My first "final" Munro was with Paul Krebs (Munroist 1312). He compleated with the ascent of A'Ghlas-bheinn in May 1992.
Now on my 78th birthday the objective was An Socach which would be my friend Chris's final Munro. The weather was perfect, high cloud and a pleasant 18 degrees as we lifted our bikes over the fence and cycled 3 km past Baddoch farm and up the track beside the Baddoch burn. Leaving the bikes by the burn we followed the path to the east top of An Socach which at 938m is only 6m lower than the true summit 2km to the west. Half way along the broad summit ridge Chris realised he had left his phone at the east top but as we had the mountain to ourselves we continued on to the cairn at 944m where Chris celebrated with a cup of tea. A friend had written him a poem to be opened on the top:
On Cresting the Last Munro

The wind lifts what's left of my breath,
stones loosen their grip on the hill.
There is no summit song- just sky,
and the long silence of having done it.

Not triumph,
but a kind of stillness.
The body sore,
the world enormous
and enough.


Chris phoned his wife using my phone, and we set off back along the ridge.

The phone was where he left it.

Back at the car we celebrated with half a bottle of Moet et Chandon

Later at the Fish Shop and Restaurant in Ballater we had a superb meal for his compleation and my birthday. A day to remember.