This ongoing blog is to convey my developing thoughts on achieving a harmonious solution to choosing and categorising all the contenders for the Worthies. I had initially hoped that discussion through our social media channels would assist with input to determine best practice, but sadly it’s generally rather quiet for me out there in Meta Land. As a result, for those who may view this website and have any interest in what I am attempting to create, then you can…
Hill tops are fascinating places, often being adorned with fine cairns, monuments and, very frequently, trig pillars. Such structures can provide significant narratives in the chronicles of a mountain adding one of the many aspects of human interaction with the heights. In this feature we are going to explore trig points, or Triangulation Stations, which manifest in several forms, although it is the trig pillar that is such a familiar landmark to hillwalkers, marked as little blue triangles on OS…
There are plenty of hills that will be excluded from the prime list of Worthies, not because they do not deserve approbation but simply due to the wealth of local talent surrounding them. It is not the aim of the Worthies to list every single hill of merit and where an area abounds with quality only the best of the best will be chosen. This is particularly the case in places such as Torridon, where mountains that are undoubtedly magnificent…
Hillwalking isn’t just about climbing hills. Those who solely climb hills are missing out on an equally enjoyable means of ascent and descent – the coastline. There are coastal mountains of course but the summits rarely consist of a trig point directly suspended above a sea cliff, making their coastal status dubious. On the other hand, coastal walks seldom attain the lofty altitudes of mountains, although height alone is not a classification for Worthiness. Quality is the key. It is…
I certainly suspected that introducing objectivity into the selection process for the Worthies would be tricky and it has indeed proved to be exceptionally complex, because subjectivity inevitably interferes with every appraisal. I reached out to various groups for perspective on what qualities attracted them to climb a particular hill and the answers were rather unexpected. A large proportion of people don’t really give it that much thought. For many it’s simply a matter of ‘because it’s there’. It isn’t…
Compiling a list of the finest hills in Britain and Ireland is necessarily subjective, even if strict criteria is adhered to. Most lists are qualified by height and relative prominence, with no weight given to what we might define as quality. There are many books in the ‘Greatest Walks’ category, although all have precepts, limitations to content or curiosities in their selection process to some degree. Similarly, if you Google ‘Best Hills’ you will find numerous offerings from many sources,…
Welcome to the first of potentially hundreds of blog posts detailing my project to list, photograph and eulogise the finest hills in Britain and Ireland. There are already numerous lists of hills, categorised generally by statistical classifications and mostly based around relative elevation rather than the perception of quality. For an exhaustive directory see the splendid website: www.hill-bagging.co.uk where you will find a multitude of wonderfully nerdy information, for which I am deeply indebted as I will be researching it…