Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Armchair munroist
I never set out to do the Munros, but as an obsessive logger, I do keep a diligent record of those completed. Between 1981 and 1994 I did 89 Munro's and have only done 1 more since then (Lochnagar in 2000). So this years Cairngorm trip took me 3 steps closer to a satisfying 100.
However, in 1997, in the midst of my 'darkest hour' of mountain activity (I did no 2000ft summits from 1995-1998), another 7 munros were allocated by the SMC, and I had no idea until last week that this had happened. I have just discovered that I've done 6 of the new 7 and so I'm on the threshold of my 100th Munro. I must admit to feeling on the moral high ground, as those I've walked with and I have never been just Munro baggers...prefering to take in the full ridges associated with the munro ....and it's for this reason that I've gained an extra 6.
For the record, I think the new 6 are very worthy...Sir Hugh was little hard on the great Torridonean ridges of the north, but now Ben Alligin, Liathach, Ben Eighe and An Teallach all have 2 munros - and deservedly so. The 2 Buachailles of Glencoe also have 2 munros each - and you wouldn't argue with that if you'd walked from one end of the Buachaille etive Mor ridge to the other. Bidean has gained another too, and importantly an extra 4000' summit in Angels Peak in the Cairngorms. The list of changes is below:
http://www.nigelspencer.co.uk/web-pages/uk-mountain-pages/scotland-pages/munro/scotland-new-1997.htm
So the next munro is my 100th and which should it be..?? Ladhar Bheinn beckons, so does Sgurr nan Gillean, or maybe something like Ben Lomand.. Ideas please - assuming you have intimate knowledge of those I have done.
I've got the same map - and I've shaded getting on for the same number of boxes. There are such a lot of them.
Of the ones I've done,one of my favourites (apart from the usual suspects - the Buachaille, etc) was a Bienn Bhuidhe just above the A83, NW of Loch Lomond. I took the usual approach, from the A83. Guidebooks like to call it boring. I thought it was fantastic - it's surrounded by a lot of wild space.
Adrian
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