For me 2012 was the year of three Scottish coast-to-coast walks, three Spanish Caminos and a trek along the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland, highly recommended, all of these hikes including detours to bag the occasional hill or two along the way. However, with regard to peak bagging, the year will be principally remembered for my completion, after many years of effort, of the Corbetts and Grahams. I had 25 still to climb at the start of the year, and a 2012 completion was heavily dependent on the weather.
In the last few years I have been unbelievably lucky with the weather conditions on my main mountain trips. 2012 was not known for its great summer, but there was some excellent weather about, albeit fairly short lived, and this occurred just when I wanted it, at the start of my main Corbett and Graham bagging trip in May. For just over two weeks the sun shone from a clear blue sky and not a drop of rain did fall. The highlights of the trip were:
Beryl, who had thus far accompanied me on this Highland extravaganza, left me in Fort William to return home, with the instruction 'do not return until you have bagged all but one Corbett and one Graham'. I was too meek to disobey, so I continued with a mopping-up operation from Applecross and Torridon to the more mundane hills of the east, like Badandun Hill. The last day of my trip saw more traditional weather sweep in across the Highlands, and I received a drenching on Cruach nan Capull, my penultimate Graham. Time to go home.
Alan Castle on Ladylea hill (photo: Beryl Castle)
As I enjoy a long tramp over the hills, I decided that I would finish both Corbetts and Grahams on the same day, in one long walk. The idea of finishing the Gs before the Cs appealed, as most people complete the Corbetts before the Grahams. My last Graham was to be the lowest of the group, Ladylea Hill; to complete the Corbetts I chose the more well known Ben Rinnes, one of the best of the eastern hills. I chose these two hills because:
Completion day was in July. High white clouds with even a fair touch of sunshine, warm but not over hot, gave perfect conditions. I was amused to discover that near the start of my walk there is a signpost to Lost, but fortunately this did not turn out to be a bad omen. Beryl set off from Strathdon with me and we climbed the Hump, Clashenteple and then Ladylea Hill together. She returned to the campervan to take Carys, our 12-year-old niece*, on a sightseeing day-out in the region, before meeting me near Ben Rinnes. We carried up a celebratory bottle of Laphroaig, not a local whisky, but my favourite single malt. We parted again on the summit, she to return to the campervan, leaving me to continue down the main Ben Rinnes path to Dufftown. A long but most memorable day - 31.5 miles in 14.5 hours.
* The original plan had been for Carys, a very keen and strong young hillwalker, who had first climbed Ben Nevis at the age of eight, to accompany us to the summits of the last two, but Carys had an accident at home just two weeks before in which she broke two of her toes - the best laid plans and all that.
I have always planned Munro, Corbett and Graham hill expeditions to include ridge walks wherever possible and to take in other nearby summits. So, I already have quite a catch of Munro, Corbett and Graham Tops, bringing my Sims total to a respectable 1703, just fewer than 300 to reach the Sim HoF. These hills and my remaining 350 Marilyns, 251 north of the Border, should keep me busy in Scotland in the years to come. If some of my future days on the Scottish and other hills are as good as those I enjoyed in 2012, then I will be well pleased.
