Author Topic: An apppointment with the 'In Pin'  (Read 1709 times)

midweekmountain

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An apppointment with the 'In Pin'
« on: 16:32:01, 06/05/17 »

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We are pleased to be first in the queue for the day


Bit of an update on my 'April in Scotland' meetup, a mate of mine who still has his Skye munros to complete talked me into taking him up the In Pin.


"There are two words that can make the average walker break out into a cold sweat and etch fear into there faces" ......(Quote from my munro guidebook)


Helm Crag I hear you say.....Yes well I guess there are a lot of so called Wainwright completers who have had their blinkers on at the top of that hill...........

Unlike the Wainwrights where you seem to able to claim summits by just looking at the highest point, when you undertake the Munros you have to actually go to ALL the summits on the list including the 'In Pin' before you can claim to be a completer.


Cut a long story short one of my mates has almost finished his Munro round BUT he still has the Skye hills to do including the fearsome In Pin, me being a sucker for a hard luck story gets talked me into a trip to Skye with him.

Had penciled in a date early May so when the weather looked settled this week, the phone was hot and we arranged to meet up one midday in Fort William.

As Mike had not done any climbing or rappeling before I took him into the Glen Nevis Crags and for an afternoons practice getting used to the gear and some of the basic drills.

The next day we had 04.00hrs start driving over to Skye. Started walking up the West Ridge of Sgurr Dearg at 07.00hrs and getting the In Pin to ourselves...............................For about 5 minutes when two figures approached from the top of An Stuc.


The guy was a obviously a guide and looked familiar, It was one of my mates 'Johnny Beergoggles' from Leeds doing the Cuillin Ridge with a client, so we had a quick catch up.

Despite being only 65 metres the In Pin route is very exposed, Mike was struggling a bit, so we were moving very slowly and I was having to do a fair bit of coaching, it was no suprise when more Cuillin traverse bods arrived from the top of An Stuc and started up the route after us.

I eventually let them past us onto the rappel cos they had much furthr to go than us, by now there was quite a crowd of spectators making Mike a bit nevous on the rappel, but he did fine.

Our next objective was Sgurr Mhic Choinnich very close in distance to the In Pin BUT there was some very difficult terrain to cross to get there. I quizzed the traverse guys about the route directly down An Stuc and they warned me off so I took the narrow ledges skirting An Stuc eventually leading to Bealach Coire Laggan roping Mike down one difficult section.

We then hid our sacs at the bealach and did a lightweight ascent of Mhic Cnoinnich and back to the Bealach.

Descent was by the horrendous Laggan scree slopes and Coire Lagan.


On the way down we discussed plans for the next day and decided to drive back to Sligachan camp site. Then do the two most northern hills the next day Sgurr nan Gillian and Am Bhasteir.

That night we went into the Slig for eats and met the guys who had just completed the traverse. They were in a celebrating mood waiting for lifts back to Glen Brittle, as was Mike after doing the In Pin, so the beer was flowin and it was a good night in the pub.



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Approaching the start of the In Pin a photo that adds a bit of scale to procedings



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Its strange the places you meet up with old mates


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A happy Mike nearing the top of the In Pin


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The audience had arrived


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Decending the narrow ledges from the In Pin


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Mike on the ridge to Sgurr Mhic Choinnich
« Last Edit: 20:11:08, 06/05/17 by midweekmountain »

snoopdawg

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Re: An apppointment with the 'In Pin'
« Reply #1 on: 12:14:37, 09/05/17 »
Great day out.

Scrambledlegs

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Re: An apppointment with the 'In Pin'
« Reply #2 on: 17:11:01, 10/05/17 »
Wow!


That looks like a complete blast!


I'm gonna have to give some proper climbing a go. I feel like I'm missing out on a feeling I'm meant to have!

midweekmountain

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Re: An apppointment with the 'In Pin'
« Reply #3 on: 08:45:04, 16/05/17 »
Thanks for the replies guys!!!!!!


Great day out.


Yes I'm a sucker, I get distracted by the mountaineering stuff, I was in our hut in Scotland last week and a guy wanted to do Ardverikie Wall, another walking day lost add the 4 days lost on Skye plus a rest day left me just a couple of days to walking for my own project, before the weather broke.

This AND of course my love for the winter mountaineering is the reason I have not completed my munros yet.........

BUT

Wow!      That looks like a complete blast!

AND THEN SOME!!!!!



When I look back over the decades at the hundreds, nay, thousands of walking/climbing days out I have had out in the hills, only a handfull really stand out and GUESS WHAT, its always the big mountaineering stuff I remember.

 

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