My British walking season started in early May when I set out to hike the Speyside Way together with the new Dava Way and Moray Coast Path, all in one expedition. I was blessed with good weather on this admirable and pleasant trek, but in nearly 200 miles of walking I added only one new Marilyn to my collection, that of Carn Daimh on the Tomintoul spur of the Speyside Way. If I were to break into the Upper Hall of Fame during the year then a more serious commitment was required.
After only a brief stay at home, in order to change clothes and gear and pick up the car, Beryl and I were off to the Western Isles. The main lure was the islands south of Barra, because we had acquired places on an organised boat trip, specifically to bag these special Marilyns. To make the most of the ferry fare we stayed for a total of ten days, bagging more Marilyns in the Uists and on Barra itself. Highlights included North and South Lee and the majestic hill of Eaval. It is hard to believe that this hill is only a little over 300m high - a magical vista of sea, lochs and bare hills in an almost primeval landscape.
However, my best day on the Uists had to be that when I reached my 1000th Marilyn, which fate chose to be the fine hill of Hecla, next to South Uist's only Graham, Beinn Mhor. Unfortunately, as Beryl had a knee problem, she was unable to accompany me to the summit, so I drank a wee dram on the top, all on my own-some. Nevertheless, I strode down the mountain a new man, now a member of the exclusive senior common room of the Marilyn University of Great Britain.
The boat trips to the islands, admirably organised by Graham Illing, went almost without a hitch. The most memorable was surely Mingulay, an island having some of the most spectacular sea cliffs in all Britain. But who was it (no name mentioned) who managed to convince us all that Muldoanich was so extremely steep an island that it would require the use of ice-axes, even in the absence of snow and ice, to reach its summit. We all arrived armed with these tools, and as a result were given a particularly strange look by the boatmen. Pah, most of the South Downs are steeper!
Alan Castle (second right) on Mingulay (photo: Graham Illing)
Back home, we were still keen to bag more islands, and the annual Marilyn weekend seemed another good, easy and economical opportunity to reach some more of those islands that have no scheduled ferry service. So, thanks to organiser Jonathan Woods, we made a last-minute booking on the weekend and on the boat to Carna. All the hostel accommodation had already been allocated, so it was Strontian's little campsite for us. I thought that Rum's midges were the most aggressive Scottish variety, but Strontian's take some beating. This was our first visit to the weekend meet, and we were a little naive as to some of its peculiarities. However, we were soon initiated into one of its rites, witnessing a HoF chant given by Chief Chanter Lindsay on the summit of Cruachan Charna.
Being terrified of having witnessed some possibly illegal act, we fled to the safety, or so we thought, of the mainland's Ben Laga. But this was neither time nor place to escape other Marilyn baggers - many were lounging around by the summit cairn of this agreeable little Marilyn, on a lovely sunny afternoon.
Beryl, who thinks that all Marilyn baggers are 'barking loonies' and shouldn't really be encouraged, nevertheless did just that by spending much of the day composing a new 'prayer for Marilyn baggers' or 'invocation' as she prefers to call it. This she duly read out to the assembled gathering during the hilarious after-dinner proceedings following the annual dinner. During the evening's festivities I was presented with a special '1000 Marilyns' badge, which came as a total and very pleasant surprise to me.
I was now several weeks into my Marilyn bagging season and I still hadn't climbed a hill over 2000 feet, so next on the agenda came my annual Corbett and Graham bagging extravaganza. The first week offered mixed weather but the second was a joy, with blue skies and sunshine day after day. Highlights of this glorious week included Beinn Gaire and Croit Bheinn (marvellous view of the Rois Bheinn range), Glen Affric and Glen Strathfarrar Corbetts, Strathconon's Cs and Gs, and the delightful pair of Binnein Shuas and Binnein Shios above Loch Laggan. I even managed to explore things other than Marilyns, as I found time on my stravaiging to seek out Sandaig, one-time home of Gavin Maxwell and his famous otters, as well as Arverikie, the real-life Glenbogle of TV series 'Monarch of the Glen'. Who dares say that Marilyn bagging isn't educational and mind stretching?
I always like to include some really remote hills during my time on the Cs and Gs, and this year it was the turn of the two Grahams, Meall Garbh and Beinn nan Lus, that lie within the vast tract of land between Victoria Bridge, Rannoch and Taynuilt by Loch Etive. A 14-hour traverse of this area, again in immaculate weather, led to the fall of these two summits into my 'done' bag. A brilliant day.
It was only mid-July but that was it for me and Marilyn bagging for the year, except for a couple of fairly local hills in October. There were many other non-Marilyn adventures to enjoy during the remainder of the year, including a 1000km, 39-day trek across Spain, but that's another story, not one for these pages.
There was another important peak-bagging occasion during 2009 for Beryl and me. In October, at the annual Hillwalkers' Register weekend bash in the Lakes, Beryl completed her round of the 214 Wainwrights on Rannerdale Knotts above Buttermere, along with over 20 well-wishers and fellow hillwalkers. The next day it was my turn, completing my second round of the Wainwrights on Starling Dodd on the other side of the valley (AD: I think that all Wainwright baggers are barking loonies, pretending that a series of guidebooks is a proper list).
Anyone wishing to attend the 2010 Hillwalkers' Register weekend, based at Elterwater in the Lakes, can obtain full details from the organiser, Andrew West, by emailing andrew.west100@btinternet.com
