Ben Nevis, The Aonachs and the Grey Corries: Ben Nevis (1)

Walk date: 1984. Aged ~7
My Munro #s: 1/284


















Well, why not start your Munro bagging with the big one? Here I am as a youngster on my first trip to Scotland. Having already seen us up Snowdon, my Dad reckoned we were perfectly ready for the highest hill in the land. At this age we of course went up the tourist route, starting at the Youth Hostel. I remember it quite vividly; thinking we were almost there at Loch Meall an t-Suidhe, and then the endless zig-zagging in the cloud until it finally stopped and ended on a bare and flat wasteland with the (wisely) abandoned observatory, my Dad making soup, the rain starting as soon as we started down, and crying constantly for the last 1000 feet as we returned to a water-logged tent. Built character so I'm told! Well, it must have planted something in me. 1 down, 283 to go!

Here will hopefully before too long sit a real-time Munro-baggers diary, which will track the progress from 0 to 284, or to something altogether worse inbetween.