Caberfeidh wrote:Try taking your bonnie lass with you (make sure the weather and conditions will be good) and she might see that all is generally well.
Very thoughtful responses on this thread, as ever.
I did just this last week take my bonnie lass with me, we were based in Ballachulish and climbed The Pap, the 2 Aonachs, Beinn Fhionnlaidh, and traversed Stob Coire Nan Lochan so she experienced a decent cross section of wonderful Scottish mountain terrain. Previously she's been on Welsh hills with me including scrambles and in snow, however the Scottish scene is just so much bigger.
Most of my Scotland trips have been solo and she was worried at the time, however after I had a stroke last year now wants me to tell her where I'll be even if I'm going for a local walk when she's at work! Perfectly understandable.
Anyway, I'd hoped last week would ease her mind a bit but given the routes we did and when I pointed out some routes I'd done solo e.g. Aonach Eagach, Broad Gully on SCNL, she said it's made her feel worse seeing what I've done alone!
So I think she recognises my (hopefully not over) confidence, and competence through experience, and was pleased to have me as a mountain guide so that has helped. But the bottom line is you just never know what may happen in the mountains. Or elsewhere - indeed, a fall at home could be just as tragic!
Maybe I should get the beacon thing, perhaps apply for crowd funding.....