I would first of all like to offer thanks to anyone who claims to have supplied the fabulous weather of 2013. The spring was compressed after a very cold April and December was a stormy washout. Otherwise the year was great, providing ideal conditions for bagging.
In England, with only 23 Marilyns remaining, a completion looked on the cards. I had two extended stays in Bournemouth and Newcastle to confront areas 41 and 33 respectively. I would imagine that Scarpas are uncommon footwear in Bournemouth. They were fully justified on the slippery chalky mud of the nearby hills.
Mickle Fell provided electrical entertainment in the form of a thunderstorm and a deluge of rain. I had bivvied within mortar range and arose during a brief respite in the rain before the storm. On a normal hill with easy access I would have retreated. The prospect of another application for access and a return to this hill spurred me on.
In Wales extended stays in Swansea, Porthmadog, Shrewsbury (not in Wales but near a lot of Welsh Marilyns), Cwmbran and Llanelli yielded 57 Marilyns. My only GOML encounter of the year was on Upper Park. He could only offer one date for access so I returned in a covert fashion. My first attempt was via the main gate, but the hill was bagged on advice via a sneaky approach from the north. I visited Cwmbran in mid July at the start of a three-week heat wave. I burned out in the very hot weather and had to take a fortnight off to steam quietly at home. I was rewarded with the best August for many a year.
Scotland saw the lion's share of visits and with a huge number of Marilyns will continue to in the future. Extended stays were made in Fort William (three), Perth, Ardgour, Elgin, Mull, Inverness, Skye, Dumfries, Oban, Kintail and Arkaig.
The highlight of the year did not involve any new Marilyns and was a two-day trip in the Cuillin with a friend completing his Munro Tops. The first day involved the Bhasteir Tooth, Am Basteir and Knight's Peak. The latter was demoted shortly afterwards and the number of scrambles up 4/5 gully will now decrease markedly. The completion was made on the following day on Sgurr Thearlaich, with nearby Sgurr Alasdair the only Marilyn tackled.
I also enjoyed a Munro completion on Sgor na h-Ulaidh. A popular lad attracted about 50 guests, and crossing the A82 to get to the start in a long single file snake was amusing.
A memorable week was spent on Mull and all the hills over 600m were visited plus the remote Marilyn Gometra and Beinn a'Ghraig. A non-bagging day was spent on a boat trip to Staffa and Lunga and I highly recommended this trip. I also spotted my first, second, third and fourth otter. It may have indeed been the same otter which passed our lodging four times. I worked out its timetable and predicted the final passing.
On a long descent from Meall Dearg to Aberfeldy I strayed into a wind farm construction site. I was given a lift by SSE to Aberfeldy to avoid any health and safety issues.
I recorded eight bothy nights in three trips and enjoyed them immensely: White Laggan, Tunskeen, A'Chuil, Kinbreck, Staonaig, Loch Chiarain and Invermaillie (twice) were my lodgings.
Only two bivvies were recorded; in addition to the aforementioned Mickle Fell, Peel Fell joined my summit bivvy list on an Anglo-Scottish circular from Newcastleton.
I knowingly only met one Marhofn member I didn't know, on a bus of all places. It turned out that Alison Fox shares my largely public transport approach and we had a chat on the bus from Elgin to Dufftown. She was heading for Little Conval and I for Corryhabbie Hill and a soaking.
Am Basteir (photo: Ted Jackson)
