KeithS wrote:Hi, really enjoyed this report, sorry I missed it first time round.
Many congratulations on your compleation, and what a mountain to finish on, definitely my favourite, especially as I wake up to it whenever I am in Laide.
Not just a good report but also nice to hear of your celebrations afterwards, and also your musings as to what life after compleation may be like.
I am really torn at the moment as to whether to compleat or not. I have three options:
1) Compleat.
2) Don't compleat. Just leave one, which would be Bidein a'Ghlas Thuill. This would avoid any post compleation depression or similar related matters. I could still repeat Sgurr Fiona again (and again) so enjoy the mountain.
3) Wait until my grandson, who is currently 3yrs old, is old enough to make an ascent and do it with him and hand the baton over to him. That would not be an end, it would be a beginning.
I might put it to the vote on the site in due course.
Anyway, well done and best wishes
Keith
Many thanks Keith
It is a difficult question. I'd never thought of compleating at all, but when I started I lived in London and only moved marginally closer to the Home Counties after. So moving up north changed all that and it then became within my grasp.
An Teallach was a choice made for Compleation several years before, after missing the summit via the traverse and not realising until it was too late
But the choice became a promise and given the pure spectacle of such a mountain, a choice many others will no doubt choose, very worthy.
My own thoughts of what to do after, I had pondered well before the penultimate mountain and right through to Compleation. I only felt a sense of loss after I Compleated. I had no intention or ambition to 'do' another list, be that Corbetts or whatever, that never had any appeal, but having already done some 70 odd Munro's twice (and some 5 or 6 times) I've kind of falling into doing them again. That said, not with the same zest or fever. I go out when I can, if I don't make the top, its not an issue, I enjoy the day for what it is, a day in the wilderness
Having many friends also on that road means there will be many a Compleation still to come and I will enjoy being a part of that and seeing these good folk also reach that milestone too.
Besides the Munro's there are many more mountains to climb, I have a mental bucket list of others that I wish to do, and alternative routes up those already done, as I still enjoy planning an alternative as opposed to taking the well worn track up
Only you can decide of your 3 choices, as its clearly a personal thing, some go headlong into it and then stop, claiming they were never doing 'the Munro's' despite the celebrations reaching particular milestones
You could Compleat, and hopefully avoid the post trauma of 'what now', if you have a plan in mind. If like me, you love the mountains and being in the wilderness, and have all your life, it won't go away, you will find a way.
There is nothing wrong with not Compleating either, something I had thought of, but I was persuaded and I'm glad I did. Apart from some initial sadness in the weeks and months following, it soon became a 'get back on the horse' kind of thing and didn't need forcing as I joined friends on their journeys.
Or you could wait, although that could be some wait and without dwelling on age, you've hopefully got some years in reserve
That said it would be wonderful to combine it with your grandson, as you say a new beginning.
Whatever you choose, I hope those views from Laide will keep that burning withing you, and wish you my very best in whatever path you take, kindest regards,
Dave