Happy Christmas on the In Pinn, 26 April
Matt’s Report
As the result of an inebriated conversation Tom had bought his Dad (Joe) and Uncle (Richard) a Christmas present which was a guided ascent of the In Pinn. Joe and Richard have been Cuillin enthusiasts for a long time, so long in fact that they even remember when the Great Stone Shoot was a good scree run! Despite the guys protests of being unfit we stormed up to the In Pinn in a fast time and hopped straight on to the East Ridge. In contrast to yesterdays cold and windy conditions today could not have been any more perfect. It was a magical day to be out in the Cuillin, dry rock, sunshine, good views and plenty of people out on the tops. There was still traces of ground frost near the top of Sgurr Dearg at 11am so bring a good sleeping bag if you are planning a traverse in the near future!
The In Pinn lurking behind Sgurr Dearg
Tom enjoying the approach to the In Pinn
If you look closely you can see 2 people at the top of the Stone Shoot, gives a good sense of the scale of Sgurr Alasdair and Thearlaich
Nearly at the Summit.
Joe showing good style and excellent socks on his abseil!
Dry but cold on the Pinn. 25 April
A pulse of baltic air removed the summery feel from the Cuillin today. I opted to avoid queuing for the Pinn and climbed the classic South Crack a 30m long Hard V Diff on the south face. Despite cold fingers Richard & Jo enjoyed this unusual first day in the Cuillin & we carried on to Banachdich to warm up & enjoy the views.
Mike on the South Crack (Taken from the halfway platform on the East Ridge)
I forgot my camera but hopefully Matt has some as he was also on the Pinn with Rob & Mal before taking them over to Mhicchoinnich. Whiskey was flowing before they’d even reached Coire Lagan apparently!
Respite from the Gales!
Matts Report
The weather has finally relented and we were treated to a lovely calm and warm day. I went over the four tops of Sgurr a Mhadaidh today with Beth. This section of the ridge has a little bit of everything; slabs, towers, knife edges, perfect gabbro and plenty of exposure in ascent and descent. There are also plenty of nice spots to stop and enjoy the view from! The amount of snow on the ridge has reduced massively and there was none on the crest but there are still extensive snow fields on the Coriusk side of the hills.
Looking towards Bla Bheinn
Impeccable ridge climbing technique!
Excellent climbing on the second top of Mhadaidh
