Hills Climbed 1983

From Sligachan, up the ridge to the col below the Gendarme. We traversed around am Bhastier to the foot of the tooth, climbed onto the tooth (v.diff), then continued over am Bhastier and back down to the col.

While on the climb to the Tooth, we were approached by a group of students who had tried earleir and given up. They wanted to know where the v.diff route was. When we said we were on it, they didn't believe us. "We've been doing grades up to xs on the climbing wall in Glasgow, and this is much worse." They hadn't realised the psychlogical difference it makes to be in the grandeur of the Cuillin bown, with another 500ft of exposure below the start of the climb.

Our party set off from Glen Brittle at about the same time as two girls from Broadford hospital; a nurse and a New Zealander doctor. They had no mountaineering experience and their intention was to walk to Coire Lagan and back. By the time we got Coire Lagan, they were convinced of our competence as guides to take them on to the summit of Sgurr Alistair. They were however somewhat surprised when our promise of a party on the top was fulfilled with a birthday cake, a bottle of champagne, and a low-level flying display by two RAF Phantoms. (The Phantoms were a surprise to us too, but we kept quiet about that).

After the party, we saw the girls safely back onto the stone chute, then took the Collie's ledge route around Sgurr Mhic Coinnich, before returning to Coire Lagan to set up our camp.


Phil's birthday party on Sgurr Alasdair, with two ladies from Broadford hospital who had only planned to visit Coire Lagan, 1000 ft below.	Picking a precarious way along the snow-filled Collie's Ledge route around Sgurr Mhic Choinnich.

The intention was to traverse the entire ridge in one go, from an overnight camp in Coire Lagan, set up the previous day. What wer didn't allow for was the inadequacies in our catering arrangements. Suffice it to say that cooking breakfast took much longer than it should have done, and eating it left at least two of the party feeling decidedly ill. So the planned route was shortened; up to the Inaccessible Pinnacle, then as far on along the ridge as we could get. At In Pin, Ian got half-way up the climb before bringing up his breakfast, at which point he decided to take the easy way round. Meanwhile Roy was busy behind a rock getting rid of his breakfast by another means. So only Geoff and Dick made it up In Pin.

Ian and Dick reached the foot of am Bhastier before descending to Sligachan where a second car had been strategically placed. Roy and geoff had left the ridge somewhat earlier and were waiting in the bar.

The tents were retrieved from Coire Lagan some days later, with the able assistance of the entire Tayinloan party.

Although our trips to Skye were based on climbing, our residence at Tayinloan Lodge provided enough space and comfort to atract our non-climbing friends, and they were more than welcome, providing us with a ready-made social life as soon as we got off the hills. The 1983 trip was perhaps something of a climax to our "social" climbing holidays, and the climbing party (Geoff, Ian, Roy, Dick) were joined by Morag, Kathleen, Nicol & Rita, Penny D, Penny R, and Dina. To be fair, it wasn't all mill shops and tea rooms for them either, and everyone joined in on several of the walks in the hills, including a walk from Glen Brittle up to Coire Lagan to retrieve our camp.


The 1983 Tayinloan group after the "Designer Hat" dinner.	Nicol dressed for Skye, in a kilt borrowed from Kathleen.	Rita, Kathleen & Nicol take well-earned refreshment after their walk up to Coire Lagan.


Nicol sets foot on the Sgurr Alistair stone chute at the head of Coire Lagan, Skye.	It can be dangerous to fall asleep in the hills; someone might build a cairn on you. Dina forms a sound foundation.

The Mendip Caving Group 1983 expedition was to Arbas in the French Pyrenees, exploring the Réseau Trombe. A small group of us took a few days out from the serious caving to visit Gavarnie and the ice-cave Grotte Casteret near the Pyrenees ridge.

The Cirque de Gavarnie is a natural amphitheatre on the French side of the Pyrenees ridge. At its head is the Brèche de Roland, a deep cleft in the ridge said to have been cut by a French king Roland following a battle with the Spanish.

The Cirque de Gavarnie, from just below the town.


First view of the Brèche de Roland, with appropriate cloud effects.	Crossing the glacier towards the Brèche de Roland.

The cave known as Grotte Casteret (or Grotte Glacée de Marboré) is on the Spanish side, just through the Brèche. Its entrance is in the hill-side, and slopes down into the cave. Because of this the cold winter air remains trapped inside the cave (being denser than warm air), and ice stays in the cave all year round. The cave has an ice lake at its lowest point, and further in is a large column of ice flowing from a hole in the ceiling. This hole leads eventually to the surface, where the "mini-glacier" ending in the ice column is replenished every winter by the weight of the new season's snow.


Inside the cave is a lake of ice.	The cave also has an ice column flowing from a vertical shaft in the roof.	The view towards the entrance from behind the ice column.

After visiting the cave, we continued into Spain to the Refugio de , below Pic de Marboré and at the head of a deep gorge in the Ordesa national park. Here we ate and slept before returning the way we had come.


Geoff abseils off the Inaccessible Pinnacle	.	Dick surveys the sunset from above Fionn Coire.


Brèche de Roland from the south (ie from Spain).	View of the Brèche de Roland from the cave entrance.


A deep gorge leading down into Spain..	A limestone section of the Pyrenées ridge below Pic de Marboré.


	Marsco, from the lower ridge north of Sgurr nan Gillean.	.