The altars of the earth

If you haven't read these two W.H.Murray classics (written in 1947 and 1951 respectively), then I can highly recommend them - even if you're not really into mountains, the writing really is just sublime ...

... and with travel-restrictions (up here in Scotland) possibly to be eased within a few weeks time,  my mind is wandering to a trip up North to tackle one of the big ridges ;-)

Here's the end of the Chapter (from 'Undiscovered Scotland') on "An Teallach and Dundonnell Forest":


"A star twinkled above the corrie.

I turned to look up at An Teallach. The first of of the moon-light was filtering between the pinnacles. The vast circle of their frozen walls stared down at a frozen loch - a sombre circle, but lifting high in the centre to that five-pointed crown rimmed by light.

Corrie and mountain are the natural altars of the earth to be used as such before one goes."


Indeed so :-))