John Smth MP - a late Munro developer

[craighall]

For those, perhaps like myself, who've been concerned about the challenge of ' bumping up their numbers ', perhaps inspiration can be found from the late Leader of the Labour Party.

Mr Smith completed his first Munro, Ben Dorain, aged 49; and went on to complete 108 in the last five years of his life.


Michael,


Edinburgh.

[LDPWalker]

Robin Cook MP, was also keen on climbing Scottish mountains but he died on Ben Stack a few years back. It doesn't look like climbing mountains was good for their health.......

[craighall]

Well, I guess one could take that view.

Chris Smith MP, a former Cabinet Minister, completed all 283.


Michael.

[malky_c]

Well, I guess one could take that view.

Chris Smith MP, a former Cabinet Minister, completed all 283.


Michael.

Aha - that was the guy I was thinking of when I opened this thread.

[Red Peak]

I remember watching a programme about Chris Smith where he and the presenter climbed a Munro and chatted, etc, etc. Chris Smith had a 'ritual' of touching the top of the topmost rock of the summit carin, something I did myself at the time. But after seeing someone else do it, it made me realise how daft it looked, so I haven't done it since. Just touching the cairn itself will do for me now

[Steve B]

I think you are talking about him going up Ben More with Cameron McNeish. There was a series of walks where Cameron went up a hill and camped out etc.
Was a good series I seem to recall.

[Paul Webster]

It's the Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury these days . I think he was once the warden at Craig when it was still a (very remote) Youth Hostel.

[Dave Hewitt]

The late John Smith's Munro-climbing career has long interested me, and gave rise to this piece of what-if alternative history over at the CalMerc last year:
http://tinyurl.com/3f8wvuq

[JTweedie]

I think you are talking about him going up Ben More with Cameron McNeish. There was a series of walks where Cameron went up a hill and camped out etc.
Was a good series I seem to recall.

Yes that was a good series, I've got the book of the same name: "Wilderness Walks". I don't know if it's just me being unfit, but sometimes I think Cameron McNeish's routes are a tad overambitious.

[Dundreich]

I think you are talking about him going up Ben More with Cameron McNeish. There was a series of walks where Cameron went up a hill and camped out etc.
Was a good series I seem to recall.

Yes that was a good series, I've got the book of the same name: "Wilderness Walks". I don't know if it's just me being unfit, but sometimes I think Cameron McNeish's routes are a tad overambitious.

Cameron has a BBC Scotland TV series (and book) out next year. Covers him walking from Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath (which he dubs 'Scotland's National Trail'). It doesn't (thank goodness ) follow the watershed. The route is Kirk Yetholm - Edinburgh - Milngavie - Aviemore - Cape Wrath. Dunno how long it took him.

[Phil the Hill]

I "bagged" John Smith's grave on Iona in May 1994 shortly after his death. I'd just been up Ben More on Mull as my 100th Munro after a bagging spree over Ben Lui, Ben Cruachan and outliers, after which I (temporarily) lost the mad urge to bag more Munros and took some time to explore the lesser hills and islands around Mull - one of the best Scottish holidays I've had. I'm not a Labour supporter, but any politician who climbs Scottish hills has got to be alright, so I duly paid my respects.