CHAPTER III

THE CLIMBS ON THE FIRST PINNACLE

SGURR NAN GILLEAN

THE steep rocks of the face of the First Pinnacle, which overlook Corrie Riabhach, contain some first-rate climbing.

To those who bemoan the remoteness of Sligachan from the climbs, it will come as a pleasant surprise to hear that within a walk of an hour and a half is one of the best gullies on the island. This can be seen from the inn, and shows as a black vertical gash. To the left of it can be discerned the outline of another gully, and I think that it must have been up the left-hand wall of this that Messrs. Naismith, Collie, and Howell climbed in 1896.

The description of their climb says: "The way is difficult to describe, but it followed generally the line of a rib or buttress, which runs north-east from the First Pinnacle to the head of Corrie Riabhach. After passing some easy rocks the party attacked a steep face of excellent rock, immediately to the left of a gully, visible from Sligachan as a vertical cut. Subsequently crossing some scree they ascended a 40-foot chimney, and a nearly vertical wall just above it, on the top of which a small cairn was left."

I have hunted in vain for that cairn, and, be

cause the climb up the buttress of the left-hand gully bears a strong resemblance to the one described above, have come to the conclusion that it must have been swept away. However, another now stands on what, I think, must have been its site.

The Black Chimney-First Pinnacle.-The usual approach to the First Pinnacle lies along the rounded rocky ridge which is defined on the Sgurr a'Bhasteir side by the steep cliff that plunges down into the Bhasteir Burn, rendered famous by the exploit of three well-known mountaineers who swam up it. If, when about a couple of hundred feet away from the point where this ridge abuts on the First Pinnacle, the climber looks to its northern side, he cannot fail to observe this steep, deeply-cut Black Chimney.

It had often "taken my eye" when passing to climbs further afield, but it was not until June 1907 that a suitable opportunity arose of inspecting it closely.

The day was wet, speaking "wi'out preejudice," even a Highlander would have admitted that it was raining. My party had arrived at Sligachan less than twenty-four hours before, and the chimney was obviously difficult. Failure was almost a foregone conclusion. We had come out for exercise, however, and cared little whether a climb accrued or not.

After reaching the foot of the First Pinnacle a ledge was followed around and downward to the left, which brought us to a platform immediately below the chimney. Intervening between it and us was an expanse of slabby rock.