From Munros to Loch Ness challenge – 2019 was a landmark year for the Active Outdoors team
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
This year has been something of a landmark one for me, not least because I turned 40 during 2019. But instead of having a party or a holiday like most sensible people might, I decided to take the day off work and escape the office by doing a 20-mile trail run with my wife.
We enjoyed perfect weather at the end of May as we got the bus from Inverness down to Drumnadrochit, then ran home along the Great Glen Way.
I didn’t know at the time that it would be a precursor of something very similar I’ll be doing on my 41st birthday in 2020. Then, I’ll be setting out on the first of three marathons in succession over three days, as part of the new Loch Ness 360 Challenge.
The event will start at Dores, with the first marathon ending at Drumnadrochit; the second following the high-level Great Glen Way to Fort Augustus; and the third and final run heading up from Fort Augustus and along the South Loch Ness Trail to Dores.
I recced part of this last route in Active Outdoors later in the summer, while my wife Meg also reported on how she managed to juggle family life, work and training to complete the Loch Ness Marathon in 3 hours 35 minutes in October.
But it’s not just about running and epic challenges – we've also covered plenty of more gentle walks, from Torridon to Tarland in Aberdeenshire. There have also been some great family bike rides, including a memorable ride from Aviemore through the Rothiemurchus Forest with my eldest daughter.
Both of my daughters also got a taste of mountain biking at Learnie Red Rock Trails on the Black Isle, while they also had fun with their friends and little brother on a walk to the Wyvis Natural Play Park near Garve in Ross-shire.
I’ve also been spending a fair bit of time in the mountains, and this year I was delighted to pass my Mountain Leader course after a five-day assessment in the Cairngorms involving night navigation, group management, steep ground and emergency rope work, among other elements.
Jenny Gillies, one of our regular contributors to Active Outdoors, is now undergoing training for the ML too, while Peter Evans – who became a Munro ‘compleatist’ in 2012 – has been stravaiging over the hills of the Highlands throughout the year.
Some of my own highlights from the high tops this year include an overnight wild camp to climb Sgurr Choinnich, Sgurr a Chaorachain and Maoile Lunndaidh; Beinn Eighe via Coire Mhic Fhearchair and a long walk over A’ Ghlas-bheinn in Kintail to visit the Falls of Glomach.
Jenny had a fabulous experience on Skye when she climbed Bla Bheinn and even managed to run the classic Ring of Steall route in the Mamores in the summer – a place I’m hoping to spend a bit more time walking next year.
All in all, it’s been another fine year for getting out and exploring – and with winter starting to take a grip in the mountains, it looks like it could be a fine start to 2020 as well.
Active Outdoors will continue from next week, with more adventures and activities to inspire you to get out and enjoy the special places all around us. We hope you all have a happy, healthy and active New Year!
