Welcome to TRIAL
Ever heard of something called the soundtrack of your life? It’s basically a cute little quiz where people appoint songs for certain moments, moods, reflections that define them. Questions like: best song for your final battle/a long drive/lonely night in, etc.
It’s quite an insightful way to get to know someone while getting pointed in the direction of things you might not have previously considered. My wife introduced me to it not long after we met and (aside from me discovering she had an interesting affection for Queens of the Stone Age, and her realising I was a closet Skynyrd fan) it was a lot of fun. So this month we took this idea and applied it to mountains. We went and asked the biggest names in adventure what would be on – well, the mountain track of their lives. We also asked you (get involved with such things by liking us on Facebook!) and couldn’t resist having a go ourselves. So turn to page 26 to see the results. One of mine concerns the picture above. This was my ‘summit of regret’ – Sgurr Fiona, on An Teallach. I’d arrived at the slack between the two Munros on this incredible mountain intending to pick them both off, but that big wall of cloud – and the odd rumble from the summer air – was making me nervous. In the end I bagged the higher, easier top out of shot to the left. The storm did arrive, but I think I could have made it. Should I have pushed on? Or at that moment was I one decision from disaster? Well, there’s a feature about that on page 58. Stay safe, enjoy the issue – and rock on. Simon Ingram, editor (Twitter @MrSimonIngram)