Reconnaissance of the Black Cuillin Ridge which included climbing all the technical sections to see how they felt in fell-shoes and to record the pro required, followed by a traverse of the 11 ridge Munroes in a day (as a party of 3 so missing the tech bits out).
Oh, and a 3 star VS 5a classic - Shangri-La, eating fresh lobster, watching sea otters and traversing Pinnacle Ridge on Sgurr nan Gillean.
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Jenny in the bottom of the TD gap, a very lonely place to be, facing the awful chimney; usually made all the lonelier by company waiting to ab in. Luckily today we have it to ourselves and the sun is on it, making squirming-progress realistic.
Then we whipped along the rooftop section from Sgurr Thearlaich to Bealach Mhich Coinnich following the most obvious path off right onto slabs which seemed easier to abseil. The second time we found it better to follow the ridge to the diving board notch then drop left, swing under the nose and descend slabs into the bealach.
King's Chimney, a lovely Diff topping out close to the summit of Sgurr Mhich Coinnich follwed by a run down the An Stac screes to cook tea for the troops still engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Jeffrey's Dyke.
Wed, the boys took a down day while Chuck B, Jenny and I did Pinnacle Ridge on Sgurr nan Gillean and Naismith's on the Bhasteir Tooth.
Thu clagged in and rained, Chuck & Cups headed south, Jenny & I hit Carbost with Tommy mouse. Jenny and Tom returned with lobsters bigger than our Trangia pans then we crossed a causeway and watched sea otters; all of which felt a bit lazy until Jenny suggested we do The Ridge tomorrow and brothers realised they had been resting in prep for a beefy day out.
Discussion over style and we settled on Sgurr nan Eag to Sgurr nan Gillean doing all 11 Munroes in one day without tech climbs since we were a team of 3. Jenny organised; up at 04:00 for a 18.5 hour day (13.5 hours on The Ridge) and cooked us homemade venison burgers at 01:00 when we got back to the tent, oh yeah.
Oh, and a 3 star VS 5a classic - Shangri-La, eating fresh lobster, watching sea otters and traversing Pinnacle Ridge on Sgurr nan Gillean.
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| Saturday: 2nd pitch of Shangri-la on Sron na Ciche |
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Comforting to see a belay out left
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Regaining the ridge via the grade 3 chimney onto Sgurr Alasdair
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Dropping-in to the Great Stone Shoot
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..and emerging into Coire Lagan
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| Basking on the glaciated outflow slabs of Coire Lagan and absorbing the Skye-scape |
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Close-up-detail of said basking
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Tuesday: scoping-out the 'V Diff' chimney out of the TD gap
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Jenny in the bottom of the TD gap, a very lonely place to be, facing the awful chimney; usually made all the lonelier by company waiting to ab in. Luckily today we have it to ourselves and the sun is on it, making squirming-progress realistic.
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Yep she goes in fell shoes, hurrah.
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240cm sling for massive thread
near start then 2 slings and a
no.6 nut.
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Then we whipped along the rooftop section from Sgurr Thearlaich to Bealach Mhich Coinnich following the most obvious path off right onto slabs which seemed easier to abseil. The second time we found it better to follow the ridge to the diving board notch then drop left, swing under the nose and descend slabs into the bealach.
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| Looking back at the diving board notch and down-climb. |
King's Chimney, a lovely Diff topping out close to the summit of Sgurr Mhich Coinnich follwed by a run down the An Stac screes to cook tea for the troops still engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Jeffrey's Dyke.
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| Sure looks lonely down there but seriously man, she's gonna love it. |
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| 240cm sling for belay as we only took 30m rope |
Wed, the boys took a down day while Chuck B, Jenny and I did Pinnacle Ridge on Sgurr nan Gillean and Naismith's on the Bhasteir Tooth.
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| The third pinnacle abseil |
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| Charlie abbing off SW Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean, just before the lights went out for I. |
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| Pre-launch check of the Bhasteir Tooth. |
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| King's Cave Chimney |
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| Am Bhasteir's fang thang |
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| What I'd take for a full ridge traverse + belay/crab/prussiks. |
Thu clagged in and rained, Chuck & Cups headed south, Jenny & I hit Carbost with Tommy mouse. Jenny and Tom returned with lobsters bigger than our Trangia pans then we crossed a causeway and watched sea otters; all of which felt a bit lazy until Jenny suggested we do The Ridge tomorrow and brothers realised they had been resting in prep for a beefy day out.
Discussion over style and we settled on Sgurr nan Eag to Sgurr nan Gillean doing all 11 Munroes in one day without tech climbs since we were a team of 3. Jenny organised; up at 04:00 for a 18.5 hour day (13.5 hours on The Ridge) and cooked us homemade venison burgers at 01:00 when we got back to the tent, oh yeah.
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| Psyched on Sgurr nan Eag at 07:30 |
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| The Hair rocks out on Hart's aka Collie's Ledge. |
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| Munro count fail. |
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| Eh, wasn't the last one 6? |
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| Descending Am Bhasteir, sun on Gillean. |
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| Still psyched on Sgurr nan Gillean 21:30 - last orders at the Slig? After the tone... |
