Wednesday 10 July 2013

Day 69 - South Cuillin

9 July

A lazy start at Glen Brittle meant we left at midday. In October last year, climbing with Cameron McIlvar, I did Sgurr nan Eag to the InnPinn with relative ease, five Munros all in. So the plan today was to do as much as possible, starting in the south and working up.

It was another day of big blue skies and inversion-like drifting mist. Liam, Neil, Steve and I headed up into Coire a' Ghrunnda in the direction of Sgurr nan Eag. Coire a' Ghrunnda is insanely rocky, enormous slabs and pinnacles everywhere. It's humbling, but the path through it isn't unreasonable. Sgurr nan Eag is one of the easier Cuillins, and we got an amazing ascent with swirling mist and an immense sense of scale across the ocean.

Progress had been slow though, and we got to the top in five hours. So I wouldn't be doing a big day - that would have to wait until another day. Sgurr Dubh Mor was the last Munro, and I had great pleasure in route finding on this one. Despite having been here before, I still took the wrong routes, and finally stitched together the correct route on descent. Sgurr Alasdair was silhouetted by the sun and lifted off the Earth by the inversion-like mists which swirled around the mountains. The helicopter that had buzzed around the Cuillin all day disappeared; Steve, Liam and I hobbled back to the campsite having had a long day out, two Munros down and plenty more to go. I put a curry on and simply went to bed; pretty knacked.

Two Cuillin down, and plenty more to go.

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