Since ticking off number 50 back in October 2015 I’ve experienced quite a shift in my philosophical approach to bagging the munros. Although climbing all 282 hills on the list remains my long term goal, I’m beginning to realise that the quality of my mountain days counts for more than the number of ticks in a list or the speed that I check them off. 12 months ago I was in such a rush to climb the munros but now I understand clearly that there’s no hurry at all. Completing may take me decades. In the meantime I want to progress as a mountaineer and to gain experience on more difficult terrain.
Route finding at the start of the Cyfrwy Arete, February 2016
Back in February I climbed Cadair Idris via the Cyfrwy arete with John Moxham. This is probably one of the finest mountaineering routes in the country. A year earlier, I was so singly focused on the munros that instead of searching out a route like the Cyfrwy arete (conveniently only 2 hours drive from my folks in Worcestershire) I was drawn instead to straightforward walks in the Southern Highlands that allowed me to easily up my munro tally but which hit my wallet much harder than a day climbing in Wales because of the extra cost involved in a trip from London up to Scotland.
Max Hunter leading on Tower Ridge, March 2016
Cyfrwy arete proved to be perfect preparation for Tower Ridge, which I climbed with Max Hunter in late winter conditions in March – my first ever foray on Ben Nevis. Neither day provided me with a bevy of ticks for my list of Welsh hewitts or munros. Yet both days gave me shots of adrenaline and a sense of satisfaction that eclipses anything I’ve felt on a day of hill-walking. I’ll never be a hard core rock climber but I know now that scrambles and mountaineering routes are what I enjoy most. Big days with walk-ins, ropes, exposure and a summit reward are where it’s at for me. Understandably then, the call of the Alps is proving irresistible.
Below the Table on Cyfrwy arete, February 2016
In September I will spend a week in the Valais with a guide. I hope that over this and successive seasons I can become as comfortable in the alpine environment as I am beginning to feel on the rougher terrain of Snowdonia and the Highlands. I have lots to learn. In the meantime, the hills of Wales and Scotland will continue to provide the perfect training ground for even bigger objectives. If I put some ticks in my lists on the way, then that’s a bonus.
incompleatist 