Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal 2025

Even in a mediocre winter like 2024-5, determined climbers seize opportunities. In this issue of the Journal Adam Russell exploits a brief January freeze to attempt The Bow Direct on Sgùrr an Fhìdhleir with Iain Small. 'For years this rugged prow has taunted me...,' he writes. No less resolute are the party tackling Centurion, spending 'morning, noon and night' on the icy face of Càrn Dearg, as related by Robert Giddy. Sixty years after Phillip Tranter achieved the first non-stop circuit of the Lochaber hills, Finlay Wild with 'Competition as Catalyst' attempts to set a new record for the Tranter Round. He is a world-class hill-runner, but will he succeed? Further afield but just as determined, Callum Johnson and his companions meet with triumph and near-disaster when big-wall climbing in Greenland, while at the other end of the planet we see Iain Young 'Ride the Wild Wind' in stormy South Georgia. Belying its name, the Junior Mountain-eering Club of Scotland is now 100 years old. Niel Craig marks the centenary with a wide-ranging account of the club's evolution and achievements, and its many distinguished members. As always, new climbs in summer and winter are recorded, totalling almost 1000 in this issue, and in 'Munro Matters' we celebrate completed rounds of Munros, Tops, Corbetts, Grahams and Donalds. Other regular features include a summary of the winter climbing season by Neil Adams and 20 authoritative reviews of recent books of mountaineering interest.