Tuesday, 16 February 2010

The decision is made

I have finally decided to make a concerted effort to climb all of Scotland's 283 3000+ft Munros. I have got myself a large Munro and Corbett wall chart to aid planning.

First thing to do is find the summit photos for the Munros I have bagged and check them off the list. I have climbed quite a few Munros over the years, but I only have summit photos for Bynack More (northern Cairngorms) and the peaks of the Beinn a' Ghlo ridge (Carn Liath, Braigh Coire Chruinn-Bhalgain, Carn nan Gabhar). My only criteria for completion is a summit photo - either including myself, or taken by myself and including my rucksack (when walking solo, setting up a shot of yourself on a wind-swept, rain-soaked summit isn't easy). So I'm considering 4 of the 283 completed. I recall being up Ben Lomond at least twice, Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn), Ben Lawers, Ben Lui, Schiehallion and a few others I was too young to remember (or pronounce).

So why have I decided to do this? I have spent the last year desk-bound for too many hours, and my fitness has been neglected. I need a target to focus myself for getting back into proper shape. So what better way.

Being vehicle-less, getting to some of the more remote hills will be difficult. As such, having the capacity to bag as many peaks as possible in a short period of time is a must. The running shoes went on again last night, for the first time in too many months. 4.2 miles (RunningMap is great for quick route measurements) in the cold air and without much of a warmup. Now feeling a little bit sore around the top of my hip but nothing that will stop be going out again tonight. Not a bad run considering how long it has been (and how much weight I've put on).

This weekend brings a casual hillwalk/social outing with Moray and Andy down to the Southern Upland Way between St Mary's Loch and Over Phawhope. We've been slowly filling in sections of the SUW, and have now done the stretch between Wanlockhead and Over Phawhope. Some time I want to do the full 212 miles straight across.



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