The feet were booted over 100 times during 2010 yet the Marilyn total for the year stuttered, stumbled and fell short of the 100+ reported in the past few years. However, there are certainly no complaints from this Torridon-based bagger. During the year I ascended 57 assorted Donalds, Grahams, Corbetts and Munros for the first time, which was good progress on all the main lists in which I am interested. Along the way I added many Tops, making for some great repeat hills by new routes. A late December circuit of Coire Ardrain over Stob Coire Bhuidhe and Stob Garbh to repeat Cruach Ardrain was the highlight of these.
Cruach Ardrain and Stob Garbh (photo: Alan Dawson)
As reported last year, 2010 started in Braemar, taking an absent-minded bagger or two on a snowshoe ascent of Creag na Leachda, and the snowshoes saw lots more action before I returned to Torridon in early March. It took two attempts to reach Carn a'Gheoidh after the first trip yielded only The Cairnwell. The views were well worth the wait, and my memory of the hoards of people enjoying the ski season soon faded.
Back west, I welcomed back Ullapool colleagues from winter wanderings with a super day on Beinn Ghobhlach, which is certainly on my list of top ten hills. Am Faochagach and Carn Ban from Black Bridge saw the tent in action, but 2010 was more about boats than backpacking. A long weekend on Eigg was followed by the Barra islands trip organised by Michael Earnshaw. Seven Marilyns on seven different islands in one day made this the year's best day out.
Other cherished hill days included Ben More Assynt and a Corrour bothy trip taking in the Devil's Point and Carn a'Mhaim. Skye's Ben Tianavaig gets possibly a 'best ever' wee gem award. Tosson Hill and Long Crag were in the right place to break up a long trip home to Yorkshire, and the Cat and Fiddle Inn was in exactly the right place when dark clouds broke over Shining Tor. No wee shite award this year, so Hill of the Wangie remains unbeaten from 2009. Perhaps I am due two in 2011?
