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While you explore the Cuillin ridge on the edge of the Atlantic why not listen to "Edge of the World" (3.2MB mp3) by Scottish band Don't give up the day job!
Looking
up the Sgumain Stone Shoot with Eastern Buttress, Cioch and Cioch Upper
Buttress on the left.
Eastern
Buttress, Sron na Ciche.
Start
of Eastern Buttress Direct. "Where do all these loops go? In the old
days you just tied the rope round your waist and you
belayed using the friction of a nylon shirt!"
Direct
Route Eastern Buttress, Sron na Ciche.
Direct
Route Eastern Buttress, the vertical, narrow chimney, which stout climbers
cannot enter, necessitating an awkward haul over the chock stone.
Direct
Route Eastern Buttress, a long sling and a couple of crabs
are often necessary in Skye chimneys. Alternatively, you can leave your gear at
the bottom of the cliff and cripple yourself descending scree in rock shoes.
John and I even took our rucksacks up Integrity so we
could enjoy a part round of Coire Lagan on the way down.
Direct
Route Eastern Buttress. Above the vertical, narrow chimney, below are: the
rib of Eastern Buttress, Eastern Gully, the Terrace, Collie's Route and Cioch
Slab. John has put his rucksack back on.
Filming
you, filming me, on the Eastern Buttress
Eastern
Buttress route finding: we know our way about: "I think it might be
called the Cioch!"
Final
wall of Eastern Buttress Direct.
Top
of the final wall of Eastern Buttress Direct. Screaming exposure and tiny
foot holds, that's the bottom of Eastern gully below John's heels. My shoulder
is still sore from hauling myself up the thin crack just below John.
Cioch Slab and the Cioch,
from the Terrace, Sron na
Ciche.
Cioch Slab and the
Cioch, Sron na Ciche.
Cioch
and Cioch Slab from Coire Lagan. Climbers on Collie's Route and the Terrace.
Cioch
Slab and Upper Buttress from Eastern Buttress. Shown are Collie's route,
Arrow route, Integrity and Wallwork's route.
Cioch
Upper Buttress showing Integrity and Wallwork's route.
Leaving
Cioch, taken from Eastern Buttress.
Cioch
and the Slab from Eastern Buttress
Integrity from the Cioch, Sron na Ciche.
Integrity, looking down to the
Cioch.
West
Buttress of Sgurr Sgumain from top of Integrity.
Looking
up Median Route, Sron na Ciche.
The yellow X marks the spot where we smoked a proverbial pipefull.
Bottom
pitch of Median route Western Buttress Sron na Ciche.
"The whole buttress is on a vast scale. The essence of this cliff is exploration and it is a fine place to get lost." : SMC guide.
Coire
Lagan from high on Median Route, Western Buttress, Sron na Ciche.
We spent 3 hours getting into and out of a dead end under huge overhangs above and to the left of the deep-cut chimney of Chimney and Crack climb. The usual collection of tattered abseil slings suggested a through route was unlikely, but I brought the team up anyway to savour the situation. I am sure I could smell pipe smoke and imagined Barlow and Steeple contemplating the situation over a bowl full. Never one to leave a sling lightly, we down climbed and rejoined the correct route below and to the west of the deep-cut chimney.
Looking
across Soay to Eigg and Rum from Sron na Ciche.
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Site editor: Douglas E Wilcox (D.E.Wilcox@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
)
Updated 21/02/02
Landsat
view of the Cuillin.
Arrow
Route, Cioch Slab.
Arrow
Route from the Cioch.
Looking
down Arrow Route.
Cioch,
Corrie Lagan.
Cioch,
Corrie Lagan.
Cioch and Cioch Slab.
Leaving
Cioch.
Top
of Median Route.
Loch Brittle.
Rock rose, Sron na Ciche.