Glumness on Glas Maol

Before posting about the Tallacs, I'd hunted through our photies for a shot of them in action. I knew there had to be some and I eventually found one today, on an old PC up in the loft. It was taken on Glas Maol back in September 2005 and if I don't look happy, it's because I wasn't.

The author, looking down in the dumps. Note footwear, stealthy garb and pre-Carbonlite Leki's.

It sums up, for me, everything that's wrong with "bagging" Munros for the sake of a tick on a list. Firstly, it's a dull hill. There's nothing remarkable about it* but I'd set off to climb it as it was one of the last two Glenshee Munros that I hadn't done.

Outside of Winter, when a good dump of snow can hide a multitude of sins, the Glenshee Ski Centre is a mess. It's horrible. To get there, I'd taken a day off work, driven for nearly 2 hours and passed many other fine wee hills on the way. There were other people about but they were, with but one exception, to a man and woman, Ignorant Bastards. My cheery "Hiya's" brought forth scowls and, happily, a fair bit of shame-faced discomfiture. There were red lugs aplenty.

I've always maintained that you meet nicer folk on Corbetts and indeed any hill that disnae appear in the Reverend's Tables and this day proved it. In fact, it was nearly 2 years before I set foot on another Munro and in that time I had many a cheery encounter with folk who's opening gambit wisnae "How many's that then?".







*Except of course for the Mountain Hares which are huge and numerous. Oh awright, and the views. Sometimes.

Revolution, not Resolutions

I'm no' making any resolutions for the coming year. 2007 was a bit rubbish when it came to quality hill days so it's obvious what needs to be done; a lifestyle revolution.

• No loafing indoors when the weather's half-decent
• No staying home because the weather might be rubbish
• No "I'll go next weekend"
• No "I'll pack my bag/make my pieces/find something to wear in the morning"
• etc, etc

In short, an end to Procrastination. And, as a born Procrastinator, that's a big lifestyle change. Trust me.

Anyway, I'm no' gettin' any younger and who knows what the future holds? I mean, how can I torment The Baggers* when I've still got Munros and Corbetts that havnae been visited yet?

I'm going to make 2008 The Year I Got My Mojo Back. Yes indeedy.

*Bagger Baiting is one of my favourite guilty pleasures and is rooted in history but that's worth a post in itself. If I ever meet a "Compleatist", I swear, I'll think I've died and gone to Heaven.

Bad news for Baggers

Or rather, "compleators" (sic) as the Munro Society call in surveyors to assess whether 2 sub-munro hills can be promoted to Munro status. Details on the BBC website.

Makes nae odds to me as I'm no' interested in "bagging" anything but I can't help but smile at the thought of all these folk who think they've finished, having to fish out their boots and get back out there:o)