Classic Alasdair. 2 May
Sheila Finlayson from Thurso asked for a classic scrambling route onto Alasdair and certainly got good value as we tackled the SW Ridge of Alasdair by the legendary Mauvais Pas or Bad Step. It is a very awkwad & scary off balance manouvre involving a one finger hold that has to be used by both hands. It took me 4 goes to get the balance and sequence right.
The camera isn’t fast enough to catch going from this one-finger hold….
…to this
As quite an experienced climber Sheila watched carefully & I could hear her rehearsing the moves but she remained pretty confident that the guide was just making a meal of it. From my solid belay immediately above there was undeniable entertainment as the degree of swing became apparent to Sheila all too quickly and the commentry and facial expressions hit comedy level. Luckily Sheila saw the funny side too.
Sheila recovers from the rude awakening.
The reward is one of the most precarious but fantastically positioned ridges in the Cuillin with huge sweeeping drops to Coire Lagan on one side and Coire a’ Ghrunnda on the other, leading directly to the highest point on the island.
Tilted because I was hanging on but you get the idea!
We continued over Thearlaich after Alasdair before Sheila had to make an early return to the family. I then took the handy Lochan Traverse across the face of Sgumain’s West Buttress and met up with Francis for some good climbing on Sron na Ciche in the afternoon sun- see the next blog entry for pics & details.
