|
Scotland doesn't exactly have anything quite like Mount Everest,
but they do have something unique called a Munroe,
which were named by Sir Hugh Munroe in 1891 to classify any
mountain that's 3,000 feet or higher. Sadly, Munroe himself
died on the battlefront of World War I.
A.E. Robinson first completed all of the Munros after 10 years
hard climbing in 1901, and many today are trying to recreate
his mission.
Scotland has 284 Munroes, and there are some people who are
fanatical about walking and climbing them. Once you have climbed
a munroe that means you have 'bagged' it. Some people are
obsessive Munroe baggers, and some have bagged all of Scotland's
munroes. On a leisure trip, you could expect to 'bag' about
7 average size Munros a day, the speed record is 51 days for
the lot or 28 munros in one day! The most famous Munroe is
Scotland's highest mountain, Ben Nevis, around 5,000ft
high.
Trekker's tips
If you're blanning on putting a few in the bag, remember the
following:
- Plan your trip carefully, make sure you have a compass,
map and guidebook as some munros may have steep descent or
dangerous inclines. Work out how you would cut short your
trip in the event of problems.
- Go with someone else. If you must hike alone, tell someone
at your lodgings where you are going and try to bring a mobile
phone (if you can get any reception).
- Bring fresh water. There will usually be fresh mountain
streams to fill up your bottle along the way.
- The best season for bagging is the mild summer - May -
September. Bagging during the harsh winter should be undertaken
at your own peril.
- Do not undertake too much walking unless you have carried
out some training beforehand.
- Check the weather forecast before setting out. The weather
in Scotland is extremely changeable. Bring waterproof coats
and trousers and plenty of layers to compensate for a drop
in temperature as you head further up in altitude.
- Bear in wind that in winter, it becomes dark very quickly
(around 5pm) so plan to come back before then and bring a
torch.
- Read up on individual bags before going out to see if
the route is suitable and at a suitable level for your ability. |
