The year turned out to be a meagre one as regards the Marilyns. Some of the best Scottish snow for years tempted me out on my new touring skis. Between many snowy days I fought my way up Burach (10C) from Glen Moriston, happy to find various helpful forest tracks and felled areas. Despite masses of snow left on Aonach Mor, I forced myself away from the pistes to tackle the long-overdue Ardnamurchan hills during two fabulous days in mid-April. Fantastic views towards the coast, Rum and Eigg from Beinn Bhreac and Meall nan Each; Ben Laga high above the sea, and Ben Hiant via its beautiful NE ridge, all made up for some missed skiing. Beinn na Seilg proved to be a rough little early-morning hill with some nice rock climbs near the top. After Meall nan Con it was Morvern: some easy pickings there on Beinn nam Beathrach and Beinn Chlaonleud.
Ben Laga summit and Mull skyline (photo: Klaus Schwartz)
Only a few more Marilyns were collected before building our new house took much of my time from mid-May onwards: Cairnharrow, Pibble Hill and Bengray as a prelude to White Top of Culreoch (27B), its top hidden amongst dense forest. Dodging Land Rovers with flashing lights round the back of the open coalmine on Benbeoch was fun. The views south and west were pretty; east and north less so owing to the enormous hole, with mammoth lorries parked in long lines. Little did I know that this would be my last hillwalking for 2008: ever-worsening problems with an arthritic knee forced me into various hospitals. I was hardly able to hobble around on crutches in the building site of our garden. The few Marilyns bagged, however, were thoroughly enjoyable.
