New Munro could mean extra climb for baggers

● Summit said to be 6.6m higher than thought

Scotland could get a new Munro after modern technology found that a mountain near Ben Nevis was 6.6 metres higher than originally thought.

The Mullach nan Coirean East Top, located in the Mamore range, was originally recorded as being 910m (2,986feet) high.

But now mountain experts say it is actually 916.6m (3,007ft), meaning it hits Munro status by just 7ft. The discovery could mean that thousands of “completists” – people who have bagged all 282 Munros – will have to hunt out their climbing gear to tackle one more.

The distinctive red granite peak, near Kinlochleven, has a stunning view of Ben Nevis and does not have a spot height on Ordnance Survey maps.

But now the Munro Society and the Ordnance Survey are investigating reports submitted by Alan Dawson of Pedantic Surveys who made the discovery.

According to Scottish Mountaineer magazine, the surveyed height has been validated and shown to be accurate to within 5cm. It reported that Mr Dawson said there is little doubt that it would have been included in Hugh Munro’s list of Scottish hills over 3000ft high had he known its correct height.

A spokesman for the Ordnance Survey yesterday said it could take weeks to confirm whether the Mullach nan Coirean East Top will be given Munro status.

Munro-bagging is popular among hillwalkers and climbing enthusiasts who challenge themselves to tackle all 282 Scottish mountains.

In 1891, Sir Hugh Munro, an original member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, published his Munro Tables, which identified all summits over 3,000ft. His original list featured 538 summits, 282 of which were Munros, classified as being of “sufficient separation” from their neighbouring tops.

The concept of Munrobagging was popularised by the publication of Hamish’s Mountain Walk, by Hamish Brown, in 1974.

The book documented his four-month journey to all the Munros.

The highest peak is Ben Nevis,whichis4,411ft(1,345m).

The fastest enthusiast to bag all 282 Munros is believed to be Stephen Pyke, who took 39 days, nine hours and six minutes to climb all the qualifying mountains in 2010.