Sunday 12 April 2020

Book Review: The Munro Society Journal No.5


Formed in 2002 The Munro Society (TMS) is open to anyone who has completed the Munros. I belatedly joined last year - I should have done it sooner. One of the perks of membership is a copy of the Journal. It's not exclusive to members though and can be bought from TMS for £10 plus p&p, which I think is very good value for a 260 page book with colour photographs.

TMS describes the contents of Journal No. 5 2020 as an eclectic mix and it really is. There are stories of hill rounds (not just Munros), exciting adventures at home and abroad including Everest and the John Muir Trail, and several historical articles plus photos of all the artwork for the Munro Legacy Exhibition (which I wrote about here).

I haven't read all the Journal yet - this is a book you can dip in and out of - but the stuff I have read is excellent. Standouts so far for me:

Robin Campbell's 'Munro the Man', about the life of Sir Hugh Munro

Current Clerk of the List Dave Broadhead telling the story of the List of Munroists kept by the SMC

Hamish Johnston on Mathew Forster Heddle who compiled a list of 3000' Scottish mountains before Munro, a list now lost

A reflective piece by Hamish Brown entitled 'Some Thoughts on early Munro-ing'

Confessions of a Bagging Granny by Margaret Squires

Alan Rowan on his year of ascents at every full moon

Humour from Peter Willimott - 'Mountaineering in East Anglia'

Di Gilbert's moving acount of life and death on Everest

Stewart Logan's account of hiking the John Muir Trail.

Munro-ing by Paddy Hirst. Fascinating republication of an article by the first woman and tenth person to complete the Munros (in 1947).

And I've still plenty left to read!

If you're an aspiring Munroist this book is full of information and inspiration. I think it will also appeal to any walker who likes to read stories and history about the hills.

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