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In 1891, Sir Hugh Munro had a great idea. A founder
member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, Munro published in
the club journal of that year a list of all Scottish mountains
over 3,000 feet (914m) as an incentive for people to climb them.
The idea took off at once, and for the past hundred years Munro-bagging
has been a popular pursuit for hill walkers and more serious climbers
alike.
A Munro is any Scottish mountain over 3,000 feet
and the ambition of the most dedicated climber is to bag - that
is, climb - the lot. When Sir Hugh made his original calculations
the tally came to 538. Today the figure stands at 284.
The sharp decline from the original number estimated
by Munro is not an indication that Scotland's mountains are flattening
out. The definition of a Munro has been refined over the years
to exclude mere "tops" - summits that can be reached
by walking the ridge from one mountain to another without having
to go down to the bottom and start a new climb. Survey methods,
too, have become more sophisticated since Munro's day, and the
switch to metrification disqualified some peaks that fell short
by a metre or two.
At 2,759 feet (841m) Ben Rinnes, near Aberlour,
just misses out on being a Munro, though it still offers a formidable
climb. A few miles to the south, however, are the Cairngorms and
the Grampians, both of which boast several Munros amongst their
mountainous peaks.
As for Sir Hugh himself - London born but Scottish
bred - he had just two Munros left to bag when he died of pneumonia
in Provence in 1919, at the age of 63. His legacy is a sporting
activity that combines physical challenge with the attractions
of some of the world's finest scenery. Munros just waiting to
be bagged.
For further information about the Munros visit the
Scottish Mountaineering Club website at www.smc.org.co.uk
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