Gary Thomson is a respected ‘Ironman’ of Wye Valley Runners. He developed an idea for a monro bagging challenge and led a group of happy enthusiastic athletes to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.

We travelled in different modes but all arrived safely at the famous Clachaig Inn, Glencoe. What an amazing hostelry, with a combination of fantastic scenery, superb food and accommodation, great real ales selection and live music.

The weather had been atrocious for weeks and we were lucky to avoid any heavy rain, so we set off on the first day to attempt the ascent of Ben Nevis. A challenging walk, mentally and physically and we all achieved our aim despite chilling winds and sub zero temperatures at the summit so we didn’t hang around for a group photo !

That evening we felt compelled to savour the good food and beverages at the hotel and enjoy the atmosphere in the bar, in typical Wye Valley tradition.

The second day was better weather , even some sunshine. Gary led an ascent of the Pap of Glencoe, a smaller peak –he said it is classified as a Corbett. There was a bit of scrambling on some rocky bits but we all coped and the views from the summit were awesome!  Thereafter Gary led the majority of the group to bag another monro. The descent from there was more challenging and some  considerable amount of adrenaline was flowing. There was much relief when the 2 hour descent was complete.

Another enjoyable evening was spent in the friendly atmosphere of our accommodation.

We had  time to look at the Visitor Centre and do some local walks too.

A great weekend , lots of fun and laughs, great  personal achievements and some excitement.

Thanks Gary

Jan