Jenny Hatfield, a 58-year-old hillwalker from Cumbria, has become the first woman to climb all of Britain’s Marilyns.
The 1556 Marilyn tops – hills with a drop of at least 150m on all sides – were first listed by Alan Dawson in 1992 but the number involved and their scattered location means that few people have climbed them all.
Jenny’s partner Rick Salter became the ninth man to achieve this feat when he accompanied Jenny to the summit of 632m Cruinn a’Bheinn, just north of Ben Lomond, on Sunday 25 September. They were joined by 40 friends and family for a champagne celebration. Cruinn a’Bheinn is in many ways a typical Marilyn. Untold thousands of walkers must have looked down on it from Ben Lomond but very few have climbed it.
Jenny and Rick have devoted themselves to completing Britain’s Marilyns over the past two years and have climbed over 500 hills in that time. The total figures for Marilyn completion are staggering – an estimated 5370km of walking with 243,000 metres of ascent.
The list takes in five summits on St Kilda including the sea stacks of Stac Lee and Stac an Armin which demand climbing techniques and are only available in the winter months outside the seabird breeding season.
The first pair to complete the Marilyns, Rob Woodall and Eddie Dealtry, finished on Stac Lee having waited five years for the opportunity.
Jenny Hatfield had already completed the Munros, Corbetts and Wainwrights so we wonder what her next challenge might be. Meanwhile she and Rick can reflect on a great achievement.
By Roger Smith
Pictured: Great Gable, one of the Cumbrian Marilyn’s
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