Taking
to the Hills - Hillwalking – A Scottish Hobby
by David Barlow - Lyle Craigs Member
Hillwalking in
Scotland is a growing pastime for many Scottish people for a wide variety of
reasons. In the last few decades life in Western society has become more
sedentary with increased use of motorised transport, work has become much less
physical and people in general have more leisure time. The working environment
has also become increasingly stressful due to global competition. This has led
to people seeking ways to escape the stresses and strains of everyday life and
increase their physical activity levels in a natural environment.
Scotland offers
a huge and diverse range of terrain and environments of special natural beauty
with an equally diverse range of flora and fauna to experience. There is also a
very diverse range of weather conditions and seasons to experience – from warm
sunny days of 20+ degrees through very wet and windy conditions to Arctic
conditions of -10 degrees with deep snow and ice. In fact some of the higher
landscapes are home to plants and animals of the Arctic tundra. The variety of
walking and climbing to be experienced is also wide – from gentle glen walks
through long days in the rolling Cairngorm mountains to the alpine-like Skye
ridge with its need for significant climbing skills. In summer the weather can
change rapidly from benign to quite unpleasant, in winter from cool to
sometimes Himalayan storm conditions. There is therefore a need to have
significant navigation, survival and mountaineering skills. It is also necessary
to have good clothing and equipment although there is absolutely no substitute
for experience. The advent of electronic tools such as GPS has made navigation
much easier but these must be used with caution and should only be a backup to
map and compass. Winter skills are more specialist such as the use of ice axe
and crampons and a higher level of fitness is required for the more demanding
conditions. Some mountains can be climbed within one hour from the roadside
whereas others require a 3 day camping trip to complete and there is a whole
range between these extremes.
In total there
are 284 peaks in Scotland higher than 3000 feet which are named and classified
as 'Munros' by the Scottish Mountaineering Club. On 'compleation' of all of
these peaks you are recognized as a 'Munroist' by the SMC. There are several
thousand recorded 'Munroists' who have recorded their 'Compleations' with the
SMC. The peaks were first classified by Sir Hugh Munro who documented and
'compleated' them in 1901 and some people have recorded some remarkable feats
around these. For example the record for a winter 'compleation' of all 284
peaks is around two months. Another example is a few people who have
'compleated' multiple times.
The definition
of which peaks over 3000 feet constitutes a 'Munro' is not very well
characterized but defined simply in a list by the SMC Committee. There are also
511 peaks over 3000 feet defined as 'Tops' which do not merit being listed as
'Munros' due to the fact that they are too close or have insufficient drop
between them and neighbouring 'Munros'.
In addition to
the Munros there are also 219 peaks named as 'Corbetts' after John Corbett who
defined them in the 1930's. The definition is very specific – 'Any peak between
2500 and 3000 feet with a drop of at least 500 feet to any adjoining peak'.
Many of these mountains are very challenging and remote and warrant the same
respect as the 'Munros'.
There are many
walking and climbing clubs also which allow people to get together in
semi-organized groups which is excellent from a social aspect and allows people
to benefit from the experience of others. Most clubs have a schedule of day
walks and also weekend trips to more remote areas.
Some strange
and unusual things can also happen in the mountains. There are many stories of
strange encounters with questionable phenomenon such as the feeling of being
followed in the mist and hearing footsteps behind you. Also weather phenomena
such as a 'Brocken Spectre' where you can see a halo above your shadow on the
cloud below. From my own experience facing an angry stag (male deer) was a
pretty scary experience! More seriously the potential risks cannot be ignored as there are several people tragically killed in the
mountains every year.
One of the most
enjoyable aspects of this hobby in addition to the obvious is the camaraderie
and friendships that you strike up with people in the mountains and enjoying a
few drinks and a good meal at the end of a hard day out. Many work places also
start up small walking groups allowing colleagues to occasionally enjoy each
others company outside work and get to know each other better. It makes for
good team building.
Walking,
mountaineering and climbing in Scotland has a great history over the last
century with many famous British climbers of the 'Golden Era' of Mountaineering
(1950 – 1980) learning their skills and trade in the Scottish mountains and
pioneering new routes. Chris Bonnington, Dougal Haston and Doug Scott to name a
few who all went on to become celebrated Himalayan Mountaineers climbing the
most difficult routes and mountains in the world.
In addition to
climbing hills there are many people who enjoy low level, long distance walks.
The most popular of these are The West Highland Way on its way from Glasgow to
Fort William (98 miles), The Southern Upland Way and the Cape Wrath Trail.
Most people
complete these routes over a few days either camping or staying in bothies
(small deserted cottages which have been converted to basic shelter).
There is a huge
amount of literature available for the beginner, specialist courses and advice
are also easily available.
I hope that
this short article has in some way inspired you to 'Take to the Hills'!
