Munro bagging with Niall

However, if you feel that Munros may be a little too challenging, we also have the Corbetts and Grahams which fall below the 3000 foot level but this doesn’t make them any less interesting, and some can be more difficult than the Munros, so best to do your research! My favourite is The Cobbler, which is one of the most unique summits in Scotland. For those of us who are good with heights, you can ‘Thread the Needle’ to climb the rock stack at the summit.

How my obsession began...

My first Munro trip was in August 2015, to attempt Ben Nevis with two of my friends Mike and Lee with none of us having an ounce of hillwalking experience between us. With the thought of having the opportunity to head off with friends on a road trip for the weekend, I couldn’t wait to go – even if the weather forecast looked to put a dampener on our plans. In the weeks before, I started researching our route, looking at maps and pictures of where we were going, what we would need and buying new kit. Meanwhile checking the weather on an almost constant basis and praying that our trip would go ahead. An almost ritual like experience that is part of every trip I do now – or at least pre-Covid anyway. I knew my friend Richard had climbed many Munros, and ran our proposed plans past him. Finding out that we were intending to climb Ben Nevis, his recommendation was to not go by the busy Mountain Path but to take the CMD Arete route (Carn Mor Dearg) to really appreciate the spectacular cliffs of Ben Nevis. This would involve going up the neighbouring mountain Carn Mor Dearg and crossing a ridge to Ben Nevis.

Seeing the amazing views of our trip to come intensified my excitement. Heading up on the day we made our way up to Fort William, passing through incredible landscapes including Loch Lubnaig, the remote Rannoch Moor and the infamous Glencoe, with Buachaille Etive Mor marking its entrance mountains and lochs as far you could see. I’m not sure my jaw stopped dropping the whole way there.

Getting to Fort William we could see Ben Nevis looming over the town....we’re going up that? The pictures certainly hadn’t captured how grand this mountain really is, there was definitely the thought of thinking we’d maybe bitten off more than we could chew.

After a restless night of camping at the foot of the mountain, we set off up the mountain on what was forecast to be a cloudy yet dry day. Of course being Scotland it began to rain, after all the excitement of the trip planning things weren’t quite going to plan. However after around half an hour the skies began to clear and we found ourselves at the ‘Halfway’ Lochan. By the way it’s not halfway, I think whoever named it maybe had a cruel sense of humour to taunt hopeful walkers! From here our route sent us on a different path from the many walkers making their way up the zig-zags of the Mountain Trail, taking us round towards the neighbouring slopes of Carn Mor Dearg. As we made our way to the top (admittedly not quickly), the incredible views of the Ben Nevis cliffs and the arete came into sight. This is what we came here for, endless mountains in every direction and yet again the pictures don’t do the awe inspiring views any justice. Getting to see a view that most people climbing Ben Nevis miss out on, added to how special the moment was. I was hooked!

After making our way across the ridge and up the rocky slopes of Ben Nevis, we were finally at the top with the large cairn and weather station marking the true summit in the middle of a vast plateau. The summit of Ben Nevis is only clear 1 day in 10 and our luck was in, the feeling of achievement in making it to the top and being rewarded with those views is one we will always treasure. After a celebratory beer and numerous pictures it was time to head back down to camp and start planning our next adventure. Ironically it was to come back two weeks later and do it again.

Preparing for a Munro walk...Fail to prepare, prepare to fail…

If you are just getting started climbing hills, it can be a bit of a daunting task getting everything you need to feel prepared. Let me give you a few top tips based on my own Munro climbing adventures!

Fitness

Obviously having a good level of fitness will help when it comes to getting out into the hills, however with smaller hills and some routes not starting at sea level there are plenty options open to you for building your fitness. It may seem like a silly idea, but getting to the top is only half the battle, getting back down will be a tester on the knees.

Navigation

How are your navigation skills? Having a map and compass (and knowing how to use them) is fundamental for any trip out into the hills. You need to also make sure you can follow the route on the map - an Ordnance Survey or a Harvey Map is best. Identify any points where the terrain or bad weather might present difficulties and work out how you can avoid them. GPS and smartphones are great, but you shouldn’t be relying on them to guide you.

Route Planning

Selecting the correct route for your trip is obviously key to ensuring you have a safe day out, and thankfully there are many great sources to find these. Websites such as Walkhighlands are a great resource for improving on your knowledge on all aspects of getting outdoors. When looking at a route are you able to identify possible dangers and obstacles such as steep ground and rivers? Always have a Plan B if things don’t go to plan.

Weather

This is more than simply checking the weather forecast for the day. How has the weather been recently and how will this affect ground conditions? Will the small streams now be rivers and depending on the time of year, will there be any snow lying? For the best sources of weather forecasts for the day, use the MWIS and the Met Office. These will help you to decide whether your trip will go ahead and if so how the weather will affect your plans. Remember the weather outside your door is a different world to what you will find yourself in at the top of a Munro!

The more challenging side of Scottish weather is well documented, with the usual four seasons in one day. However, we are still left with plenty of good quality weather days to get out into the hills and experience a few weather phenomenon's that you won’t see at ground level. My favourite is a Cloud Inversion as pictured below.

A cloud or temperature inversion is when the usual air temperature(warm at the bottom, colder as you go up) is switched, leaving a layer of cold air at ground level by warmer air on top. If the ground is cold enough, the air will then condense to form a thick mist. If the hill you pick is high enough, then this can give you the opportunity to get above the cloud.

Kit

If you like a bit of kit then there is a mesmerising array waiting to tempt you in any good outdoor shop. Although you really don't need to go to town, having good quality clothing (and plenty food and water) is fundamental to ensuring you have a successful day out in the hills. I find the best way to do this is with a checklist. When it comes to clothing layering is best, with a base layer, mid layer and outer layer. Ensure that your base layer is quick drying to avoid the build up of moisture, merino wool and man made materials are best. Having a good quality jacket for your outer layer that is both water and wind proof is vital - particularly in Scotland.

For more information on how to plan your hill days, do refer to the Walkhighlands website which is full of great information and links to kit suppliers and accommodation.

10 ‘Easier’ Munros to get started

I wouldn’t say any Munros are ‘easy’, however if you feel you have the skills and fitness to start tackling some Munros I have made a list of my top 10 ‘easier’ Munro days to get started on. These are Munros that have clear paths and are relatively easy to navigate. Also and I would note that if you are getting started, I would advise doing this in summer conditions which means there should be little to no snow on the ground.

1. Ben Lawers/Beinn Ghlas

2. Mayar/Dreish

3. The Cairnwell/Carn Aosda

4. Mount Keen

5. Ben Lomond

6. Ben Chonzie

7. Schiehallion

8. Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn)

9. Buachaille Etive Beag

Getting out into the hills will give you endless opportunities for discovering new places, encounters with the local wildlife, weather phenomenon's and sometimes even experiencing the ‘supernatural’.

10. Suilven (Sool-ven)

Lying in the far Northwest of Scotland, Suilven is classed as a ‘wee’ hill standing at 731m and is one of Scotland's most iconic hills, looking more akin to something from a Lord of the Rings film. This can be climbed via a long walk in from the village of Lochinver, which forms part of the famous NC500 route round the north coast of Scotland. If you are ever in the area, do try and get your hands on a Lochinver Pie (delicious!) and take a trip to Achmelvich beach.

Unsurprisingly there are amazing views of the Assynt area and out towards the Atlantic. However there is one other thing that may raise an eyebrow or two, a wall that has been built over the mountain between its two peaks. Given how incredibly steep the walk up is and how isolated the mountain is, there seems little point in its construction.

This is a feature that few know the true history of and its reason for being there. The strange and tragic answer to this is starvation. The wall is known as a Destitution or Famine Wall, which was built around the time of the Potato Famine in the 1840’s, this also formed part of the Highland Clearances. With people removed from their land, they were forced into work, building walls and roads with little or no purpose in return for food. It is no surprise that with these conditions, many people left for America, Canada and Australia. These roads and walls now act as a sad reminder to the darker side of Scottish history.