Needle Peak

Grade I, Class 3
2,095m
Coquihalla Summit

Needle Peak is becoming an annual tradition. This year we had inaugural scramblers Anthony, David Garth and Maggie the Dog in our group, as well as Guy / Grumps who joined us from Vancouver. It was a perfect day to be in the mountains. Oliver set a storming pace up the first steep section with David / Grandad and Garth in tow and it took quite some for the rest of us to catch up. We met a huge (well at least a dozen) group of Filipino's from Vancouver working their way nervously up the first bit of scrambling. Maggie was also a little unsure about this section, but after sniffing around for an alternative eventually scampered up it with no trouble. For the final climb to the summit we pulled out the webbing harness I had fashioned for Maggie but it was a complete failure and Eloïse ended up staying back with her while the rest of us went up to the summit and back. Guy provided a final bit of excitement when his legs started cramping very badly (I result we guessed of dehydration after a flight back from UK followed by a day in the garden). Through gritted teeth he told us to go on and save ourselves, which David, Garth and Anthony promptly did. Oliver, Eloïse and Pip, being blood relations, stuck around to make sure he got off the mountain which, after some nervous moments at the lower technical bit, we all did.

Photos    Strava

Mt. Schäffer

Southwest Ridge (F 3rd) 2,691m
Lake O'Hara

Another visit to Lake O'Hara (we were here about this time last year - see 15/AUG/2018) and another trip up Mt. Schäffer. This was the inaugural scramble for the Bridge Family (Chris, Sonya, Breagh and Allie)! Although we were familiar with the route from last year we inadvertently got onto a different, easier route from about halfway up the scramble, moving off the ridge West / climber's left into a bit of a gully. This was just as well given the deteriorating weather, and we wasted no time getting up and off again before the rain began in earnest.

Scramblers: Oliver, Eloïse, Allie, Breagh, Lisa, Sonya, Chris and Pip.

Photos   Strava 

Cuillin Ridge

Isle of Skye

Without great expectations of actually pulling it off Jos and Pip took a crack at a 1-day traverse of the fabled Cuillin traverse on our last day on Skye. We managed about three fifths, we figure, bagging about 15 peaks along the way between Gars-bheinn (southern end) and Sgùrr Thuilm (we exited the main ridge via the West ridge of Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh). A 5:30 start from the Glenbrittle Campground got us to the top of Gars-bheinn and the start of the traverse for 9:00 (we lost a bit of time traversing too far East under Gars-bheinn before starting up). Consistent with almost every mountain day we had during our month in the UK we were in the clouds and didn't get much in the way of views. However, we enjoyed a tonne of fun scrambling, including two technical pitches (TD gap and King Chimney) made more exiting by the fact that we had no pro (though plenty of slings). We moved well, and took few breaks, but eventually ran out of steam (and water), and when Guy (aka dad) intercepted us north of Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh we faced a stark choice between A: continuing on for a guaranteed Sufferfest or, B: calling it a day and getting back to our families for dinner. Pip was only half-inclined to suffer (against Jocelyn's resolve not to call it a day; bailing at this point still meant another 3hrs or so on our feet) so down we went. Back to the Glenbrittle Hostel around 6pm where Gillian (aka mum) was waiting to give us a very-much-appreciated ride down the road to the campground.

Scramblers: the sister-brother team of Jos and Pip.

Guidebook: Mike Lates, Skye: The Cuillin (2011).

Photos | Strava