With my chief focus still on second-round Munros and Corbetts, I managed to add a mere two new Marilyns to my 2012 total. Both were climbed on a long February weekend in Galloway. While the family was distracted by the hot tub at our holiday lodge, I nipped up Bengairn and Bainloch Hill on successive afternoons. The latter is well defended by conifers but I forced a way up from the south-east and on the return found an easy line through trees planted less densely but with so little light filtering through that I found it slightly unworldly but fascinating and over all too soon.
By the way, lying back in a hot tub on a clear night is a hell of a way to survey the northern constellations.
