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The first of two Blasts from the Past, and this one from the fairly distant past - September 2005, to my best recollection
...
I haven't managed out walking since the beginning of August, due to 'That Toad, Work' as Philip Larkin puts it
, and I've had to content myself with a bit of armchair hill-bagging in the form of looking through old photos
.
I do remember an outing up Ben Hiant a long time ago fairly clearly, but I didn't realise that I had a photographic record of it! It's a great wee hill, very possibly my favourite Sub2K Marilyn to date, so it's nice to be able to do a WR for it, even it it is 12 years late
.
This was a big family outing to Kilchoan Hotel, Ardnamurchan during (I think) the September weekend of 2005. Our weather was mixed, but some of us took advantage of a dry spell on the Saturday to go up Ben Hiant. As far as I remember, it was the standard ascent route as per the website route description (see below).
The ascent party consisted of: yours truly; my good pals and longtime drinking buddies Gordon & Aileen from just down the road; plus Marko who is a Londoner and had never been up any Marilyn before, in Scotland or elsewhere.
It was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment thing, and none of us had the proper gear: Aileen went up in her wellies, while Marko was wearing jeans & trainers I think. Nevertheless, we made it to the top without mishap, and managed to get some semi-decent views before the Clag descended
. From left to right, Marko, BHK and Aileen:
And this time, Marko, BHK and Gordon. Marko well impressed with his first hill!
A fine vista right across Mull:
And a rather hazier view of Eigg:
The next day (I think, although my memory is a bit vague), we took the Kilchoan to Tobermory ferry, and got a good view of Ben Hiant as we sailed past - definitely a very distinguished wee hill!
After an early lunch in Tobermory, we made our way back to Kilchoan in improving weather, and managed a beach barbecue, no less, at Sanna Sands late that afternoon - something that has since become a bit of a family tradition, but I think this was the first one... (The hill in the background is Meall Sanna - not a Marilyn, but a very nice miniature hill nonetheless; I've been up it since then; it has a cairn at the top and everything, and enjoys fine Hebridean views as might be expected.)
Good memories
!
