Having spent the night on the ridge, out in the open surrounded only by a low ring of stones, we are ready to get up around 3 am for our attempt on the Cuillin Ridge traverse. A cup of tea made in the handy stone cubicle which forms the kitchen of our abode, and of course, the Chorley Cakes, all strictly rationed. All the while we are stuffing sleeping bags in to rucksacks and making sure we put things for the day into a small lightweight sack to take with us. When the big bags are ready, I go off to find somewhere to stow them for a couple of days and we are ready to hasten in the dark towards the peak of Gars Bheinn, – the start of our final (to date) attempt on the traverse. As usual the weather is fantastic, not a cloud to be seen, so the views are beautiful, and this time, so that I don’t waste time with photography Jim has charge of the camera, and so nearly all the photos of this trip are of me.
About 4am just as soon as it came light
We watch the sun coming up as we hurry towards Sgurr nan Eag
The steep and exposed scramble that leads to the abseil down into the bottom of the TD Gap
Here I am abseiling into the gap where we will start the roped climb
A passerby took these photos of my absiel as he walked below the TD Gap
My abseil into the TD gap taken by a passing walker
not at home 