Getting Ben on The Ben - REPORT

Thanks for the report. Great! :+1:

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I do too. They don’t lend themselves to a multi-summit big day out though, although individually they can’t be beaten.

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What about the Cullins: Skye but looks poor for marylins and not sure if it’s the inn pin that qualifies or Beinn Dearg ! I could imagine that it’s interesting to activate on HF with the queues and popularity on good weather days ….

But even better, an hidden gem: islands, bothy, fine peaks, river crossings and what looks like good SOTA: Rum Cullin traverse?

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Great list Fraser. I envy you with these expeditions still to do.

Each of those brings back fond memories. Some of them were done from a “forward location” wild camp. Which gives time to savour the summits a bit and “live” in the area for a couple of days.

Fisherfield was a notable one. Although similar trips were done around Ben Alder and of course Knoydart on a few occasions.

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I know you’ve compleated the Munros Gerald, which is a great feat. I’ve done about 120, mainly because I can’t be bothered with the driving and I mainly stick to the Cairngorms, finding new variety and routes. I’ve done about 50% of that list, however Mo hasn’t and I’ve not done them for SOTA.

I suspect Munro bashing will be a retirement pastime for us both.

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On a recent trip to Glen SheilI I was chatting to a chap while on Sgurr nan Conbhairean GM/WS-016 (SOTLAS), he was on his fourth round of the Munros…

I’ll dig out some pictures of the south ridge and post up a (very late) report… It is magnificent country up there.

Alan

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There is one that I wondered about but I don’t know if it is practicable. Start with a traverse of Beinn Alligin then follow the Horns path to join the Coire Mhic Nobaill path and follow it around the north side of Liathach (aside: its a lovely walk!) Then you have two choices: if it is practicable to climb the scree on the east side of Stuc a Choire Duibh Bhig then traverse Liathach, if it looks too hard then follow the branch track around Sail Mhor pass the loch and ascend Rhua Stac Mhor from the col. I know the latter one is practicable but it leaves a long walk on tarmac!

Of course if you are really strong and the screes are practicable you could do Liathach after Sail Mhor but that is a brutal day out!

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You know that’s like waving a red rag to a bull Brian. Challenge accepted. :grinning:

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Dammit, Fraser, if I could shed a decade I would do it with you!

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GM/SI-002 - It is the Inn Pin that is the qualifying summit, not Beinn Dearg. Also, I do not believe that Beinn Dearg is within the activation zone of the Inn Pin. Adrian @MM0DHY and Colwyn @MM0YCJ have previously activated GM/SI-002 and have both climbed up the Inn Pin to do this activation as well, so maybe contact them to get further details.

Jimmy M0HGY

At least you didn’t become one of my many “customers” from Tower Ridge.

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The sad truth is that the summit of Beinn Dearg is within the activation zone of the Innaccessible Pinnacle. The short side of the In Pinn facing B. Dearg presents a highly polished but not too difficult rock climb of just over 20m from the base of the Pinnacle to the top of the perched boulder on the summit. Sitting on the summit of B. Dearg the In Pinn is a little higher and it is a straight walk down to the start of the climb. It would therefore be valid (but IMHO unethical!) to activate from the summit of B. Dearg.

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I’m with you on that one Brian. The Inaccessible Pinnacle absolutely has to be activated from the summit block.

Ethically, it is a tricky one though. My first activation on Ben A’an GM/ES-005 was from beside the summit tor using a dipole. It didn’t please me. Activation #2 was from the top of the tor using 2m. Activation #3 was from the top of the tor on HF using a specially designed short vertical.

All three legitimate, so the same goes for Beinn Dearg/The Inn. Pin. However given the Inn. Pin. is the only Munro that requires graded technical climbing, it is a bit different & special. So, it’s about doing it in style rather than using the SOTA rules not to, IMO.

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The abseil off the in pin is about 18m, a 40m rope will do. However you probally have several metres to the summit from the belay. So it’s close but within the zone as g8add points out. I wonder that the Marylyn collectors do - probally climb the inn pinn for sure!

I’m with Fraser, the aesthetics of activating from the inn pinn is a draw and what’s makes it special. It’s a special Munro. I quite fancy dangling a HF wire off the face with a pole !! (Aguille du Midi style!!!)

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Tricky one… of course the rules are clear, but personal ethics are… well, just that… personal.

Given the almost inevitable queues and tight space, my own way of doing this would be to climb to the summit and touch the top, then ab off and find a spot in the AZ out of the way to avoid conflict with everyone else.

Of course you could probably keep out of the way just by the very summit block… but it’s tricky.

I’ve been up there twice.

Once soloing the long side, a quick tap of the summit, then an ab off on an improvised harness (8 ft sling) and a simple HMS Krab and Italian Hitch.

Second by leading the short side and bringing up 3 other people (one being my wife). I then lowered each them off, before abing myself.

I caused a minor “traffic jam” on the second ascent. I wouldn’t do it that way again.

So… for me, I’d compromise by touching the top and then get out of the way to avoid hindering other climbers.

I am NOT suggesting it’s wrong to sit on the top… just I personally probably not want to do it.

Brian - you are dead right… it was polished to hell… good protection where it got a bit hairy though

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Gerald,
Nice image to illustrate the situation for those who’ve never visited/seen it.
I agree with the sentiments expressed although some may not have the skills, experience or confidence to climb it (and come down safely…)

That made me think.
A few magnitudes difference in difficulty/complexity to get to the top (and back) but I wonder how many people make it to the top of Stiperstones (G/WB-003) touch the trig before setting up below to activate it.
Activated it 5 times, but only once took the ‘effort’ to get to the top…

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Well for me (and other climbers) there are several interesting little routes to get to the TP, little more than bouldering but quite satisfying! Its quite an eery summit in mist with the various pinnacles emerging out of the mist and vanishing behind you! There is also a nice little scramble up a steep outcrop by the Stiperstones Inn to get to the summit plateau - and the outcrops continue south of the road for quite a distance to the gap before Black Bradley Hill. All in all a great area to explore if you aren’t in a hurry to get to the next summit! Take the time some day, guys, it won’t disappoint!

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I had no choice! I would have happily activated from the bottom but Brian G4ZRP insisted we did it properly and he forced me to scramble up it. I don’t like things like this and shy away but he would have moaned and moaned if I had wimped out :slight_smile:

You can tell from my face I was “uncomfortable”.

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I think that is a perfectly justifiable way of doing it. You’ve been to the top which is more than Munro himself ever did and then you’ve got out of the way so others can do it. That ticks all the boxes in my view.

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oh how i miss Scottish highlands. Haven’t walked up Scotland since i did the WHW bac in 02 or 03! neeeeeed to get mysef back up there.

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