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The end of an incredible 15 year journey, a journey that has taken me to some of the most beautiful and remote areas of Scotland, where mountains are king, and where mother nature dictates if you are allowed to reach the summit on any given day. I'd always been one for spending my time outdoors, never been one for being a couch potato, endless sitting in front of the TV watching untold garbage that passes as so called entertainment, but climbing Munro's wasn't for the likes of me, no sir, that was the domain of young fit sporty mountaineers, or people with woolly jumpers and big beards, I was none of these, I was someone who was approaching 50 with a gammy leg, and pot belly.
This compleation was booked a full year in advance, September 18th 2021 to be precise and with only 10 Munro's left and a full year to reach this target what could possibly go wrong 😄😄 well quite a lot actually, by December that year I still had 10 left, come January 2022 I hired a personal fitness instructor on a 3 month training program determined to be fitter than ever, or as fit as my 63 year old body would allow. Four weeks in and was feeling better than I had been for years, then an old achillies injury I'd completely forgotten about flared up and grounded me for 8 week's, so here I was in early April and still 10 Munro's left, mild panic set in as I had a few things already booked that I couldn't move, summer holiday in Spain, something about getting married & and a subsequent honeymoon 😄😄.
Anyway in the end, all's well that ends well, I managed to get a reasonable amount of fitness back, hauled my gammy leg & ankle over a few Munro's before my holidays, and once back embarked on a mission to leave only my compleation Munro to climb once back from honeymoon, this I managed a few weeks before my wedding climbing Sgurr Mich Chonnich on Skye on the Friday, then driving down to the end of Loch Arkaig that night, kipping in the car and climbing Sgurr Mor on the Saturday in blistering heat that near killed me of 😄😄
I have many people I need to thank who one way or another have been part of this incredible journey, on this site we all have Avatar names and profiles we use, and or hide behind, but I'm going to use their proper names. Firstly Paul & Helen Webster, founders and owners of WH without them this journey would never have happened, Alan Sherry, my son in law, we climbed our first Munro together, our hundredth Munro together, and subsequently Alan was with me on my last, he's more than a son in law, he's the boy I never had, he's also a great friend, next is Jonathan Mitchell, my mountain mucker, we've had some amazing adventures over this last 10/12 years, shared many epic days on the mountains, shared nights in a so called 2 man tent, but what happens on the mountains, stays on the mountains 😄😄, next Andy Drinnon, my big American buddy, we shared many a day in the clag with no views, but we made up for lack of views with great friendship.A few others need mentioned in dispatches, Bod & Val McLean, Pauline Henderson, Ronald Robertson, Deborah Anderson, Dave Webb, Jonathan Wilson, Bryan Allan, Wullie Rae ,to each and every one of you I give thanks, thanks for helping me compleate, I am truly humble to call you all my friends. Last but no means least I need to mention my late wife Elizabeth, she was my rock as I started this journey, but sadly never made the end of my journey, I'd like to dedicate this to you, rest easy Elizabeth, I will never forget you 😪😪.
Well that's my journey done, I'm in the twilight of my life, with more years behind me than in front, I shall still continue going into the mountains until the gammy leg decides it's had enough, I hope it's a long time coming, until then here are a few pictures of my last Munro on this round, I hope the pictures convey the joy and friendship I've enjoyed these last 15 years, thanks to each and every one of you GLW.
PS, I couldn't end this TR without a mention to my new wife Kath, we shall share the next installment of my journey, I'm sure it's never going to be dull.
