Thirty years ago I walked over all the Munros and Tops

The first of 517. On Ben More on Mull, May 18.

Thirty years ago on May 18, 1996, I climbed Ben More on the Isle of Mull, the first summit on a walk over all the 517 Munros and Tops - mountains and subsidiary summits in the Scottish Highlands over 3,000 feet/914.4 metres in height. The walk ended 118 days later on Ben Hope, the northernmost Munro, after around 1770 miles/2850 km and some 575000 feet/175260 metres of ascent.

Champagne on Ben Hope with Chris Brasher. September 12.

I did the walk because I love long-distance walking and I love the Scottish Highlands. I’d wanted to do all the Munros on one walk since reading Hamish Brown’s superb account of the first ever such walk, Hamish’s Mountain Walk. Adding the Tops made the walk more interesting and challenging – especially in the planning. Whilst there were guidebooks to the Munros there were none to the Tops and, as I was to discover, few paths.

On Schiehallion. June 19.

This long-distance walk was different to others I’d done (and have done since). All previous walks had been linear ones with the option of varying the route according to the weather, the terrain, or just how I felt. As long as I walked the whole way between the start and finish I’d completed the walk. This time I’d committed myself to visiting 517 summits along the way. The walk would only be a success when I’d stood on every one. That meant my route looked like tangle of spaghetti thrown on the map, zigzagging in every direction.

Camp high on Stob Coire Easain. July 17.

Camping is an essential part of long-distance walking for me. I go to spend as much time in wild places as possible, to immerse myself in them, to feel I’m living there. Staying there at night is an essential part of this. My memories of the walk are as much about the camping as the walking.

Camp in upper Glen Tilt. June 21.

The weather was cool, wet, and windy, with rain at some point on 64 days. I was often in mist. Navigation required care (no GPS back then) and my compass was in regular use. Even so it was clear on 343 summits and only cloudy on 174.

Loch Nevis appears below the clouds on the descent from Sgurr na Ciche. August 1.

Sunny days came and went. Just once there were six in a row, during which I walked from Ben Alder to Ben Nevis, traversing the Grey Corries and the Mamores. 

Windy on Meall Ghaordaidh. June 4.

Whilst rain and mist weren't welcome it was very strong winds that caused problems, at times forcing me down from the summits. When I couldn't stand up it was time to retreat.

Escaping high winds under the Shelter Stone in the Cairngorms. July 4.

Bothies and shelters gave respite from the stormy weather in places and I used these on fourteen nights.

Above the clouds on Creag Leacach. June 25.

Some of my strongest memories are of days when the mists sank down into the glens and I was walking above them in sunshine and days when the skies cleared at dusk and the sky turned red and gold as the sun set.

After sunset on the Five Sisters of Kintail. August 11.

The weather meant I had fewer high mountain camps than I'd hoped, most being below 1000feet/300 metres. One of the few high ones came just four days from the finish when I camped not far from Seana Bhraigh and watched a spectacular sunset.

Sunset from a high camp. September 8.

The images here are scans from some of the images from the 60 rolls of transparency film I took during the walk.

After the walk I wrote a book, The Munros and Tops. It’s still in print if you’re interested in reading more about my adventure.

A few more camp pictures.

On the slopes of Carn Dearg, Ben Nevis in the distance. July 16.

Camp below Sgurr Choinnich Beag. July 18.

By Loch nan Eun. June 22.