Inaccessible Pinnacle (Cuillin) 19 Sept 2020

This was it. Could I climb the Pinn? Guided 1:1 of course. We headed up and suddenly there it was..... the Inn Pinn rearing up from the ridge. Suddenly, I was at its base and climbing on a rope, in two pitches. The rock was very grippy gabbro, and it felt safe in the sunny dry conditions. The difficult step was negotiated without difficulty, I reached the halfway point, then the ridge was narrowing and suddenly I was at the top, 3,235', amazing views along the ridge, and across to Bla Bheinn. The hardest part for me was the descent, as I climbed down rather than abseil into oblivion. The descent was a bit of a daze, relief moxed with euphoria. The Cuillins completed. Munro #257.

Beinn Sgritheall 18 Sept 2020

Another stunning day of West Highland weather, "day off" from Skye today so I headed to Arnisdale via Glenelg. A steep and slightly boggy ascent led to another unrelentingly steep pull, up onto the eastern end of the summit ridge of Beinn Sgritheall. Spectacular views as I headed west along the ridge to the summit itself at 3,195'. a superb panorama ( described by Sir Hugh Munro himself as the best from any of his peaks) from this isolated summit, from Skye, the Cuillin and the Inner Hebrides round to Torridon, Glen Shiel, and the Ben to the southeast. Loch Hourn was spread out below me and sparkling in the sunlight with the Knoydart peaks rising to Ladhar Bheinn itself. The descent was also steep but through superb oak forest. A brilliant day, Munro #256.

Sgurr nan Gillean and Am Basteir (Cuillin) 17 Sept 2020

The next three days were pivotal to my quest to complete the Munros. Guided by Dave Buckett, of Highland Mountain Company, today our target was the northern end of the Cuillin Ridge, the iconic view from Sligachan. We headed up Glen Brittle and round the shoulder to the east, then up the SE ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean. A cautious slide over the increasingly narrow ridge led to the tiny summit (3,166') seemingly up in the sky, in the patchy mist. We then descended the W ridge (with an 20m abseil en route) then from the ridge, and in increasingly bright/sunny conditions, ascended Am Basteir, bypassing the bad step to the summit at 3,068'. The pinnacles of Gillean looked dramatic as we headed down to Sligachan with my penultimate Cuillin Munro conquered. Munros #255.