Munro Relegated To Corbett League
Wester Ross peak almost a metre short of the magic 3000-foot mark says Munro Society.
Posted: 11 September 2009
by Jon
Massive disorientation for Munro
baggers today with the news that Sgurr Nan Ceanniachean
in Wester Ross has been ignominiously stripped of its 3000-foot stripes
and is no longer counted as a Munro.
The Munro Society found the peak was almost a metre short of the magic
mark when it measured it back in July using the latest surveying
methods and found it to be just 913.32 metres. The metric Munro
measurement is 914.4 metres. As a result, the mountain is now counted
as a Corbett, a bit like being relegated to the Coca Cola League from
the Premiership, but with no chance of coming back.
Three other
mountains measured by Munro Society members
retained their status, two as Munros and one as a Corbett. According to
the BBC,
modern measuring methods have allowed more accurate assessments of
mountain heights, but it's a drawn-out process using a GPS system which
requires the measurers to spend around two hours sitting on top of the
mountain. The results are then approved by the Ordnance Survey and
official relegation takes place.
According to the excellent Munromagic
web site - no relation - Sgurr
Nan Ceanniachean is 'a compact and relatively steep sided
mountain with a craggy W face. From the S it has a rounded profile with
two short ridges (ESE and W) on the upper slopes only.'
Same mountain, different status. Does it matter?
Discuss this story
The problem with sticking to the original list is that Munro himself had almost finished a first revision when he died. As he gave 3,000 feet as the defining point for inclusion in the list (whether as a separate mountain or subsidiary top is another matter) then I think that when a summit is found to be below that height it should be removed. I guess the SMC and other Munro guide publishers will eventually revise their books but none of them instigated this survey. The Munro Society doesn`t publish anything.
Posted: 11/09/2009 at 21:44
The things is with this conspiracy theory of people making money from these changes is that no one is going to throw away their old book just because one mountain comes off the list. I have Cameron's book on the Munros and a few of the SMC guides and I won't change them just because of it. The people who are going to buy the new books and lists would have done so anyway wether or not it had been updated so whats the harm in them updating it, they will buy the book because they need it and its there to be bought not because of what edition it is. You could say people are more likely to look for the newer book, but given the choice the majority of people buy which ever is most conveniently available to them and we should be thankful they are regularly revised and up to date as its no easy task keeping such info up to date. I can't decide how I feel about original lists being changed. I think that is the beauty of the Wainwrights in that they don't really have much of a definition other than having a section in the books he wrote, which of course will never change.
Posted: 11/09/2009 at 23:24
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