The last adventures from skye.

 

Kelly came over to skye for her first skye experience. She did her first mountain ridge experience with me this winter on the CMD arete ad round o Ben Nevis. I think she was hooked straight away, and since has been getting out learning to rock climb and wanted to see what all the fuss was on skye. So we had a day at Elgol enjoying the sun and taste of the sea air on some steep clean sandstone rock followed by a day in the mountains on Pinnacle ridge up to Sgurr nan Gillean and on to Am Basteir to abseil down Kings cave Chimney where we managed to get the rope stuck. Kelly got a half hour break where I demonstrated some problem solving and prusuking back up the rope.

 

Kelly at Suidhe Biorach on her first sea cliff route - fertility right

Kelly abseiling down to the clif ledge that was exciting in the choppy sea.

Kelly showing off some great bridging techniques of the more technical fertility left.

Kelly abseiling down for a lesson in jamming on jamie jampots.

Evening sun on rum, we definatley picked the right location, it as wet and windy in the mountains, we were basking in sunshine with a fine breeze to keep the midges away and the whole crag to ourselves.

 

Team Dunsmuir

 

This adventurous pair have been out in the Cuillin with Skye Guides a number of times before, they started on the Munro bagging quest and in the process were opened up to all possibilities of more exciting and adventurous ways to the top of lots of the peaks in the Cuillin. Sadly they have a curse of bringing the rain and wind with them, 5th time to skye and eventually we got good enough weather to do the Innacessible Pinnacle, and still it was raining.

We started the three days with the most adventurous way to the top... Nasmiths route on the Bhasteir tooth and up to Am Basteir. This was the highlight as it was their first multi- pitch mountain route.

Stuart on the final pitch of Nasmiths route, quick before the rain.

Half way up the Innaccessible pinnacle

Reaching the top.

Proud of their ascent and safely at the bottom of this magnificent prow of rock. We continued on to do the rest of the corrie laggan peaks, abseiling down Kings chimney to add to the excitement. A good day out in the wet. Despite the weather we achieved all of their objectives and more and they have completed all of their munro's on Skye but are already planning their next adventure with Skye Guides. I think rock climbing is the desire.

Off to North wales now for my own holidays... sunny rock climbing and then out to the Alps.

The latest Cuillin traverses

Until the last few days the weather has been great on Skye and the west coast of Scotland in general. I have been out in the Cuillin a lot with a couple of Cuillin traverses, one with the 'Rush team of four' and guided along side Murdoch Jamison and another with Mark all the way from Australia. Both trips starting from the boat in Elgol and finishing at Sgurr nan Gillean, completing the traverse from end to end with all the major summit reached along the way. Mark had previous climbing experience so we got a days training in at Neist before hitting the more technical sections of the ridge such as the TD gap and nasmiths route. This is always great for me to get stuck in to some climbing along the ridge too.
Inbetween traverse excitement I have had some other great days on the hill, completing Munro's and doing some classic harder scramble even despite a bit of rain. Thanks to all the enthusiastic and Cuillin made clients I have had. Here are a few pictures of some of the action.

Mark on tatties at Neist

Mark enjoying the snshine on The Green Lady at Neist

 

Beginning the traverse from the Boat at Elgol.

 



Mark getting stuck in on the notorious TD gap.



Eveing sun on the Innaccesible pinnacle

 

 Still smiling on a wet abseil on Bidean druim na Rahm



a beautiful sunset as the finish to a great traverse

 

Team 'Rush' on the Inn Pinn

 



 

Abseiling off the Inn Pinn.

 

I have five more days of work on skye, hopefully with a great combination of climbing and scrambling, before heading down to North Wales with Tamsin to get a week of rock climbing in. Hopefully plenty of mileage, laugher and a welsh cake or two.