A CLIMBER who set out to reach the peaks of all Scotland's 282 Munros in a single winter has reached the end of his challenging expedition, after battling some of the worst storms of recent decades.

Kevin Woods, 28, started on Ben More on the Isle of Mull last December 22, the day of the winter solstice, and passed the halfway mark amid the icy peaks of the Grey Corries in Lochaber at the start of February.

February proved to be a tough month, with six days of enforced rest – especially frustrating as he was in top fitness condition and he had only needed one day's respite from the hills in January. He advanced slowly in relentlessly bad weather, but by mid-February a stomach bug struck, thwarting his plans for Ben Klibreck in Sutherland.

Back on top form again by February 25, he headed for the notorious Cuillins on Skye. No place for solo climbing, he took a rope and climbing companion for safety.

First, he tackled the Inaccessible Pinnacle, Scotland's most difficult summit, now plastered in ice. In deteriorating weather, plans to finish the ridge were postponed, and he completed that task in early March with Scotland's top climber Dave MacLeod.

Mr Woods returned to Wester Ross from Skye to find piles of fresh snow, and ploughed an exhausting, knee-deep trench from 300 metres to the summit of Maol Chean-dearg above Loch Carron.

In March, winter returned with a vengeance. He spent many of his hill hours in what climbers call "the white room" – when the snow-covered ground merges with flying spindrift and mist, and the horizon disappears. These disorienting conditions require meticulous compass navigation to proceed safely.

March 11 on Carn Eighe and its two satellite peaks above Glen Affric was such a day. Mr Woods recalls: "Snow and high winds were roaring up the glens, and in the corrie I could barely see my feet, the spindrift was so bad. I was close to turning around and amazed to reach the summit. The cold was brutal."

He debated whether to continue to the next two peaks: "To go on or not? I almost didn't. But the weather eased slightly, so I pressed on, feeling this enormous rush of straying into the wilds – extending the thread deeper into the mountains. It would all have to be retraced step by step."

In Glen Affric, he had hoped for four peaks in one day, but conditions made him stop at the first, Tom a'Choinnich. Ferocious winds and impassable, raging rivers were too much of a challenge, although frustratingly he felt he had plenty of physical reserves left.

"The hills were still reeling from a rapid overnight thaw," he explained. "The glen was deep in soft snow and slush, and the rivers were flooding torrents. Conditions win again! Today felt short, but the full round of those hills would have been a futile war of attrition – there was no middle way."

With snow falling once again, he drove east on slippery roads towards the easy, rounded hills of Drumochter Pass on the A9. This finished his Munros south of the Great Glen, but even on these gentle slopes he was following compass bearings through a white out. Another three knocked off, he reflected: "Back on the road, and a greasy takeaway in Kingussie as I head over west!"

On top of the monstrous dumps of fresh snow and avalanche danger, as the first hints of spring arrived his next challenge became the continuing thaw.

With wild weather forecast, he chose the outlier of Am Faochagach for an "easy" day. But crossing the River Garbhrain at the start took him up to his waist: "I sloshed to the top of the hill with soaked legs and frozen toes."

More summits should have been within reach, but instead a second drenching awaited – thrashing back across the river to the road.

Nearing the end of his quest in mid-March, the weather brightened and Mr Woods stayed overnight at Bearnais bothy for a dazzling few days through the wilds of Ross-shire. He crossed the empty mountain ranges wearing sunglasses and sun cream. "Still massive amounts of snow in the corries, and the hills are stunning white. But spring has arrived in the glens," he enthused.

He spent the final days of his lonely trek on the peaks around Ullapool and Dundonnell in Wester Ross, then headed south.

A grey dawn on the top of Ben Lomond early last week marked a subdued finish to his mammoth expedition. As he stepped off the deserted hill track back into civilisation, Mr Woods was whisked off by his family into household isolation as most of Scotland closed down.