Having moved house to Perthshire in 2011, I am now enjoying a life on the far southern slopes of Schiehallion, with lots of other fine peaks, high and low, within cycling distance. I have not yet decided whether it is an advantage or a disadvantage to live right beside Drummond Hill. So far, I have managed an unsuccessful ascent and three successful ascents but have not yet enjoyed a completely struggle-free ascent. I have encountered vertical, slime-covered rocks, dense, dripping, prickly sitka, wind-thrown mature trees, thigh-deep snow, knee-deep mud, vegetatious hidden holes, an angry stag, an irritable male Capercaillie and a grumpy husband (mine, who had lost heart for the battle). I am sure Drummond Hill will have some yet to be discovered jewels, so I will keep trying to find them.
Highlights:
Schiehallion in January - I have been up Schiehallion on several occasions, but this was special because it was our first ascent following our house move. We had the unique advantage of knowing what the weather was going to be like, since we could see it out of the window, and there was the added attraction of it being midweek, and therefore quiet - easy to bunk off work when you are your own boss. The mountain was covered in brick-hard, crampon-crunching névé; the sky was calm and blue and we could see most of the mountains in the central Highlands and beyond from our lofty summit perch.
Glen Etive mountains in May - the weather was far too hot for daytime hillwalking, so we wandered up Beinn Starav's north ridge in the cool of the evening and enjoyed the sunset from the comfort of our bivvy bags near the summit. Stunning clear views in all directions and no-one else around to share our peace. We trotted round Beinn nan Aighenan and Glas Beinn Mhor early in the morning before the heat got too much, then retreated via a cooling dip in the Allt Mheuran to the cool of the hut at Inbhirfhaolain in Glen Etive to meet up with others in the Ferranti Mountaineering Club and the midges in the afternoon.
Beinn Tharsuinn, my final Graham, in May - at long last, I got round to finishing the Grahams. Having had a number of very pleasant, leisurely plods on easy walks with lots of people on my final mountains of various sizes, I fancied a long walk and a peaceful camp with plenty of time to think and drink. Husband Andy, friend Tony Kinghorn and I cycled then walked in to a remote camping spot to the south-east of Beinn Tharsuinn and ate, chattered, drank and enjoyed the peace and the birdsong before setting out early next morning to make the ascent to the remote summit. More eating, drinking, sleeping and chatting ensued at the cairn celebrations, with perfect weather and clear views of wild mountains in every direction. Just what I had wanted.
Audrey Litterick and Flapjack on Beinn Tharsuinn
Meeting others, Islay and Creag na Criche - it was really good to meet other Marilyn baggers this year, in both pre-arranged and unplanned meetings. Andy and I both thoroughly enjoyed the gathering in Islay and the walks there on our own and with others. Tony Kinghorn and I bumped into Eric Young and Anne Bunn recently on Carn na Criche and it turned a pleasant enough walk into a delightful one. It is great to meet people for real and put faces to names, having read about their exploits in Marhofn.
Lowlights:
I am afraid there were many this year, and the situation is going to get a lot worse very quickly, particularly in Scotland. Imagine getting to the top of a mountain that you know well and love, or perhaps, one that you know is going to have a good view and would have done, yet you arrive there to be confronted with a forest of wind turbines, acres of trashed drained peatland and miles of access tracks with attendant pylons. If any of you still believe that wind farms can generate useful amounts of clean, green energy that is affordable, I can assure you that they can NOT. I can also provide an independent, scientific assessment of why wind farms are a serious waste of money. Please help to save our mountains from desecration of a sort that can never ever be fully reversed.
