With seven Munro rounds under his belt (or should it be feet?!), Hamish (62) needs little introduction. His classic book, Hamish's Mountain Walk describes the first continuous walk over them all in the spring/summer of 1974.
Hamish has revised his list of Furth compleations and kindly given brief notes for publication here:-
1. Elidir Fawr, 13 April 1967
+ Bob Aitken. Bob, Ann Winning, Annabel Zeidler & HB were out to complete the Furths (needing Wales, Ireland), got driven out of Wales by weather, covered Ireland and came back for Wales again.
2. Snowdon, 22 September 1969
With pupils Florence Herd, Jimmy Will, Eddie Patterson of Braehead School, compleating the school's Furth, having finished Munros on Lurg Mhor, 14.7.69, and already done England. Jimmy Will on Scafell Pike, 11.10.70 compleated a personal 4 Country summits, aged 14.
3. Scafell, 20 October 1971
Alone. A big camper van trip round Britain and Ireland (Liverpool-Dublin; Cork-Swansea) which took in this & other hills.
4. Snowdon, 16 September 1979
Alone, during the first foot link of the Country summits of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, within the framework of walking John o' Groats to Land's End. (On 16.6.79 Ben Lomond compleated a 6th Munro round.) Snowdon was climbed 18.8.79 then the (first?) coast-to-coast walk across Ireland took in all the Furths, and a return to Snowdon to take up the Groats End line again. Book, Hamish's Groats End Walk gives the full story.
5. Brandon Mountain, 27 September 1980
Back to back 'courses' in Ireland did all the Irish 3000ders (and much else). On this 5th for me were Dave Simpson, Vi Shannon, P. Binnie, N. Wright, A. Rimmer, S. Grainger.
6. Elidir Fawr, 1 July 1982
Alone. This was on a cycle-linking of the 4 country summits: Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland (and Isle of Man - besides other hills as well).
Special mention should be made of Hamish's two Shetland collie dogs. Both climbed their Furths: Kitchy compleated as Braehead School's mascot, and Storm as Hamish's trusty companion during his Groats End Walk. (The book of this journey is aptly subtitled: 'One man and his dog on a hill route through Britain and Ireland'.)
Personal note - On one of Hamish's Irish trips, I compleated my Four Country Summits (Carrauntoohil, 8.10.82) and Furths (Brandon Mountain, 11.10.82).
Thanks Hamish!
Hamish's trilogy of classic hill-books: Hamish's Mountain Walk, Hamish's Groats End Walk and Climbing the Corbetts are now published, in updated editions, by Sandstone Press Ltd, www.sandstonepress.com
