A family holiday near Edinburgh in May was the start of bagging for 2012. The heatwave arrived whilst climbing North Berwick Law. What a fantastic viewpoint this is. The week saw a total of eight new Marilyns climbed, Dirrington Great Law at 7am being a lovely quiet spot.
In July it was off to Kinlochleven to climb my friend Barry's last Munro, Stob Coire a'Chairn, then a few days later it was a stay in Aviemore where I completed my last hill on Sir Hugh's list by climbing Mullach Clach a'Bhlair. It was nice to be joined by Alison Fox and Jonathan de Ferranti from this group for my completion. Previous correspondence with Dave Hewitt had revealed that prior to our ascents nobody had recorded completion on either of these two Munros, however there are hundreds of rounds where the completion hill is not recorded, so who knows?
Highlights of 2012: Finishing the Munros, obviously, and realising I only have thirty Murdos and Munro Tops to go. The long walk out and back to the Cairngorm Corbett Creag Mhor, and the views from Ord Ban, although the ascent was purgatory as we failed to find the ascent path from the car park. Welcome to the jungle.
Slog of 2012: A tie, the struggle up Ord Ban and struggling up Black Hill in the Pentland hills in oppressive suffocating heat. Oh, for a hint of a breeze.
Due to work commitments the rest of 2012 was confined to trig bagging and a spell of moorland walking in north Yorkshire. No plans for 2013 yet, although I want to get to some new English and Welsh Marilyns.
Coire Garbhlach from Mullach Clach a'Bhlair (photo: Kevin Palmer)
