When do you count a Munro?

[Sgurr]

There are probably people who have done that without the sea level start.

Starting with Hamish Brown, via Martin Moran in winter to Stephen Pyke, who holds the record at 39 days, 9 hours and 6 minutes via various other people. Libby Kerr and Lisa Trollope hold the womens record.

[Sunset tripper]

Here's my spicy, random hot-take: to claim you have bagged a Munro you have to do at least 914.4 meters of ascent.

Think about this, if you climb Ben Vane but start at 10 meters above sea level, you've only climbed a Graham's worth of it, not the entire thing.

I'm not saying you have to start at sea level, but you have to start at least 914.4 meters lower than the summit.

I met these guys on Ben Nevis last year. They are a group of divers and started in Loch Linnhe at 5 metres below sea level They were raising money for Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and other good causes.
Surely that is the way to do the Munros.
These guys are purer than the purists.

Ben Nevis 3rd September 2018

[Glengavel]

Here's my spicy, random hot-take: to claim you have bagged a Munro you have to do at least 914.4 meters of ascent.

Think about this, if you climb Ben Vane but start at 10 meters above sea level, you've only climbed a Graham's worth of it, not the entire thing.

I'm not saying you have to start at sea level, but you have to start at least 914.4 meters lower than the summit.

I met these guys on Ben Nevis last year. They are a group of divers and started in Loch Linnhe at 5 metres below sea level They were raising money for Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and other good causes.
Surely that is the way to do the Munros.
These guys are purer than the purists.

Ben Nevis 3rd September 2018

20180903_123801.jpg

Hell's teeth. How long did that take?

[Sunset tripper]

I was on the summit round about midday. They had started on the Saturday 2 days beforehand, not sure exactly how they went about it but it looked hard going whatever way they did it. The seat was for the guy in the suit to rest on.
Here's the news report from the time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45420485

[Landsoul]

Pretty much most of the talk about starting at sea level, specific heights, having to do x number of meters for it to "count", what is and isn't allowed is all nonsense.
Climb them however which way you want and count them how you like, there are no rules.
It was never meant to be so complicated...

[Marty_JG]

is all nonsense.

Indeed. It's just a fun thread.

Munros themselves are an accident of numbers looking pleasing to the eye if they're "round", in and of itself based on the randomness of using base 10 for our numerics. If it were people from Norfolk who'd devised modern mathematics we'd be using base 11. (It's okay, I'm allowed to joke about the fens being from the area myself). And then we changed our measurement system so we don't even have round numbers! A mountain of 914.4 meters is the cut-off point for rather than 914.3?

Yeah its nonsense - but it's also fun to argue about nonsense. Keeps the trauma of real life at bay...

[Sunset tripper]

There has been some suggestions on WH, that if you don't stand on the top of the big boulder which is the highest point of the In Pinn you cant claim it . When Danny MacAskill did the Cuillins on Skye and perched himself on the very highest point he maybe thought he could safely claim it. Someone should have let him know that taking your bike is cheating .

[weedavie]

5. The summit was redefined after you climbed it: do you go back? Like you say, it's all your own point of view.

The summit getting redefined isn't always tricky. I've largely been happy enough about revisiting shifting Munros. Cruach Ardrain and Beinn a Chroin have shifted in my time and Beinn a'Chaorainn never seemed to stand still. Sgurr nan Ceannaichean returning to the Corbetts I took in my stride. It was before my time but the shift from Clach Leathad to Creise was a long one but I always visit the demoted peak because it's one of the top viewpoints of all. Also WH Murray's account of a New Year camp on its summit has to be one of the most grimly funny pieces of Scottish hill-walking writing.

But the change that got me hacked off was when the Corbett Sgurr a' Bhac Chaolais shifted to Buidhe Bheinn. That was tricky-to-get-to becoming expedition-style.

[Sgurr]

5. The summit was redefined after you climbed it: do you go back? Like you say, it's all your own point of view.

But the change that got me hacked off was when the Corbett Sgurr a' Bhac Chaolais shifted to Buidhe Bheinn. That was tricky-to-get-to becoming expedition-style.

Yes, but the views of Loch Hourn from Bhuidhe Beinn are fantastic. Who would want to miss out on that?

[jmarkb]

But the change that got me hacked off was when the Corbett Sgurr a' Bhac Chaolais shifted to Buidhe Bheinn. That was tricky-to-get-to becoming expedition-style.

Held out on this one hoping the decision would go the other way, so it ended up being our second-to-last, but in the end it was a very pleasant short day out from Kinlochhourn (despite turning up with only one walking boot ) .

[rockhopper]

Similarly, I thought I'd covered Corbett Sgurr a' Bhac Chaolais when walking the South Glen Shiel ridge but then had go back for Buidhe Bheinn separately which was a nice walk in its own right. I know some hold to the view that a round comprises the hills on the list at the point you started which would have required a few other changes for me given the length of time which has passed but I opted to go for the list up to the point of finishing and add on others where necessary.

[Sgurr]

I am down in the SMC list as having finished on Sgurr Innse, as this was before the measurements were done, but went on the next day to do Buidhe Beinn on the belt and braces principle...just in case. Don't want to change it, as about half the Corbett compleationists would then end up on the same hill. Did you hop it, jmarkb, or do it in shoes?

[jmarkb]

Did you hop it, jmarkb, or do it in shoes?

Did it in some "townie" trainers - thankfully it was pretty dry underfoot.

[crfishwick]

Why does it matter? I have problems about all this garbage. Just enjoy yourself seeing all about you if you are Munro Bashing.

Been there got the Tee Shirt.😂

[al78]

5. The summit was redefined after you climbed it: do you go back? Like you say, it's all your own point of view.

But the change that got me hacked off was when the Corbett Sgurr a' Bhac Chaolais shifted to Buidhe Bheinn. That was tricky-to-get-to becoming expedition-style.

Yes, but the views of Loch Hourn from Bhuidhe Beinn are fantastic. Who would want to miss out on that?

Wow, just wow, fantastic doesn't do it justice. That is on my Scottish hills bucket list, but as always, if and when I take the time and money to go up there, it is a fluke if I can get weather clear enough for a view like that.