Sgurr Dearg - The Inaccessible Pinnacle, Day 1. Skye, 7th July 2008

After a sleepless night, we set off round to Glen Brittle to have a go at the InPin.

The summits were covered in cloud as we left and this bode ill for our route in. After parking up we set off up into the corrie and that's when the rain started.

After a few attempts to negotiate a safe passage up the wet rock, we managed to gain the ridge that took us up Sgurr Dearg, the peak that has InPin as its summit.

The weather by this time was awful and the cloud was right down.


A Viking Day, as Ginger refers to it, and strangely enough a day that brought out the full character of the Cuillins.

Dark, foreboding and slightly spooky.


Just when I thought it couldn't get spookier, I crossed the ridgeline to be confronted by the West side of InPin in all it's scary beauty.



A real jaw dropper.




...and now I have to climb the bloody thing.


Ginger descended the scree slope to make an ascent of the fin so that he could top rope us up the West V.Diff side (I repeat!). A fantastic piece of climbing by the bold Ginge in terrible conditions - a real Ninja.



Well, we had 2 or 3 goes in the lashing rain but the rock was just too slippy to make purchase.



Ginger abseiled down and we decided to forego an attempt at two other local Munros and to get back to the hotel.




Descent was very rapid and was achieved by scree riding the biggest scree slope I have ever seen.



Battered, bruised and dare I say a little relieved, we adjourned to the bar to discuss tomorrow.


An attempt on the 3 hardest Munros, straight out of the hotel door.


... and still the InPin beckons.


Post to follow.

Skye, 7th July 2008

After a long long journey, the Verdes Adventure Team finally have arrived at Skye Base Camp.

Davie and John D travelled in comfort in the Disco, whilst hardy adventurers Rich S and Rich M travelled up by bike.



Sligachan is base camp and the hotel provides some respite from both weather and bloody midges...





Our group was completed by the arrival of Ginger the Ninja, and we set off to taste the delights of the Sligachan Hotel Bar.

Midway through our meal, the Ninja slips into the conversation that we're going for InPin tomorrow.

Oh, and not by the less than manly, up the fin, Moderate climb route.



Oh no, this is Verdes and we're going by the V.Diff west face. The one in all the pics where people abseil off.






This is bad news.

Post to follow.

Jack's Rake, Pavey Ark. Lakes, 27th June 2008

With the Skye trip getting even closer, we decided to have a go at Jack's Rake in the Lakes in a vain attempt to get used to exposure and some 'hands on' ascent. It's a long grade 1 scramble with a lot of exposure on the left hand side, with great views down to Stickle Tarn.

Verdes Adventurers on this trip were old timers Davie, and Rich S and Verdes Virgin, Ian S, who tells us he's scared of heights and unfit.

The old lies are the best lies...

The weather was good (at first) and we were at Stickle Tarn in good time. A last minute kit check and we were off, not wanting to dwell too long on the task ahead.

There was a fair bit of water running off the top and down the route but nothing too daunting. Once we were on the route, there were a few points where you had no option but to take to the elevated and exposed left hand side and conversation did dry up at times.

Ascent is by way of climbing up a flute that runs down the side of the hill, but progress is only made by coming out of it on occasion and climbing along it's edge. There were a few moves that required good foot and hand placement but if you trust your boots and concentrate it's ok.

There was one final twist before we got to the top, when we had to choose between two equally hairy routes to a platform. Rich took the right route, Davie took the left and based on the vocal feedback squeaked by Davie, Ian followed Rich...

No doubt we'll be back on Jack's Rake soon as a few people missed out this time. It's prefectly doable if you remember the Verdes maxim 'don't look back and don't look down'

All in all a great Verdes day. Good weather, a first ascent, a different face on the blog and the customary tea and cakes and a bit of retail therapy in Keswick.

Valucci Prison, Italian/Austrian border, June 2008

Still banged up.

Pap and Bod Beag

Blencathra via Sharp Edge, 6th June 2008

Sharp Edge and an ascent of Blencathra has always been on the cards, but for the last ten years we've all seemed to drive past it in order to get to the other ranges.

Four Verdes adventurers set out to get it done in an attempt to build up some scrambling/exposure experience prior to our Skye trip.

John D, Rich S, Rich M and Davie set off in a good weather period and found the going ok but very warm on the ascent to Scales Tarn. The views over the tarn up to Sharp Edge were fantastic and at the tarn edge we found a great spot to have our lunch and scope out the task ahead.



However, the midges were biting like fury, so we didn't hang around too long before getting stuck into the ridge.

We took it easy going up and tried not to get too locked into the task, taking time out to admire the views up and down the ridge.


Not quite a 'breach of the don't look back, don't look down' ethos, as the views outweighed the exposure and nerves.




We all negotiated the 'bad step' without mishap, but in rain and wind it would be an altogether different proposition. It's little wonder that so many people have fallen foul of the slippy, polished rock and the gully beneath the step goes on for a good 500 feet.




Having patted ourselves on the back about the step, the worst was yet to come, on the steep scramble onto the summit plateau. Still, we managed this too and were soon at the summit.



Next was a brief scamper over the saddle to the other peak and back again and then we were off to Keswick for tea and buns and a bit of adventure retail therapy.

Excellent - true Verdes!

Davie.

Esk Pike and Glaramara, Lakes, 1st June 2008

Headed up to the Lakes again to get another QMD in for my ML.

Decided on the light weight approach and went in trail shoes with a small ruck sack. Weather was as forecast with a northerly breeze keeping the tops clear.

At least until I got to Esk Hause.




I managed to get a snap of Glaramara before it disappeared and made my way up into the murk around Esk Pike.

The cloud reduced visibility to around 30m at times and navigation around the summit and back to Esk Hause was tricky because of this.



Whilst having my Ginsters Sausage Roll at the shelter, peering throught the clag, trying to see any recognisable Glaramara feature, I decided against even trying and made my way back to Seathwaite, via a diversion over past Sprinkling Tarn and down to Sty Head.

Much easier on the feet!

A good day out, especially on the top of Esk Pike.




Round trip was 3 hours - light weight definitely works, but it did feel strange with the smaller bag; no bothy bag, no spare clothes, no survival bag, no 1st aid kit, nothing..

Ok on sunny days, but I'll be taking the full complement next time out.

Sorry about the lack of views in the snaps - but that was how it was!

Davie

Sprinkling Crags, Lakes, 27th/28th May 2008

With a trip to Skye rushing towards us, it would be good to get rid of this fear of heights...

To this end, Davie and son Jack headed up to Sprinkling Crags just above Sty Head Tarn for a bit of scrambling and an overnight camp.

The high winds (40 to 50mph on the tops) made site selection really important but we managed to find a cracking spot above Sprinkling Tarn that gave great views over Great End and the Gables.

Got a few scrambles done then headed East for a bit, looking down over the Sty Head 'cross roads' as the sun broke through to light up Wasdale.

Lovely.

Rain started at 6am and got heavier and heavier as the morning passed - way too slippy for more hands on stuff so a descent in search of bacon was initiated.

Davie

First ascent of the Scheisskopf, May 2008.

This past few weeks have seen our Verdes heroes Pap Mamorey and Bod Beag making a bold, first ascent attempt on the Scheisskopf in the the Austrian hinterland.

This peak had often eluded the bold Pap and failure on this occasion would and could not be tolerated.

We had packed all the relevant gear for the trip although I fear that my trusty Scotland golf umbrella (used on many an occasion as an emergency bivvy at high altitude) had been 'borrowed' by my wife.

It was an ill omen for the climb.

Bod Beag was his usual self and had elected for the alpine style ascent he had favoured on previous occasions - ultra light and built for speed.

I had also elected to go light weight as my previous attempt had been thwarted when my gas barbecue had jammed in a rock crack at 3000m. A double blow, because in cutting it loose, I inadvertently cut through the straps that held our only kayak and it was lost too.

So here we were. No ropes, no food and no bivvy equipment, travelling as light as possible. Of course, we had packed the essentials; Bog Beag had stashed his iPod and, in an effort not to be outshone by a mere sherpa, I had packed my XBox 360.

Progress was easy at first and we had gained a good 200m by the end of the first week. Having sacrificed our acclimatisation period in an effort to get to the top earlier, we had taken it easy on the first few days.

However, after a couple of weeks we could see that the decision not to take food may have been a trifle hasty. Bivouacked at 2000m we had a debate about continuing or turning back. We had been licking rocks for the last few days and if I didn't eat soon, then Bod Beag was starting to look tasty.

I think he sensed this change of mood and, in the semi intelligible, monosyllabic grunting of his people, he confessed to having a secret stash of Mars Bars secreted in his loin cloth.

Oh joy! Never has my Welsh companion ever saved me so!

Thus, suitably fortified, we continued with haste, as neither of us had been 'poo poo' for the duration of the climb either.

The next 1500m passed really quickly. Minutes became hours, hours became days in a frantic effort to summit. We had heard on my wind up television that two other teams had joined the race to the summit and were already closing on us. They had foolishly gone for the roped technique and had carried the extra weight of food and water, but somehow had gained a lead.

This was a blow, but we battled on regardless, sucking on Bods last Mars Bar for sustenance.

Suddenly we came to the 'Uber und unter' step. We were mere metres from the summit. The negotiation of this final hurdle would see us in front of the other teams and on the summit in record time.

But damn! We needed a rope. If only I had foreseen this requirement instead of bringing the 12 piece picnic set that I had picked up from Yeomans!

But improvisation is the mother of innovation as we used to say in the regiment. As I clambered on top of a propped up, semi conscious Bod Beag (he had declared that he didn't want to be a human ladder and I'd had to resort to felling him with the television to gain his compliance) I felt for the ledge that would allow me to pull myself up.

Damn! I needed about another two feet. I climbed down defeated. Then, I spotted Bod's new trainers. Still semi conscious and by this time bleeding quite badly, I removed his shoes and tied them together by the laces, thus giving me the two feet required.

I climbed once again onto the head of my make shift ladder and by throwing the shoe over a rock spike, I pulled myself up onto the ledge. There in the gloom, some 15 metres away, was the summit, but more worryingly, I could hear Italian voices from the East and French from the West side.

Reaching down, I slapped Bod a few times with his new Nike Air Pegasus to bring him round. He wasn't pleased I can tell you, but he accepted that it might have been an accident with the television. In his own inimitable style he scampered up the step, even refusing the aid of his trainers.

We made the summit a few minutes later, stopping only to throw snow balls at the Italian team. They were the least sporting of the competition, not even returning one ball before they fell. The French faired only slighty better, heaving a few back (and the odd piton).

Fun and ambassadorial effort over, we jogged to the trig point (I thought this was a first ascent? Ed.) and were lounging around, sucking our Mars Bar and watching Catchphrase on the telly when the French arrived.

Too late Frenchies!

Another first for the Verdes boys!

Further posts to follow, following our tribunal and subsequent incarceration by the Italian authorities..

Remember! Don't look down and don't look back....

Pap

Off piste on Haystacks, Lakes, 17th May 2008

A late change of plan saw us tackling Haystacks today with a bit of off piste scrambling to spice up the proceedings and keep Paul's lad amused.



Verdes heroes on this trip were Rich M, Paul and Alex B and Davie.



Generally it was great day out, with Rich finally summiting a long held personal goal and Paul sampling a particularly fine flapjack and Davie getting the most fun out of the dry rock as possible before the rain set in and it got slippy.

Threading the Needle, Lakes, 16th May 2008

Today saw John D (now known as the Verdes Ibis) and Davie heading once again to Great Gable to get this thing threaded once and for all.



Last time out saw us miss it by a few metres as it blended into the cloud base but better visibility today helped us to find it. A short scramble up to the base and we were ready to go.

A Grade 2 scramble, it could be argued that we should have taken the rope and, judging by the united intakes of breath as we got to the top of the scramble, it will be taken next time out.

The descent down the other side was hilarious, with John trying his hardest to tunnel through the Needle to emerge on the other side - or so it seemed.




Sadly this time, John made it without any first aid although we did consider mounting a small plaque, Nepalese style, to commemorate his dreadful fall on our previous trip and the spot where he went arse over tit.

Not quite Ibis behaviour, but he is learning.

Ginger - If you read this, I trust you won't tell Peter Hill about the rope thing - it was, after all, a pure Verdes moment - sure you'll understand...

Polney Crag, Dunkeld. 10th April 2008

A fine weekend weather wise saw our two Scotland based heroes out for a walk and a climb.

Champo and Ginger (sounds like the crew of a Lancaster bomber) took advantage of this and got hands on at Polney Crag, starting on a V.Diff and working up to V.Sev.





Well done guys!

The Merrick, Galloway Hills, 29th April 2008

Davie was in Scotland this week and took the opportunity to climb the Merrick, the highest mountain in southern Scotland at 843m.

Had to go off piste on the walk in as the path was being repaired, clambering up through the forest using a fire break. Surrounded by trees and under low cloud meant that some of the views were denied, but it was still a nice walk in.

The wind got up as height was attained but the low cloud persisted over Benyellary and across the saddle to the Merrick. This was the first mountain I ever climbed back in 1973 when I was 8. What felt like an Everest type approach back then, was now an easy walk to the summit.

Funny how things are always much bigger in your memory...

Naturally, once on the summit the weather changed to a more Verdes like affair, with the sun beaming out and all the clouds disappearing. Managed to get some great views back across Loch Doon, the location of many a camping session when I was younger and the views across all the tops were fantastic, with Ailsa Craig visible off the coast of Ayr.

Even managed to get a snap of Bruce's Stone when I was there, just for all you Anglos.

Enjoy!