Are lists bad?

As I confess to becoming, for the moment, a Marilyns* addict, apprehension looms at the likelihood of repeated accusations of being a single minded, list ticking statistics nerd. 

Browsing found this Internet site: CLICK HERE , and I decided to see how many Marilyns I had climbed. Out of 2016 my tally was 274.

Using a list is a means of  getting me to places I have not previously visited, and these hills, by definition are most likely to be pointy, therefore more likely to offer panoramic views, giving a better than odds-on chance of a worthwhile outing.

I am never going to climb even half of these hills, so I reckon that dispels any accusation of list ticking for its own sake. As far as I know nobody has done them all - private land, Ministry of Defence territory, and remote Scottish islands including difficult, or maybe impossible sea stacs are all obstacles. Anybody who wants to know more may consult Alan Dawson’s excellent book The Relative Hills of Britain.

So, on Sunday by midday, despite potential snow, I put off some very important tasks and headed for my nearest unclimbed Marilyn; coincidentally the lowest  in height is Arnside Knott which is only fifteen minutes walk from my home, and I must have climbed it hundreds of times in the last twelve years. The next nearest is Lambrigg Fell (338m - SD 586 941) very close to the Grayrigg train disaster site of February 2007.

A sparse covering of snow dramatised this short walk, and a small tarn was a bonus. The views from the summit especially to the Howgills were good for the soul, all supporting my Marilyns betting theory. 


*The Marilyns (the 2016 hills in Great Britain with a minimum of 150 metres drop on all sides)

Click to enlarge - the train disaster was on the railway shown of Grayrigg

A few yards from the road at the start

The Howgills from Lambrigg summit

My line of ascent. The road is this side of the trees. The path follows the wall one third distance from righthand end of trees. The railway is in the valley on the far side of the trees. Whinfell Common is the prominent peak at left horizon which overlooks Borrowdale on its far side (see my post Three Miles Too Far? - 19th Dec 2012) 

Zoom to the Howgills -The Calf. The hidden gully/ravine to the left is Carlin Gill which I have climbed in winter. The central one I climbed in summer and had a "bad moment" on some rock near the top whilst my companion, who had taken an easier route looked down and laughed.

The tarn seen from above on the way down