Schehallion

Quoted message said:

Has anyone any comment on Schehallion. I Intend tackling it next
month, I am a good walker/rambler but not a climber.

Now that the path has been upgraded you could do most of Schiehallion in
carpet slippers. It's a nice walk in pleasant scenery and you'll manage
fine. If you can, though, avoid weekends; the car park can get full
quickly.

Colin

email hidden said:

Has anyone any comment on Schehallion. I Intend tackling it next
month, I am a good walker/rambler but not a climber.

Busy hill - extremely popular on sunny weekends - but very easy. No
climbing involved. Big boulders on the summit can be ankle-twisters.
I've climbed it three times now:

http://www.jimwillsher.co.uk/Includes/Display_Ascent.php?AscentID=80
http://www.jimwillsher.co.uk/Includes/Display_Ascent.php?AscentID=81
http://www.jimwillsher.co.uk/Includes/Display_Ascent.php?AscentID=82

Enjoy.

Jim

Quoted message said:

Has anyone any comment on Schehallion. I Intend tackling it next
month, I am a good walker/rambler but not a climber.

That's handy because if you take the new path it is a walk :-)

IMO it is best to be at the top around sunset. There will be plenty of
light to make it back down the path at this time of year. Also best
avoided on weekends if you want /some/ peace. But since most folk are
in a mad rush to get off by tea-time sunset could be fairly quiet.

'Twas my first Munro. You never know where these things will lead.

108/284

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Totally unrelated Colin, but did you get onto the Cuillin Ridge? I'm
interested in the section you mentioned as I found it bloody hard!

Graham

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Has anyone any comment on Schehallion. I Intend tackling it next
month, I am a good walker/rambler but not a climber.

Hardest part on Schehallion could be finding a parking space in the large
car park!

Easy to climb, mostly a gentle ascent, a few big boulders on top. It was
very cloudy when I did it and I never used my map once!

jhimmy

Graham Seed said:

Totally unrelated Colin, but did you get onto the Cuillin Ridge? I'm
interested in the section you mentioned as I found it bloody hard!

In the end, no. A week in Skye and I did nothing apart from a wee
bit of fishing and a bit of scrambling around Quirang.

Problem was a combination of weather, circumstances, and bad
forecasting. Sunday and Wednesday were out because friends were
joining and leaving us respectively on those days, so that broke
up the day sufficiently to get in the way. Monday was supposed to
be 'the day', but the weather was pretty guff. Tuesday was
mentally written off because the forecast was bad, but the day
itself turned out relatively fine. Of course, you don't know that
until it's a bit late. Even so, both days were taken up with
touring for the benefit of the friends.

Thursday & Friday were possibles, but it rained sufficiently (and
I wasn't much in the mood) on both days to put me off what I'd
wanted to do, and it was back home on Saturday.

In the end I was sufficiently deterred by Stainforth's, and
others', descriptions of my proposed route that I was going to
limit myself to climbing Am Basteir then Sgurr nan Gillean from
Sligachan, on the grounds that I could use the ascent of SnG from
AB as a hands-on measure of what "S3" actually means in scrambling
grades. I suspect that I'd find it no major difficulty, but
common sense suggests working up to some of the more severe routes
from something easier.

I now, however, find myself with a bonus week at the end of June
while I am between jobs, so may well take myself back up for a few
days. And I may yet feel that I can justify the £14.50 cover
price for 'Skye Scrambles'...

Colin

PS. My original thread had dropped off the news server by the time
I got back, otherwise I'd have followed it up. Honest!

The message <[email hidden]>
from Colin MacDonald <[email hidden]> contains
these words:

Quoted message said:

In the end I was sufficiently deterred by Stainforth's, and
others', descriptions of my proposed route that I was going to
limit myself to climbing Am Basteir then Sgurr nan Gillean from
Sligachan, on the grounds that I could use the ascent of SnG from
AB as a hands-on measure of what "S3" actually means in scrambling
grades. I suspect that I'd find it no major difficulty, but
common sense suggests working up to some of the more severe routes
from something easier.

Stainforth gives the Tourist Route S3 and several variations of the West
Ridge between SnG and AB as R1.

My first ascent of Sng in 1966 was via one of the chimneys not sure
which from Stainforths description) on the West Ridge which I would have
graded at least Mod and probably Diff and that from the safe end of a
rope. Subsequent ascents all involved the now defunct Gendarme so I
can't really help on that score.

I have been taken to task before for calling the Tourist Route easy not
least because I haven't ever been up it. I have however been down it at
least 4 times and can't recall any problems, but after the travails of
the serious bits of the Main Ridge that is perhaps not unsurprising. :-)

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 34 summits
New - 15 (Marilyns 4, Sweats 1, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 19 (Marilyns 5, Sweats 10, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells 0)

Roger said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from Colin MacDonald <[email hidden]> contains
these words:

Quoted message said:

In the end I was sufficiently deterred by Stainforth's, and
others', descriptions of my proposed route that I was going to
limit myself to climbing Am Basteir then Sgurr nan Gillean from
Sligachan, on the grounds that I could use the ascent of SnG from
AB as a hands-on measure of what "S3" actually means in scrambling
grades. I suspect that I'd find it no major difficulty, but
common sense suggests working up to some of the more severe routes
from something easier.

Stainforth gives the Tourist Route S3 and several variations of the West
Ridge between SnG and AB as R1.

Hmmm - I knew there was an S3 in there somewhere. My problem is that I
don't really know what R1 means, in terms of rock, complexity, and
exposure, and given the subjectiveness of the experience I guess the
only option is to go and look.

Colin

"Colin MacDonald" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Problem was a combination of weather, circumstances, and bad
forecasting

Know what you mean. Imagine trying to get up from Lincoln and forecasting a
decent weekend!

Graham

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

What I can't comment on are the other
two chimneys to the west - Nicholsons and Tooth Chimney, and can't

find

Quoted message said:

any detail on length of climb up or, more relevant if solo, abseil
down.

We ( walking partner, self and 12 year old son ) descended Nicholsons
chimney coming from SnG to Am B. There is a superb flake of rock at
the top, worn by abseil ropes, that make it an easy and obvious route.
We dropped into the mist not being able to see the bottom of the rope
but a standard 50m rope did the trick with a bit to spare. My wife
was not too happy when she saw the photos of what young Mark had done
though ! She made us leave the Inn Pin for another two years till he
was 14 !
Cheers
Graham

<[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Hope you don't mind some comment, I've gathered a lot from this group
so last weeks experience in Skye may be of some interest.
Went up Bruach na Frithe, Am Basteir and had a look at the west ridge
of Sgurr nan Gillean, with a view to ascending the easier option -
relatively speaking - of Tooth arete
chimney.
This is graded Mod in (highly recommended) Skye Scrambles by Noel
Williams/SMC. After the Pin the previous day I felt confident, however
the weather was not good at all, constant downpour and mist with a
rising wind.

We went to have a look at the Pin in similar poor weather and it was amazing
how our confidence sapped away as we looked up, so I know how you felt. We
went back a couple of days later in the sunshine and it was a totally
different prospect.

From the ledge where route up starts I had a good look at

Quoted message said:

the chimney, and then saw a figure abseiling down (under instruction
from guide) the left hand crack, the right hand crack being one
mentioned in guidebook.
There are lots of blocks, ledges etc in both cracks for holds, belays
and I'm sure a competent scrambler could up their game on a good day
and ascend this route. On a bad day in poor weather I returned to
bealach and down.

On another day I managed Naismiths route with a friend of mine, and the
natural finish to the day was to continue the Ridge, which meant climbing
Gillean. It was a good day and we flew up the right hand side of the route
you mention. The Gendarme had not long fallen and I remember losing my
bottle a bit, so I had to go over this small section on a rope. The rest of
the ridge was exposed but not frightening.
I couldn't find the other chimneys either, but I suspect Tooth Arete is the
easiest way.

Graham

Quoted message said:

Has anyone any comment on Schehallion. I Intend tackling it next
month, I am a good walker/rambler but not a climber.

Haven't been up there for 20 years... and I lost my first camera up there as
well. Beautiful view from the top, IIRC!
--
Rob Overfield

"Seasons don't fear the reaper, Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain.."