QUESTIONS AND IDEAS THAT HELP KEEP THE FESTIVAL SPIRIT ALIVE

LESS than four weeks to go until the Dundee Mountain Film Festival opens its doors again to a stellar line-up of films and speakers from across the outdoors spectrum.

Despite being the country's longest running event of its kind it was born of humble origin, a means of raising funds to build a bridge at Bachnagairn above Glen Doll in memory of Roy Tait, a Tayside Mountain Rescue Team member.

The festival celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, but as with so many events, clubs and associations in recent times it has faced problems with a lack of volunteers willing to get involved to ensure its continuance and evolution in the years ahead.

Its presence on the outdoors calendar would be greatly missed, a lost opportunity to meet and debate with so many like-minded people and catch up with old – and new – friends.

I have been involved in one way or another for the past ten years and was also fortunate on one occasion to deliver a talk about my years of walking the mountains at night. It's always a pleasure to address a knowledgeable audience, but the best part is often the question and answer session that follows. It's interesting to see what fascinates and this extra time allows you to expand or expound on what has just been said or just go off in another direction altogether. There are certain questions which crop up regularly, others that are more left field. But very occasionally there is that one question you just can't get a handle on at the time.

This one came right at the end of the session: “Are there any gear innovations you think could help with night walking.” I drew a blank. The thought of more powerful head torches flickered but I quickly dismissed it. Who wants more light pollution in these wild, solitary spaces? I had to admit defeat. I could only make a joke about what you shouldn't wear and leave it at that.

Yet that question wouldn't leave me alone. Afterwards, as it so often does, my mind started wandering off in a more bizarre direction. For instance, I suddenly couldn't shake the idea of having landing lights on the tops of hills like airport runway strips guiding you the last few hundred paces to the summits. This was dangerous ground: if a health and safety officer was lurking nearby and overheard there was a chance it would suddenly appear in a recommendation somewhere. And that would just be the start.

Next thing, we would have crossing wardens on the Parallel Roads, yellow warning triangles being placed on rocky sections of mountains warning of wet surfaces, Stannah stairlifts (other brands are available) fitted on Ben Nevis so your 108-year-old granny could reach the top along with the other few hundred people in the country who have never done it.

That all may sound far-fetched but remember a few years back it was stated that under H&S regulations scaffolding had be erected for anyone working at height and it took a few days for mountain guides to be officially exempted. Just as well, imagine how much the guiding fee would be if scaffolding had to be set up to climb the In Pin.

Other more outlandish ideas suggested in the past have included via ferrata all over the Cuillin, and llamas used as beasts of burden to make life easier for walkers going up Ben Nevis. Although in this latter scenario, how would you be able to tell a real llama from a fake one? After all, I'm sure the badgers and rhinos I've seen heading up there in times gone by were not real.

We did meet a Roman centurion at the summit on our last visit. He could have been the genuine article, Nibheis Maximus, one of the famed lost legion, hiding out in the woods for all these years not knowing the invasion was over. (It also occurred that it would have been much better bumping into him coming up the path at dusk, then I could truly say I had met a Roman in the gloamin').

The older you get, the more fanciful ideas begin to seem more plausible eg. earpieces to help with Gaelic translations and pronunciations from any language; edible clothes that would provide sustenance in dire emergencies; oversize boots to wear over flip-flops for the Nevis sandals brigade; chameleon apparel to render you invisible and therefore avoid having to socialise. This would be especially handy for anyone walking on that notorious Glen Lyon estate. The list goes on.

And all this innovation and madness was sparked by just one question at the film festival. Maybe I will get the answer I'm looking at this year's event. Or maybe we can get together and turn one of these ideas into a new business venture. Hope to see you there.