There is a most readable book called I Bought a Mountain by Thomas Firbank, 1940. The author recounts how, inter alia, he established a record time in the 1930s for climbing all the Welsh 3000’ tops. IIRC he managed a time of about 7 hours. His wife simultaneously held the record for the fastest time by a woman.

In the 1980s three friends (David, David & Mike) joined me to test ourselves with this challenge. We drove up from Aberystwyth after work in two cars, leaving one near Aber Falls in Snowdonia. We then squeezed all of us and our camping gear into the second car and headed, mid evening towards Snowdon itself.

We climbed 99% of the way up Snowdon and then camped in our various tents overnight before waking up with the light of dawn. We enjoyed a tremendous, panoramic view over breakfast as the sun rose before completing the ascent of Snowdon in just less than two minutes. (TDS enthusiasts could mine that declaration for an out of context, fake news, quote.)

Just the 17 hours later we staggered down to our vehicle at Aber Falls, but we did have to back-track a full mile at one point to collect the father of one of the group who had waited for us at the wrong top. David and I had to swap driving three times on the 2 hour journey back to Aberystwyth as we were so tired. We all had intended to do some training beforehand, but “life got in the way”.

Due to lack of planning we collectively raised rather less than £20 “for charity” from this enterprise. By the half way mark we had drunk all we had brought with us and only checked that we could not actually see any dead sheep before filling up our canteens in any flowing waters.

One of the Davids unfortunately died in a crevasse fall in Russia just a year or two later. But good memories. (Again a chance to apply TDS principles.)

An entertaining read. Especially for me since as a young buccaneer emerging from school life, I set about hiking the length of Wales. The object was to generate a little sponsor money for charity and to meet a distant family member, Major Lucas who resided at Port Eynon, Gower. Small world.

What a fab memoir!

We do amazing things in our youth.
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Reminds me of the time Stu, myself and Alan S********* from Uni decided it would be a fine and good idea to hike off a ‘drapeover’ on a drab November Sunday morning by conquering Ben Venu.

The ascent was enshrouded in cold mist with very poor visibility. Quite hard to get a gimble on things but.....we broke through the mist and cloud to a view most other-worldly!

All the Bens were poking through the mist In the sunshine and Stu took a plethora of foties.

Ax

It's amazing how all these people I've never seen post before, manage to bestir themselves for Ian's posts. Ian, am I going to have to have a word with the Bish about IP addresses? Then there are the convesations between you and Phil Clarke...

Dear TinyCO2I

I have always posted under my pseudonym from my main desktop computer. When Messrs Openreach cut off my internet for most of the last nine weeks I had some issues getting any access to the interweb.

I, too, have been in contact with Mr Montford. I think we are on the same side. I have only said good things about you.

I do not now use any other names to post or promote my "stuff". Please identify which posts you think I have posted under "sock puppet" names.

FYI on the back of my posting about my father in Bishop Hill Discussions I have now been invited to present this material as a guest lecture to The Scottish Society of the History of Medicine in Edinburgh. My father's Health Department oversaw the tracking, tracing AND vaccination of some 2,000 people in the first 24 hours of the 1950 Smallpox outbreak in Glasgow.

Can you see why this is so relevant at this current time?

Best wishes,

Ian