Key for Munro and Corbett postings

Celebrating the completion of the 4th Round on Schiehallion

When I started this blog it was not intended to be a record of hill walks but a diary of things that captured my attention after retirement. In practice it has become more of an online diary and a key feature of retirement has been the chance to indulge in a more relaxed round of Munros, complete the Corbetts, and enjoy some longer-distance walks. It seemed more sensible to write them up, include photographs, and post them on the blog rather than just fill another notebook for each outing as I had done for my four previous Munro rounds. A blog is easier to access and can be tapped into by companions and others looking for photos of the hills. It also provides information that might be useful for other walkers. In particular, the timings, length of the route, and the ascent of each walk are something most of us look for when planning a walk. This is the case with the Munro postings each post typically has received between 40 to 400 hits depending on the popularity of the hill. The rare remote hills also receive a disproportionate number of hits because there are few other postings about them.

There are over a hundred or so walks now on the blog and several people have asked for an explanation of the timings, ascent, and classification of the hills. They have also asked how realistic the timings are. Well, that depends on the individual, the conditions, and the amount of gear being carried, see timings below. The Key to Abbreviations is provided to give some insight into the information provided. My intention at present (2014) is to try and complete my current Munro round and the Corbetts by 2018.

Key to Abbreviations

The date is given for each walk, and the posting is often made a few days later.

Ascent:      is the total height climbed on the day as measured in metres by a Suunto altimeter                                   

Distance:   is the cumulative length of the walk, measured in kilometres, on 1:50,000 OS sheets or, more recently, using the excellent OS Maps Online, a bargain at £21 per annum

Time:         is the walking time and includes short stops for drinks, food, and photos. If I have a substantial break of more than, say, 10 minutes for lunch then this is not included in the time.

m   refers to Munros - there are presently 282 in Scotland. They are hills over 3000 feet (914metres)

t     refers to Tops - these are adjoined to Munros and also over 3000 feet. there are currently 500 tops

c    refers to Corbetts - hills between 2500 and 3000 feet which have a 500-foot drop all around. there are presently 224 Corbetts

Each Munro, Top, or Corbett is given its height in metres(m), and the cumulative time to reach it from the start of the walk (*hrs *mins).

The description of the walk is intended to describe the conditions, the main features, and the memorable events including wildlife sightings. I am still trying to find a way of including route maps on the blog.

Timings

I have been asked to explain my timings for various walks on the Munros, and Corbetts, as well as longer distance trails to give people an idea of how they should use them. I am aware that books such as the Scottish Mountaineering Club Guide to The Munros and Irvine Butterfield's excellent The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland give times based on either Naismith's rule or Eric Langmuir's

formula. The former is quite generous and should be easily possible for a reasonably fit walker and the latter are quite demanding but take no cognisance of ground conditions, which can be hugely significant.

I have listed my cumulative times for each walk. These are usually close to the lowest times in the range quoted by Irvine Butterfield or about 25% quicker than Naismith. However, they will vary according to terrain, weather, whether I am travelling light or carrying a tent and overnight gear, and also how well I am going on the day. They also depend on my companions. I have walked about a third of the outings on my own but I also have four strong walking companions: Keith, my former mountain marathon partner who still competes in hill races, John, my brother-in-law who is a keen cyclist and walker, Mark, a former work colleague who is an obsessive hill walker with a relentless pace and my son, Gregor, who is exceptionally quick on the hills. Between the five of us, we have climbed at 2014 over 9,000 Munros and completed 14  rounds of Munros so there is a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Scottish hills.

The times are mine, someone in his sixties, reasonably fit and still running regularly at sub-8-minute mile pace. I am an experienced hill walker having completed four rounds of the Munros. These posts are of my most recent outings of a more relaxed attempt on a fifth round of Munros and to complete the Corbetts. My times are on average about 15 - 20% slower than they were twenty years ago when I was hill-fit and fairly driven to take advantage of the rare days when I was not working.

Photographs

Wherever possible I take photographs on all walks unless the conditions are too atrocious or I forget my camera, which is very seldom although the battery has sometimes given up. Normally I carry a small digital camera: Panasonic TZ8 until it died, an Olympus ZX1(waterproof) now also defunct, currently a Sony RX100, and occasionally an SLR - Pentax K5 also waterproof.

Previous Munro Rounds

Round 1    1989 to 1993      92 days over 4 years 8 months start on Bidean name Bian and finish on Liathach
Round 2    1994 to 1998    107 days over 4 years 8 months start on Ben Vorlich and finish on Ben Lomond
Round 3    1999 to 2004    105 days over 5 years 2 months start on Ben Ime and finish on Buchaille Etive Mor
Round 4    2004 to 2008      80 days over 3 years 9 months start on Meall nan Aighean and finish on Schiehallion