A very enjoyable trip to the Lakes, in May 2012, saw us on top of Grasmoor in fine weather, where we were fortunate to see a Brocken spectre. However the highlight of the trip for me was the day we spent on Haystacks, a fine hill but not a Marilyn.
Other trips to Rum and to Ullapool were successful, especially the latter when my friend Brian completed the Grahams on Meall Dubh. He does not drive and I had taken him on a few trips so that he could get closer to completion. Surprisingly, considering the weather last year, on each of the trips we took for his last 14 Grahams we did not require a waterproof, and indeed were able to wear shorts on a memorable trip to Strathcarron. The payback for me, in driving Brian around, was that I could get a few more Marshalls as well. I have been pleasantly surprised that these hills, although lower, are just as diverse and enjoyable as their bigger brothers.
Our annual away trip took us to Mayrhofen in Austria at the end of August, where the weather could have been kinder to us. However we managed to get to the tops every day bar one. The undoubted highlight was an ascent of Ahornspitze at 2973m. The warden at the Edel hut must have thought we were overestimating our abilities as a fresh fall of snow had taken place overnight and we were in shorts and summer walking boots. He said he would give us free schnapps on the way down if we reached the top. This was the incentive we Scots wanted to hear. By the time we reached the col, before the summit scramble, the snow had mostly melted away. Although I was a little anxious, we made it to the summit without too much difficulty. And the warden was true to his word.
This year I hope to make a bigger dent in the Marshalls list as there will be fewer other distractions but with so many of my friends getting towards completion of the Corbetts and Grahams I may be pulled off course. In any event it will be enjoyable as long as my knees hold up.
