I was surprised discover (while browsing Wikipedia!) that I had only climbed two of the five Marilyns (hills with at least 150m prominence) in the Peak District area. To remedy this, I headed to the south-western corner of the National Park for a walk over Gun and The Cloud, starting near Rudyard Reservoir. Now it just remains to visit the highest point of Kinder Scout!

I spent a day exploring Cannock Chase, an area I had not visited before, where I did a fairly long circular walk through the mixed woods and heathland, returning along the canal towpaths in the Trent valley.

The last CUHWC weekend trip of the year was to Glenridding, staying at Gillside Farm. I did three contrasting walks in the Eastern Fells: Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike in sunshine on Friday evening, Helvellyn via Swirral Edge in hail and snow on Saturday, and Helvellyn again via Striding Edge and the Grisedale Horseshoe on Sunday!

I went up to the Highlands for an extended Spring Bank Holiday weekend, based in Braemar. Over the five days, we bagged most of the Munros of the East and West Mounths, either side of the Cairnwell Pass, taking my total to 107.

I spent a weekend in Eskdale with a small group of CUHWC members and duffers. Despite a number of heavy and prolonged showers, the clouds were generally clear of the tops and we enjoyed some excellent views and even a few sunny spells! We took in most of the nearby fells, walking from Slight Side to Esk Pike on Saturday, and from Green Crag to Hard Knott on Sunday.

My parents visited me for the weekend. On the Saturday, we did a morning walk in the Derwent Valley near Crich, then headed to Carsington Water to meet up with my uncle and his family. On the Sunday, we did a longer walk from Taddington, through Monsal Dale and Chee Dale.

After the previous day's trek to the furthest reaches of the Peak District, I fancied something closer to home. A sunny walk from Wirksworth, taking in both sides of the Derwent Valley as far north as Matlock, fitted the bill nicely!

After a few weeks of dry weather, I decided it would be a good time to explore some of the peat bogs in the far north of the Peak District! My circuit from Crowden took in Black Hill (which I last visited on my Duke of Edinburgh Gold practice expedition seven years ago!), West Nab and the hills around Dovestone Reservoir.

I returned to the Peak District for an increasingly-sunny walk starting in Beeley. My route passed through the Chatsworth estate and along both sides of the Derwent valley as far north as Grindleford, including one of my favourite areas: Froggatt and Curbar Edges.

I joined a few duffers and a few others for an Easter weekend's Munro bagging around Crianlarich, staying at the Ochils Mountaineering Club hut. The weather was kind to us once again, being almost entirely dry, with excellent visibility on the Saturday and Sunday in particular. Eleven new Munros for me increased my tally so far to 91!

My parents and Ruth visited for the weekend. We enjoyed warm weather and excellent visibility for two walks in the Peak District: in Dovedale on Saturday and to Derwent Edge on Sunday.

I made an early start to explore some of the the moorlands SW of Buxton, enjoying a clear, crisp, sunny morning with a dusting of snow! The route passed through Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, with notable landmarks including Axe Edge, Oliver Hill, Three Shire Heads (where the three county boundaries meet) and Birchenough Hill. I had planned to continue to Shutlingsloe, the 'Matterhorn of Cheshire', but unfortunately had to cut the walk short to head into work to look at some engine test data, hot off the test-bed!

I spent another weekend in Snowdonia for part of CUHWC's Easter trip, staying at the Pinnacle Club hut in Cwm Dyli. We enjoyed sunny spells for the Snowdon Horseshoe on Saturday and Moel Hebog on Sunday, though the views were somewhat obscured by haze.

I headed to the Cheshire corner of the Peak District for a relatively easy walk to start breaking in my new boots. My route took in Wincle Minn, Sutton Common, and the Dane Valley.

I made an early start for a brisk round of the Edale skyline, starting in Hope, with the aim of finishing before the forecast afternoon rain. Surprisingly, this was only my second local walk of the year so far! The rain never actually materialised, but at least the early start gave me time for some gear shopping in Hathersage!

I joined 85 other former and current members of CUHWC to celebrate the club's twentieth anniversary with a weekend of hillwalking and a black tie dinner at High Close Youth Hostel, in Langdale. My walks took in most of the Langdale fells and included, on Saturday, Ruth's completion of the Wainwrights on Lingmoor Fell.

As there were spare places available in the bunkhouse, I made a late decision to spend the weekend in Snowdonia with CUHWC. We enjoyed lots of fresh powdery snow on the hills, but thankfully almost none on the main roads! On Saturday we walked to Creigiau Gleision via Crimpiau and Craig Wen, returning by Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir. On Sunday we did a morning walk up Moel Siabod, before an early journey back home ahead of the expected snowfall!

Alison and I returned to Carnforth for another weekend of walking in the Lakes. On Saturday we headed for Blencathra and neighbouring fells, and on Sunday we did three shorter walks to Ladyside Pike, Whinlatter and the fells south of Ennerdale.

I spent a weekend in Teesdale with CUHWC, staying in a camping barn in Holwick - my first visit to the area. On the Saturday, I walked (through lots of snow!) to Cross Fell and Great Dun Fell from Garrigill. On the Sunday, I did a lower-level walk taking in the High Force and Cauldron Snout waterfalls. The weekend was also memorable for the car having to be towed up the steep track from the camping barn by the farmer, having been snowed in overnight, but I didn't get any photos of that!

Alison and I visited Ruth in Carnforth for a weekend of Wainwright-bagging (or just walking, in my case!). Storm force winds and blizzards had been forecast, but we got away with just a couple of showers. On Saturday, we walked in the Far Eastern fells, including High Street, and on Sunday we did four short, low-level walks up obscure Western, Northern and Central fells!

My first local walk of 2009 was in one of the nearest parts of the White Peak, starting in Brassington. I took in a few minor summits including Rainster Rocks, Roystone Rocks and Aleck Low, as well as parts of the High Peak and Tissington cycle trails. Unfortunately, the cloud was lower than forecast (i.e. I was in it all day despite staying below 400m!) so I didn't get any views.

Having been on my sixth CUHWC Edale trip in October, after our week in Corrour I headed to Borrowdale for my sixth CUHWC New Year trip to Seathwaite. Amazingly, the fine weather continued, and I enjoyed three more excellent days' walking on the fells around Seathwaite and on the Coledale Horseshoe.

The 'Young Duffers' (plus a few undergraduates) spent New Year week in the remote Highland estate of Corrour, staying in a pair of cottages at Strathossian. With not a drop of rain or a flake of falling snow all week, it was perfect weather for walks up all the nearby Munros - eleven in total - and we also had a couple of spectacular cloud inversions! Definitely a trip to remember!

Ruth was in Derby for a couple of days, so we went for a walk in the National Forest, starting in Ticknall. Nothing spectacular, but nice to get out in the fresh air!

Enjoying the continuing good weather, I took a Sunday walk on the eastern edge of the Peak District. From Robin Hood, I headed north along White Edge to Totley Moor, and returned via Froggatt and Curbar Edges. The walk also passed by Nelson's and Wellington's Monuments.