Classic Cuillin

Winter has arrived in Scotland, not sure how long it's staying but it's nice to see white hills again even if it's dark and cold in our un-insulated little cottage!

Loz was super keen to try and get winter climbing... my initial response was a little muted. But that was partly because I was working on Sunday so only had one day off, and I wasn't sure at first at least that I wanted to spend it freezing in some dark cold corner system in the mountains..

Views of Sgurr nan Gillean on the left

He persevered, and dangled a carrot I had to snatch - Pinnacle Ridge on Sgurr nan Gillean. We had nearly climbed this last winter but there had been a lot of powder snow and the guide suggested this made it hellish. Looking at UKC timings for the route varied from 10 - 15 hrs!

During Loz's luring phase (I was sold on it once he mentioned it, but I didn't want to over play my hand hehe) he suggested we could leave Contin at 5am and would be back there at 7pm.. I knew this wouldn't be the case but loved the idea of an adventure.

A fine morning

The alarm was set for 4am, but I was up at 3.30am. On the drive over we were inches away from hitting a stag on the road - Loz did some amazing swerving and braking..

We made good time and were soon walking in from Sligachan as it started to get light. It was very exciting as I'd wanted to do something on the Cuillin for years. Pinnacle Ridge is known to be one of the finest alpine (long) type routes in Scotland. It is given grade IV in winter but can vary depending upon conditions.

After a few hours we got to the gearing up point and it was shaping to be a fantastic day, no wind, crisp, clear skies - what's not to like. The route goes over 5 pinnacles (the 5th is the summit) and these increase in difficulty/complexity after the 2nd one.

You can just see the pinnacles - not great from this angle

With the odd pitch, moving together and soloing we quickly made progress over the first 2. Number 3 was fine but did involve an awkward abseil off its back. Finding the tat and chain did mean that we now knew which pinnacle we were on though (it wasn't clear at that point!). At this point we were cruising at it was 12:45pm... We foresaw an early finish..

The views were amazing and we could see the Skye bridgett the East,  Ladhar Bheinn in knoydart, Portree to the North and the Outer Hebrides to the West.

easy ground at the start

The fourth Pinnacle was fine going up, but the descent had a short abseil and then was very loose unprotected zig zagging snow and was time consuming. We didn't look but this cost us time. Loz made short work of the cruz/poorly protected start slabs on the final, 5th pinnacle. 3 more pitches I think and we finally got to the shoulder and summit at just after 5pm!

We were both unsure as to where the time had gone as the dark quickly ebbed in. We had a quick snack looking at the twinkling lights of Portree, I messaged Abi/Gemma to let them know we would be really late and we (well I  certainly did) gathered our thoughts for the descent.

Looking to the sea cliffs we climbed on earlier in the year near Elgol

The issue with the Cuillin is its so jagged that most/all of the peaks don't really have a path on the top, it's usually scrambling. There are 2 main ways down from the top, a scramble and then very long path out, which Loz had discounted as we didn't know the route and it was potentially longer, or the West ridge which then led to the col between Sgurr nan Gillean and Am Basteir. After this it was a walk/path that rejoined our route in. This did make sense.... but... the West Ridge is a grade 2 winter route and there wasn't much of a description of it.

I didn't even look into this before hand (bad Simon) but assumed it would be easy. Lets just say that it was very sobering turning on the head torches and setting off through a window (hole in the rocks) in the dark down a wintery grade 2 ridge which you have no knowledge of!

Third pinnacle I think!

It started okay, then we dropped just below the ridge on one side and had to make a very insecure and dangerous traverse on snowed up frozen gravel - very dodgy! After this we stuck to the ridge and it quickly got spicy.

He ended up crossing some small pinnacles. They were only maybe 2m high with shear drops on both sides, but quite insecure so we had to make a couple of miniature abseils which was time consuming.

Looking back from the 4th Pinnacle to the 3rd and the awkward abseil line

Eventually Loz ended up in a notch as the way ahead was barred by a pinnacle which overhung beyond it. We took a calculated decision to abseil down from this notch to the ledges we could see but not knowing if these bypassed the overhanging pinnacle. I think this was the lowest point, it was pretty mentally taxing not knowing when this would work out and get better! At some point Loz said 'I bet you wished we'd hit that deer, don't you!' Ha!

Thankfully this was the right way and from the bottom of the ab we could bypass the Pinnacle and we were finally on easy ground again. On Sunday I found out that the chimney we abseiled was Tooth Chimney (all correct) and this all made sense.. but at the time it was a different story.

On top of the 4th Pinnacle

Finally we got to the col at about 8pm. Relief was palpable. There were footprints from people who had been up and down Am Basteir so after a snack we started the walk out getting to the van at 10:30pm feeling physically broken! Van to van we were out for 15.5 hours.

The top! Dark comes..

What a day. It's hard to sum it up in many ways. It was both physically and mentally tough, for me mainly from not knowing the terrain/mountain and what to expect. I learnt a lot from the day. When I finally got home and went to bed at 2am I literally just took off my salopettes and soft shell jacket and got in with everything else still on having set the alarm for 7am for work!

A Derbyshire Date

I can't remember exactly how it happened but a trip to Derbyshire to see family also aligned with Steve coming up to the Peak District for a few days. I was excited about the thought of seeing the family, Steve and also the climbing.

old faves at Cratcliffe before the drizzle

I haven't done as much climbing as normal this year so thought that this would be an opportunity to get well stuck into it. The first day we had a good dry few hours bouldering at Cratcliffe before the drizzle came so we quickly (cough... top roped) climbed Suicide Wall - one of the best HVS's that exists! It got wetter so we retired to the pub in Youlgrave for a pint.

positive ape index..

Day 2 was forecast to be completely dry so we headed West to the Roaches. I always think of the Roaches as more dramatic than the Eastern gritstone edges, with fiercer climbing... so when we arrived at Hen Cloud and everything was damp, green and it was a bit drizzly it wasn't ideal!

Hen Cloud

Some slimy damp route on the upper tier!

Steve was keener and more determined than me. He explained that his £2 charity shop waterproof wasn't actually waterproof so he used it to keep his precious 15-20 year old ropes clean on the ground and set off up a classic VS in the rain showers. It was fairly desperate given the conditions and we both lost skin on it. After this we went along to the Roaches upper tier and did 3 other routes, the grades really dropped as the damp, at times green climbing felt quite unpleasant if I'm honest.

The dramatic Roaches cut into the sky

With a forecast of sun we headed to Stanage on the last day... arriving in a grey Hathersage with the car thermometer noting a temp of 5 degrees, but at least no drizzle..  even Steve agreed to a quick (mediocre) coffee at Outside. But because Steve had driven in Sam's car which doesn't lock, we had to take 'everything' into Outside to prevent it being stolen - classic!

Stanage - home of gritstone!

It's funny because arriving at Stanage and climbing the first route (a severe) and losing feeling in my hands on the top third I really questioned why I was there, and whether I even liked climbing anymore!

But the temperature slightly crept up to around 8-9 degrees, and for 30 mins at least there was sun, and in these brief magical moments, moving on dry clean and aesthetic classic climbs I remembered how great gritstone climbing can be.

A brighter Skye

After a day painting on Saturday we headed to Skye for a mountain bike ride on Sunday. The drive to Skye has to include pastries from the Co-op at Kyle, and when we arrived a coffee brewed up in the van. After the coffee and a little faff we set off from Broadford heading SW.

Broadford

The red cuillin

through the quarry section

The route starts along an old former railway line that was used briefly to transport marble from the quarry near Suardal to Broadford to be shipped far afield. The marble works were in operation in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Oh my...

The track is great due to its pitching being a former railway line and not without interest when you pass through the quarry area with some short technical sections. As you reach the high point and beyond the track becomes narrower and fine singletrack with plenty of interest.

Impossible to take a bad photo on Skye

The 1st cleared village

Abi, can we take these home?

Along the shore

The views open out to the sea loch (Eishort) and beyond the Cuillin, Rum and Eigg. The drop down to the old cleared village of Boreraig provided very good riding before you are amongst the croft/village ruins which are very evocative.

Not all ridable 

In good weather like we experienced it seemed a dreamy place to be and formally live, but clearly life here would have also been extremely challenging and I tried to keep this in my mind as I felt a calling to the place.

Abi shifting..

Blaven and beyond

Following the coast Westwards the path is fascinating, some rideable, some not, hard to imagine that this is a main way in/out. There are waterfalls and great coast line to pass by but due to some bike carrying it's quite nice when you meet the next group of old buildings that are still used for farming at Suisnish.

From here there is a great track back to the road with fantastic views of Blaven and the Red Cuillin before you get back to the old graveyard in Strath Suardal and eventually old railway line which whisks you back to Broadford. A really classy ride, one that I would happily do many more times.

At my limit in the Fisherfields

I'm writing this whilst horizontal, stiff and knackered after a wild day yesterday that somehow seems a little surreal today. With the sunny weather I had wanted to go to Carnmore and climb on this big remote crag in NW Scotland but I couldn't get anyone into the idea at this time of the year.

mid way through the bike in

It was then decided that I would head to Skye to complete the Blaven traverse with Jack, but quite late on he pulled out saying he was too tired after a long run - youngsters! So I went back to my 'plan A' deciding I would bike into Carnmore but instead of climb walk up the 2 nearest munro's on this side of the wilderness.

rest stop

I didn't feel great in the morning and I think this contributed to the day feeling so tough, but I set off for Poolewe at 8am, not really early enough. Just coming into Poolewe the van decided to inspect the road verge and I ended up smashing a wheel! A pain of a start to the day but I quickly swapped wheels and headed off on the bike.

There's a track to a remote steading at Carnmore and I've always wanted to visit the bothy here, which has a reputation for being awful! It has a sound watertight roof, but lots of holes in the walls and bare earth floor with no real furniture.

destination comes into view including the causeway

I'm not sure how far it is to Carnmore, but in the climbing guide it says a 3 hour bike, or 4 hour walk. It certainly looks a trek, I should have measured it really! The ride is great, initially estate tracks, then through a forest before breaking out into the rolling barren hills. The track is in a good condition and fun to cycle and the views are astounding.

rough winds on the causeway 

After about 3 hours I made it to the causeway they have put in to split Fionn Loch and Dubh Loch and give access to Carnmore without a massive detour. It was very wild windy weather by this point, blowing waves up onto me, the causeway and bike.

the crag looks pretty good

I felt wrecked even at this point so knew that I wasn't 100% and did consider turning back, but I reasoned that I won't get the chance to come here again for a long while so decided to push on at my slow pace. I left my bike near the steading and was surprised to see a field of horses, but I guess they use these for the stalking due to the vastness and nature of the landscape here.

another rest spot on the walk in

I very slowly started walking up the well graded track following the course of Allt Bruthach an Easain. A great bikeable track (its a classic ride on this from Dunndonnell to Poolewe) but it was hard going in my fragile state. The winds had dropped, or weren't as bad higher up and on reaching Lochan Feith Mhic-illean I turned off heading South Easterly.

view from the first hill

looking back at the way down off the 1st hill.
The 3 walkers before they turned back

Getting off the main through route it immediately felt wilder and alpine in nature with the sun beating down and the rocky landscape. The most obvious route for the 2 hills would be continue on the rocky path to the col and then go up/down one side, returning to the col before going up and down the other hill, but I worried that I wouldn't have the impetus to do this (mind games due to feeling under the weather!).

looking back to the shieling. My bikes somewhere down there

So instead I headed up the West flanks of Ruadh Stac Mor then followed the short lived broad rocky ridge to the summit. Amazing 360 degree views of mountain and sea unfolded but I didn't linger conscious of time and big distances still to travel. The loose steep decent to the col was fine and quick in the end. I met 3 walkers just beyond this who seemed very nervous about ascending this erosion scar path through the rock bands.. in the end looking back I think they abandoned it even though it was very easy, just a little loose.

the Fisherfield beach scene

I left Poll Eadar dha Stac (col) and headed up A' Mhaighdean. I nearly turned and abandoned it as still felt like I had no energy and was out of water.. but somehow talked myself into continuing! It was beautiful on top with fine views down to the causeway, Carnmore and beyond out to sea in the far North.

down, down, down back to the bike and causeway

Down I went fixated on reaching a path stream junction I had rested at on the way up. I allowed myself a 15 minute break here, eat some food, lay down for a short while and slightly nodded off, before being awoken by screams! Time to go!

too tired to look at the barn 400m away

Round the corner I could see a group of hikers paddling/swimming at the far end of the loch, guess the cool water made them howl! By now (finally) I was picking up a little, I'd maybe gone from feeling 50% to about 70%! Good news and I quickly got my bike again at about 5.30pm.

loan biker chasing me down from the causeway 

After unsuccessfully trying to give my apples to the stubborn horses I recrossed the causeway heading back. I saw a mountain biker at this point who looked fresh and was far to friendly (I was still goosed generally). He was just out for a ride to the causeway and back, which would make a great ride on it's own.

and quickly catching me!

He overtook me, I snapped a couple of pictures of him and headed on. The ride out didn't take quite take as long and I think I got back to the van at dusk - 8pm totally exhausted, but the chips and can of coke from Gairloch revived me enough to get me home! Quite an adventure.

footnote - As I write this today I was meant to go over to Glencoe today to climb... but that didn't quite happen. I got up late, went to the cafe for a large cooked breakfast before returning home and going back to bed!