Wednesday, April 07, 2010

The Munro quest continues. As I mentioned in my last message, I went with friends to the remote Knoydart peninsula, and did manage to surmount 1020m Ladhar Bheinn, one of the most impressive of the Munros.  However, it took 9 hours to reach the top, and I had a spill on a steep snow slope on the way that lost me my ice-axe and has given me a (temporary, I hope) limp.  Luckily a friend, fitter than I, was there to provide encouragement.  The picture of me on the exposed, hail-laden top is not one of perfect joy.  The streak across my face is in fact a 50 mph hailstone - and when they hit, they hurt!

It has remained very snowy and the weekend before Easter I joined a group of six (over age 60) stalwarts on a trip to a spectacular area called Torridon.  We managed five peaks in three days! Below are some pictures from the 26-28 March to prove it.  I was feeling much more buoyant, but the weather was still atrocious and we used crampons to reach the final two tops.  And 28 hours walking in 3 days has left the knees more than a bit worn!
In order, the tops surmounted (crossed out for emphasis!) are:

922m Tom na Gruagaich (Beinn Alligin)
986m Sgurr Mhor (Beinn Alligin)
926m Beinn Liath Mhor
993m Spidean Coire nan Clach (Beinn Eighe)
1010m Ruadh-stac Mor (Beinn Eighe)

So there are now just 12 to go before the The Last Munro - Beinn Achaladair on Sunday Aug 29.
A reminder - we shall start the walk at 10 am at Achallader Farm at the bottom of the hill where there is a car park - I think it will take about six hours.  There will be tea from 4 pm for all those who have walked, at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel nearby.

For those staying Sunday night, there will be a supper with music and high-jinks at 7.30 pm.  This is to give walkers time to get showered and unwound.  If you want to stay, and have not booked a room, let me know because the Hotel is now full. I may have suggestions.  If you are staying on the Saturday night beforehand, we have arranged a rendezvous at a great restaurant, the Loch Leven Seafood Café, about 15 miles NW.

My trip to Kabul was postponed until May - I shall write again before August to tell you about what I find in Kabul.  Chris Beales writes that one of the Afghan Training Foundation (ATF) Board members, Samad Samadi, is currently in Kabul managing work there.  AA now has over 50 people on site. 21 current trainees are sponsored by individuals, companies and charitable trusts. Equitable Charitable Trust, the Vandervell Foundation and individual sponsors are helping to support training, and Ashram International and Control Risks are sponsoring 10 women, all “graduate” trainees, into business in their own right. One company operating in Kabul, G4S, sponsors trainees and provides medical help.  Midday meals are provided by the Supreme Foundation, who also has provided a free 20 ft container to transport clothing and other goods from Southampton to Kabul, acquired through collections and generous donations from individuals, local groups, schools and others. Included are 10 pallets of new safety clothing from Hull-based company Arco and medical equipment from BUPA.

To my personal delight, the pledged total from the Munro campaign now approaches £16,000 vs. the original target of £5,000 and therefore the new target of £20,000 by the last Munro in August looks achievable.  I thank all of you who have donated and helped me reach this terrific interim result.

Below, I list some options for participation for those who are still watching and waiting.  Many of you have been extraordinarily generous, and some are understandably waiting for me to complete the hills before redeeming their pledges!

If you have not already given or pledged, please do consider one or the other!  The website is below - it’s easy and secure. Pledges or gifts have ranged from £1 for each of the last 25 Munros, all the way through to £10!  Two deranged but incredibly generous friends have noted that there are 283 Munros and have offered a back dated pledge to cover them all, using the same £/Munro(!), which is why the total has jumped up so significantly.  For US taxpayers, there’s a mechanism to claim a tax deduction - so contact me if you’d like to do it that way!

Your generosity has raised the stakes, so you can be sure I’ll do my darnedest, with limp or without, to get all the Munros completed by August!

With my continuing thanks

Michael