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The Munros

The Munros


Postby Kevin29035 » Tue Sep 17, 2013 3:53 pm

Munros included on this walk: A' Bhuidheanach Bheag, A' Chailleach (Fannichs), A' Chailleach (Monadhliath), A' Chralaig, A' Ghlas-bheinn, A' Mhaighdean, A' Mharconaich, Am Basteir, Am Bodach, Am Faochagach, An Caisteal, An Coileachan, An Gearanach, An Riabhachan, An Sgarsoch, An Socach (Affric), An Socach (Braemar), An Socach (Mullardoch), An Stùc, Aonach Air Chrith, Aonach Beag (Alder), Aonach Beag (Nevis Range), Aonach Meadhoin, Aonach Mòr, Beinn a' Bhùird, Beinn a' Chaorainn (Cairngorms), Beinn a' Chaorainn (Glen Spean), Beinn a' Chlachair, Beinn a' Chlèibh, Beinn a' Chochuill, Beinn a' Chreachain, Beinn a' Chròin, Beinn Achaladair, Beinn an Dòthaidh, Beinn Bheoil, Beinn Bhreac, Beinn Bhrotain, Beinn Bhuidhe, Beinn Chabhair, Beinn Dearg (Blair Atholl), Beinn Dearg (Ullapool), Beinn Dòrain, Beinn Dubhchraig, Beinn Èibhinn, Beinn Eunaich, Beinn Fhada, Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Beinn Fhionnlaidh (Càrn Eige), Beinn Ghlas, Beinn Heasgarnich, Beinn Ìme, Beinn Iutharn Mhòr, Beinn Liath Mhòr, Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich, Beinn Mhanach, Beinn Mheadhoin, Beinn na Lap, Beinn nan Aighenan, Beinn Narnain, Beinn Sgritheall, Beinn Sgulaird, Beinn Tarsuinn, Beinn Teallach, Beinn Tulaichean, Beinn Udlamain, Ben Alder, Ben Avon, Ben Challum, Ben Chonzie, Ben Cruachan, Ben Hope, Ben Klibreck, Ben Lawers, Ben Lomond, Ben Lui, Ben Macdui, Ben More, Ben More (Mull), Ben More Assynt, Ben Nevis, Ben Oss, Ben Starav, Ben Vane, Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn), Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond), Ben Wyvis, Bidean nam Bian, Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich, Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill (An Teallach), Binnein Beag, Binnein Mòr, Blà Bheinn, Braeriach, Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Broad Cairn, Bruach na Frìthe, Bynack More, Cairn Bannoch, Cairn Gorm, Cairn of Claise, Cairn Toul, Càrn a' Chlamain, Càrn a' Choire Bhòidheach, Càrn a' Ghèoidh, Càrn a' Mhàim, Càrn an Fhìdhleir (Càrn Ealar), Càrn an Rìgh, Càrn an t-Sagairt Mòr, Càrn an Tuirc, Càrn Aosda, Càrn Bhac, Càrn Dearg (Corrour), Càrn Dearg (Loch Pattack), Càrn Dearg (Monadhliath), Càrn Eige, Càrn Ghluasaid, Càrn Gorm, Càrn Liath (Beinn a' Ghlò), Càrn Liath (Creag Meagaidh), Càrn Mairg, Càrn Mòr Dearg, Càrn na Caim, Càrn nan Gabhar, Càrn nan Gobhar (Loch Mullardoch), Càrn nan Gobhar (Strathfarrar), Càrn Sgulain, Chno Dearg, Ciste Dhubh, Cona' Mheall, Conival, Creag a'Mhàim, Creag Leacach, Creag Meagaidh, Creag Mhòr (Glen Lochay), Creag Mhòr (Meall na Aighean), Creag nan Dàmh, Creag Pitridh, Creise, Cruach Àrdrain, Derry Cairngorm, Driesh, Druim Shionnach, Eididh nan Clach Geala, Fionn Bheinn, Gairich, Garbh Chioch Mhòr, Geal chàrn (Laggan), Geal Chàrn (Monadhliath), Geal-chàrn (Alder), Geal-chàrn (Drumochter), Glas Bheinn Mhòr, Glas Maol, Glas Tulaichean, Gleouraich, Gulvain, Inaccessible Pinnacle, Ladhar Bheinn, Lochnagar, Luinne Bheinn, Lurg Mhòr, Màm Sodhail, Maoile Lunndaidh, Maol Chean-dearg, Maol chinn-dearg, Mayar, Meall a' Bhùiridh, Meall a' Choire Lèith, Meall a' Chrasgaidh, Meall Buidhe (Glen Lyon), Meall Buidhe (Knoydart), Meall Chuaich, Meall Corranaich, Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach), Meall Garbh (Ben Lawers), Meall Garbh (Càrn Mairg), Meall Ghaordaidh, Meall Glas, Meall Gorm, Meall Greigh, Meall na Teanga, Meall nan Ceapraichean, Meall nan Eun, Meall nan Tarmachan, Monadh Mòr, Moruisg, Mount Keen, Mullach an Rathain (Liathach), Mullach Clach a' Bhlàir, Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair, Mullach Fraoch-choire, Mullach na Dheiragain, Mullach nan Coirean, Na Gruagaichean, Ruadh Stac Mòr, Ruadh-stac Mòr (Beinn Eighe), Sàil Chaorainn, Sàileag, Schiehallion, Seana Bhràigh, Sgàirneach Mhòr, Sgiath Chùil, Sgòr an Lochain Uaine, Sgòr Gaibhre, Sgòr Gaoith, Sgòr na h-Ulaidh, Sgòrr Dhearg (Beinn a' Bheithir), Sgòrr Dhònuill (Beinn a' Bheithir), Sgòrr nam Fiannaidh (Aonach Eagach), Sgòrr Ruadh, Sgùrr a' Bhealaich Dheirg, Sgùrr a' Chaorachain, Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais, Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh, Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh, Sgùrr a' Mhàim, Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich, Sgùrr Alasdair, Sgùrr an Doire Leathain, Sgùrr an Lochain, Sgùrr Bàn, Sgùrr Breac, Sgùrr Chòinnich, Sgùrr Chòinnich Mòr, Sgùrr Dubh Mòr, Sgùrr Èilde Mòr, Sgùrr Fhuar-thuill, Sgùrr Fhuaran, Sgùrr Fiona (An Teallach), Sgùrr Mhic Chòinnich, Sgùrr Mòr, Sgùrr Mòr (Beinn Alligin), Sgùrr Mòr (Loch Quoich), Sgùrr na Banachdich, Sgùrr na Càrnach, Sgùrr na Cìche, Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe, Sgùrr na Lapaich, Sgùrr na Ruaidhe, Sgùrr na Sgìne, Sgùrr nan Ceathreamhnan, Sgùrr nan Clach Geala, Sgùrr nan Coireachan (Glen Dessary), Sgùrr nan Coireachan (Glenfinnan), Sgùrr nan Conbhairean, Sgùrr nan Each, Sgùrr nan Eag, Sgùrr nan Gillean, Sgùrr Thuilm, Slioch, Spidean a' Choire Lèith (Liathach), Spidean Coire nan Clach (Beinn Eighe), Spidean Mialach, Sròn a' Choire Ghairbh, Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin, Stob a' Choire Odhair, Stob Bàn (Grey Corries), Stob Bàn (Mamores), Stob Binnein, Stob Choire Claurigh, Stob Coir an Albannaich, Stob Coire a' Chàirn, Stob Coire an Laoigh, Stob Coire Easain, Stob Coire Raineach (Buachaille Etive Beag), Stob Coire Sgreamhach, Stob Coire Sgriodain, Stob Daimh, Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mòr), Stob Dubh (Buachaille Etive Beag), Stob Ghabhar, Stob na Bròige (Buachaille Etive Mòr), Stob Poite Coire Àrdair, Stùc a' Chròin, Stùcd an Lochain, The Cairnwell, The Devil's Point, The Saddle, Toll Creagach, Tolmount, Tom a' Chòinich, Tom Buidhe, Tom na Gruagaich (Beinn Alligin)

Corbetts included on this walk: Beinn Tharsuinn, Sgùrr an Fhuarain

Date walked: 02/05/2013

Time taken: 2350 hours

Distance: 2000 km

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Couldn't help myself! The grand tour, 2 May (Ben More, Mull) to 7 August (Ben Hope).

I started on Mull 2nd May, right at the very moment two months of March and April sun turned to torrential rain ... could my timing have been any worse? Ben More was climbed under leaden skies then with that done, things turned nasty and wet. I cycled to the pier in some insane rain and got the ferry over. The second day was my hardest day of the entire 98 day summer (tied with Bridge of Orchy). I guess it's good to get the bad one out the way first! I was stunned to find myself stretched to psychological breaking point on day 2, as I fought in torrential, numbing rain to stay on schedule. It's hard to emphasize what a fight it was and I'd woken up to a horrific reality of an entire summer fighting.

The weather stayed horrendous for the following weeks, always struggling to stay on the all-important schedule. On Bidean nam Bian I was turned back by bad snow: the snowfields were thawing and the Lost Valley headwall cornices were dripping and ready to collapse. My legs bled with wet rubbing on Ben Starav which took days to recover from (painful!). While immensely difficult, some part of me was surprised and pleased at how hard I could fight for this whole thing. I guess unless you take on the challenge you're never really going to know how hard you can push... however, it's not a content place to be.

A couple weeks in, my body was getting steadily run down and I woke up in Crianlarich YH one morning to hear someone in the dorm; "it's snowing outside". Yep, thick snow down to 300m in mid-May. What's going on?

A few days later I had my lowest moment on the Bridge of Orchy bunch - Dorain to Chreachain. Pure purgatory, all day. That evening I couldn't really imagine going on, but equally couldn't imagine giving in; an agonising mid-ground with no resolution and no way out. Well, I guess things come clearer at your lowest moment, and I rose from the depths of self-pity and agony to literally rise out into the highest 'high' of the entire summer. My evening on Beinn Mhanach after so many hours of hell won't be forgotten.

For weeks I'd been curious about an unending sense of impatience I was feeling. I wasn't feeling my mountains the way I normally would, and why was I doing this if I couldn't travel with feeling? Luckily, things seemed to calm down with the last snowfields. The weather settled into vast blue skies, I slowly picked my way through mountain chains eastward. My body seemed to power up with a previously unseen fitness and my mind settled down. Immense effort must be matched by immense pleasure, and this I eventually found in the vast blue skies and brown moors of the east. Rain-drenched western mountains were now just a memory. I cycled and walked huge distances every day. My ever-noticed Munro-tally began to swing higher until I crested 100 on Lochnagar. Real progress!

The Grampians and Cairngorms came and went beneath my feet and I linked up bothies, waking to blue skies and falling sleep to sunsets. It got pretty good, but there was always the gnawing in the back of the mind; how long will this last? Will the weather break? The difficulty of the beginning was fresh in the mind and I had little desire to return to that.

But things never really changed. I broke through to Aviemore and worked westward through Laggan toward Nevis. Immense days piled one through another, each mountain range would be stressed over then subsequently tackled. The high ridges would fall before me, I'd power through with the lightness of coming success. The Five Munros of Creag Meagaidh were done in as many hours, I had a simply incredible day on the Grey Corries and Nevis and the ten Mamores fell in a single sweep. Knoydart was dispatched in mist and rain. My Munro-tally was climbing, and it was on Skye where I passed 200, on Sgurr na Banachdich.

I'd had wet periods but in truth the weather had stayed fine for about a month. Not every day was sunny, but it actually rained very little - and it's the rain I really don't get on with. Skye was just an extension of the current theme, and they were all done on warm sunny days.

But don't let the thought of long hot days linking up ridges distract from the fact I was always on edge. I was always tired. I was always aware I was teetering on the brink of falling way behind schedule, and I'd be waking up with legs that felt like lead. Most morning I couldn't really walk for the first ten minutes. I was always paranoid a single failed day would put me down on schedule: it's really easy to drop days and it's hard to work them all back (it's easy to halve a planned day and almost impossible to double up days).

After a hot week on Skye, the weather broke down again for a couple of days in Kintail. Down on schedule by several days I was linking up peaks, doing the 12 North Shiel Munros in two days, then cramming the 12 Mullardoch Munros into two days. It was all done without pause, without a break, and while the Shiel hills gave fairly good walking conditions, the temperature rose and I got cooked around Mullardoch by an endless intense, hellish heat with clegs to prevent you stopping and drive you mad.

Searing heat turned ugly in Torridon and the skies grew dark and heavy as storm clouds brewed. The end was getting really close (a couple of weeks) and I'd told everybody I'd be on Ben Hope on the 7th August. They'd all taken time off work to come so missing my own party was not an option.

Paired with the ever present threat of thunder, I had many days of stress as I fought conflicting emotions of trying to climb mountains every day and trying to stay low to keep safe if the electric storms hit. The air was always hot and heavy, clegs were ever-present and it was easy to worry...

The suspense was maintained right to the end, but the threat died down and the mountains delivered well. I had great crossings of all the north west ranges; Fisherfield, Inverlael, etc., motoring over huge miles every day and feeling as though I was eating up the peaks. Some days were frustrating, but many, many days were incredible and unforgettable.

I finished on Ben Hope on the 7th August with friends and family and got home the following day. The trip really did include every emotion you can imagine from the very best to the very worst. But it was absolutely worth it and wouldn't have been if the good times hadn't outnumbered the bad. Quite an experience. Can't wait to do it again.
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Last edited by Kevin29035 on Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:58 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Kevin29035
 
Posts: 1221
Munros:173   Corbetts:173
Fionas:73   Donalds:17
Sub 2000:92   Hewitts:8
Joined: Sep 13, 2008
Location: Glasgow

Re: The Munros

Postby weaselmaster » Tue Sep 17, 2013 4:04 pm

Yeah, that's quite a set of trip stats to try and match :lol: :lol:
Enjoyed following your blog online when you were doing it and had a couple of nearly meeting ups with you along the way - think the closest we got was seeing your footprints walking east from the afternoon before when we were going west on the south glenshiel ridge the next morning :)
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Posts: 2429
Munros:277   Corbetts:216
Fionas:183   Donalds:73+30
Sub 2000:391   Hewitts:33
Wainwrights:15   Islands:28
Joined: Aug 22, 2012
Location: Greenock

Re: The Munros

Postby The Rodmiester » Tue Sep 17, 2013 5:04 pm

Brilliant achievement there Kevin :clap: :clap: :clap: , your great efforts deserved much more on your 'Just Giving' page. Glad I met up with you at the Kintail Lodge Hotel after I had done the brothers etc and had a long walk back to the car, you had done A'Ghlas-bheinn and Beinn Fhada. Really enjoyed your Blog :D
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Posts: 3396
Munros:107   Corbetts:196
Fionas:45   Donalds:13
Sub 2000:76   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:1   Islands:17
Joined: Aug 15, 2012
Location: Newbigging

Re: The Munros

Postby BlackPanther » Tue Sep 17, 2013 5:23 pm

Well done, Kevin :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :D :D :D That's some effort and dedication.

Will you be doing Corbetts, too? :wink:
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BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

Re: The Munros

Postby malky_c » Tue Sep 17, 2013 5:26 pm

I'll look forward to this report gradually being filled in :wink:

Good effort :D
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malky_c
 
Posts: 6342
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:219   Donalds:80+37
Sub 2000:315   Hewitts:281
Wainwrights:140   Islands:39
Joined: Nov 22, 2009
Location: Glasgow/Inverness

Re: The Munros

Postby Meatball » Tue Sep 17, 2013 5:41 pm

Well done.
How much did you raise?
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Posts: 940
Munros:63   Corbetts:49
Fionas:7   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:4   
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Re: The Munros

Postby LeithySuburbs » Tue Sep 17, 2013 6:37 pm

My kind of report :wink: . An amazing effort btw :D .
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Posts: 1965
Munros:259   Corbetts:56
Fionas:29   Donalds:33
Sub 2000:41   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:23   Islands:13
Joined: Feb 19, 2009
Location: Inverness

Re: The Munros

Postby mountainstar » Tue Sep 17, 2013 6:38 pm

I enjoyed that report!....very funny :lol: :thumbup:
Well done young man, a magnificent achievement, I also enjoyed following your Blog and Facebook page :clap:
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mountainstar
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Posts: 2507
Munros:282   Corbetts:221
Fionas:24   Donalds:8
Sub 2000:20   Hewitts:217
Wainwrights:214   Islands:24
Joined: Dec 7, 2009
Location: Wrexham

Re: The Munros

Postby Bod » Tue Sep 17, 2013 6:48 pm

Well done again Kevin, supreme effort!
I like Malky's idea of watching the report fill up :D :D :D :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Posts: 1548
Munros:282   Corbetts:67
Fionas:34   Donalds:21
Sub 2000:44   Hewitts:27
Wainwrights:51   Islands:25
Joined: Jul 30, 2010
Location: Cowdenbeath

Re: The Munros

Postby lomondwalkers » Tue Sep 17, 2013 7:22 pm

As above, I enjoyed following your progress on your blog and facebook page. Very inspiring :clap: What a fabulous adventure you must have had :D
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lomondwalkers
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Posts: 854
Munros:143   Corbetts:57
Fionas:57   Donalds:73
Sub 2000:23   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:3   Islands:4
Joined: May 5, 2010
Location: Bishopbriggs

Re: The Munros

Postby Mountainlove » Tue Sep 17, 2013 8:09 pm

Haha loved the count of all the Munros...great achievement :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1346
Munros:88   Corbetts:54
Fionas:7   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:3   
Islands:10
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Location: North Ayrshire

Re: The Munros

Postby Johnny Corbett » Tue Sep 17, 2013 9:30 pm

Great effort especially after the dreadfull start you got with the weather. :clap:
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Johnny Corbett
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Posts: 2983
Munros:25   Corbetts:214
Fionas:168   Donalds:74
Sub 2000:302   Hewitts:1
Islands:14
Joined: May 14, 2010
Location: Livingston

Re: The Munros

Postby brpro26 » Tue Sep 17, 2013 9:33 pm

No one likes a smart-arse :wink: .........well done all the same quite an achievement to be proud of. :clap:
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Posts: 477
Munros:220   Corbetts:7
Fionas:4   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:9   
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Re: The Munros

Postby dogplodder » Thu Sep 19, 2013 4:02 pm

Well done on a fantastic achievement! :clap: When does the book come out? :lol: A few years ago I read Hamish Brown's about doing all the Munros in one walk, which didn't mean as much to me then as it would now that I've done more of them! :D
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Posts: 4238
Munros:242   Corbetts:74
Fionas:25   
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Re: The Munros

Postby jonny616 » Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:46 pm

Like others great blog and achievement. Great to meet you on the Wyvis trip. :clap:
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Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1621
Munros:282   Corbetts:14
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Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:17
Wainwrights:8   Islands:8
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