My Last Munro first time An Sochach with Pete McGowna, Les Boswell and Mark.
We all have great memories of the Munros I will never for get the day I finished and my pal Tom Mac Donald finished on the same day on Beinn a Chaorainn (Glen Eye) on 13 November 1976. The Munros have always meant a lot to me and a great way of enjoying and getting to know the Scottish hills. I have had so many great days with so many folk to mention but thank you all.
This was on the picture that my Team Leader Pete McGowan gave me and Tom all these years ago. It was also signed by the late Ben Humble of the SMC that made my day.
“Dear Heavy
On behalf of all the members of RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team may I congratulate you on a really fine achievement in ascending An Socach 3097 feet in Braemar on 13 November 1976. You completed a unique double with Tom Mc Donald to join a small band of climbers who have ascended all the 280 “Munro Mountains” in Scotland.
Many thanks for your hard work with the team, for you can be rightly and justifiably proud of your efforts. Well done and best wishes for many happy and enjoyable days in the mountains.” These words meant so much at the time and still do.
At the end of 2022 there were 7383 Munroists on the Scottish Mountaineering Club ‘List of Compleators’.
Of those 7383 people:
9.4% have also completed the Munro Tops
10.5% have completed the Corbetts
9.2% have completed the Furths (3000ft hills in Wales, Ireland and England)
3.3% have completed the Grahams
3.8% have completed the Donalds
1% have completed a Full House (Munros, Munro Tops, Corbetts, Furths, Grahams and Donalds).
Anecdotally, it is believed that approximately 15% of Munro completers choose not to register their completion with the SMC.
There is no Munroist No. 284 on the list, this number is dedicated to ‘The Unknown Munroist’, all those people who choose not to register.
Munroist No. 5639 is N. O Body, allocated when a double registration was removed.
The male/female split on the list is 79%/20% with 1% unknown.
361 of the listed completers are multiple Munroists:
254 people have completed 2️⃣ rounds
64 have completed 3️⃣ rounds
19 have completed 4️⃣ rounds
9 have completed 5️⃣ rounds
5 have completed 6️⃣ rounds
3 have completed 7️⃣ rounds
1 person has completed 8️⃣ rounds
4 have completed 🔟 rounds
1 person has completed 1️⃣2️⃣ rounds
1 person has completed 1️⃣6️⃣ rounds
Notable achievements:
– In 1901 Rev A. E Robertson became the first person to complete the Munros.
– In 1923 Rev R. Burn became the first person to complete the Munros and Munro Tops.
– Paddy Hirst (No.10) was the first female completer in 1947.
– Steve Fallon (No. 1045) is the current record holder with 16 completions and he is well on his way to 17.
– Hazel Strachan (No. 3438) is the female record holder with 12 completions.
– Stewart Logan (No.327) has completed 10 rounds of Munros and 10 rounds of Munro Tops. A total of 5100 summits over 3000ft (allowing for reclassifications). He has also completed a Full House.
– Richard Wood (No. 88) has climbed over 8300 Munros and 3650 Corbetts.
– Bert Barnett (No. 3112) has completed 5 rounds of Munros, 3 rounds of Munro Tops, 3 rounds of Furths, 4 rounds of Corbetts, 3 rounds of Grahams and 3 rounds of Donalds. A total of 4150 summits.
– In 2020 Donnie Campbell completed the fastest Munro round in 31 days, 23 hours.
– 15 dogs are known to have completed a round of Munros. Thank you Anne
Membership is open to all those who has climbed all the Munro summits as listed in Munro’s Tables at the time of compleation – currently there are 282 mountains of Munro status with a height of 3000ft or more above sea level. Many such Munroists, who are often said to have ‘compleated’*, register their detail with the Clerk of the List. This official list is maintained by the Clerk on behalf of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and now exceeds 7000 plus names. However, some of ‘compleaters’ do not register their details for a variety of reasons.
The Munro Society welcomes all Munroists who have compleated whether or not they have registered with the Clerk of the List.
The Society exists to bring together the wealth of mountain experience that members have accumulated and thus provide a forum in which to share interests and concerns as well as creating opportunities for convivial gatherings..
Heavy Whalley – Jan 2022 Munro no 148!in November 1976! What’s your best day out on these great hills?
Comments welcome.
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