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.

Sgiath Chuil and Meall Glas 15 Aug 2020

The final two Munros of the week, en route home and accessed from the A84. The cloud lifted only slowly during the day. The first summit, Sgiath Chuil, was in cloud, the summit being at 3,067' after a steady, fairly steep climb. Next, a steep descent and re-ascent led to a long ridge and the second summit of Meall Glas,3,150', dramatically poking its head out of a cloud inversion in the evening sunshine, as was Ben More to the south. Munros #253.

Derry Cairngorm and Beinn Mheadhoin 13 Aug 2020

A day of shifting cloud and views through the mist. another start from the pinewoods at Linn of Dee. The bouldery slopes of Derry Cairngorm led to the cairn at 3,789' and my 250th Munro! We then dropped down through the huge, empty bit dramatic landscapes to Loch Etchachan and views of the towering cliffs below Ben Macdui coming and going in the cloud, before the steep pull up onto the summit plateau of Beinn Mheadhoin and the summit tors, the highest being at 3,878'. A scenic but long walk out back to Linn of Dee. Munros #251.

Devil’s Point 10 Aug 2020

A superb day accessing the Cairngorms from the south, a long approach ended by Corrour, then an ascent of the steep slopes behind the bothy onto the ridge of Devil's Point and the summit cairn poised over a steep drop at 3,294'. Views north to Braeriach and Cairn Toul, and east across the Lairig to Cairngorm. he still conditions meant that midges were troublesome even by the cairn. On the walk out the cloud lifted and the sun increasingly illuminated the heather slopes along the glen and the shapely peak just conquered. Munro #249.

Ben Avon 9 Aug 2020

A beautiful cloudless sunny day at the start of my week at Braemar with Jennifer and Matthew. A long but superbly scenic ascent of Ben Avon from Keiloch, a gradual but steady ascent through Glen Quoich and past the ruins Slugain Lodge. then up the wide, gently sloping glen with Beinn a' Bhuird rearing massively to the west and the whole landscape a riot of heathery colour. On reaching The Sneck, a steeper gravelly climb brought us to the massive summit plateau of Ben Avon, with the summit tor at 3,842'. A superb viewpoint especially of the other Cairngorm giants to the north and west. An equally long descent, but mostly heathery ground so fairly easy on the feet - a total distance for the day of 23 miles. Munro #248.