail, Cir Mhor and Goat Fell (photo: Dave Beaumont)
The remaining seven Marilyns were in September, based at Dent and Ambleside. Dent seems to be thriving on tourism but it is taking a toll on Ambleside. Both were centres for excellent walking, which included the notorious Hutton Roof Crags, where I messed about happily looking at flowers and butterflies and watching climbers on limestone crags before finding the summit by trial and error. If there was not so much grazing, a lot of the limestone country could be like this.
Re-wilded indeed, fascinating and bio-diverse but be careful what you wish for. Grayrigg Common gave a longish walk, six hours from the A6 over all the summits along the Whinfell ridge and back. I took Pete up Jack's Rake, real fun followed by a wander over the Langdale Pikes.
Walking abroad was on snowshoes in the Dolomites, on ice much of the time unfortunately, however the scenery is great. Then June and July in the Engadine for flowers and walks with a friend. We were lucky; huge patches of alps pink with soldanellas a week after they had been covered with snow and sparking peaks like Piz Bernina in view.
