Inaccessible Pinnacle
Encyclopedia
Sgurr Dearg is a mountain in the Cuillin
on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
. It is topped by the Inaccessible Pinnacle (colloquially referred to by mountaineers as the In Pin or In Pinn), a fin of rock measuring 150 feet (50 metres) along its longest edge. The top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, which at 3,235 ft (986 m) is the highest point of Sgurr Dearg and the only Munro
with a peak that can only be reached by rock climbing
. This makes it the biggest hurdle for many Munro baggers.
First climbed by Charles and Lawrence Pilkington in 1880, the Pinnacle was never climbed by Sir Hugh Munro
himself. Because of its status as the most difficult of the Munros it has now spawned a cottage industry for the local guides, who are frequently to be seen escorting parties of novice climbers. Unlike much of the Cuillin, the pinnacle is basalt
not gabbro
and thus is somewhat slippery in the wet.
, across Coire Lagan.
Although the name Sgurr Dearg refers to the mountain as a whole, references to the "summit" of Sgurr Dearg are, unless otherwise qualified, generally taken to indicate the 978 metre top immediately below the Inaccessible Pinnacle on the north-western side. For reasons that remain unclear, this summit was listed as a Munro
in the first (1891) edition of Munro's Tables, while the higher Pinnacle was listed as a subsidiary top; this situation was reversed in the first revision of the tables in 1921. Below the Inaccessible Pinnacle to the east is a smaller pinnacle called An Stac (954 m); this name originally applied to the 'In Pin' itself, and appears to have been transferred to the smaller top in error.
, from where the easiest route involves following the faint path to the Bealach Coire na Banachdich via the corrie
of the same name; from here the top of Sgurr Dearg may be gained via a tedious scree slope interspersed with some easy scrambling
. A more interesting ascent may be achieved by ascending the screes of Sron Dearg, which leads to Sgurr Dearg's narrow and rocky south-west ridge, a grade 1/2 scramble.
Many climbers tackle the mountain as part of a circuit of the Coire Lagan skyline, or a traverse of the main Cuillin ridge, approaching it along the ridge from Sgurr Mhic Choinnich
to the south-east (Grade 2). In this case the top of Sgurr Dearg can be reached direct by scrambling up the broad flank to the left of An Stac and the Inaccessible Pinnacle.
. Although graded Moderate (the lowest grade now in use in the British grading system
), with good holds, the ridge is narrow and exceptionally exposed. This route was described by an early climber as "a knife-edged ridge, with an overhanging and infinite drop on one side, and a drop on the other side even steeper and longer". Some climbers prefer to tackle the much shorter west ridge (20 m), graded Very Difficult. It is usual to descend from the summit of the Pinnacle by abseiling
off the west end, and a permanent anchor is sited on the summit for this purpose.
Cuillin
This article is about the Cuillin of Skye. See Rùm for the Cuillin of Rùm.The Cuillin are a range of rocky mountains located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The true Cuillin are also known as the Black Cuillin to distinguish them from the Red Hills across Glen Sligachan...
on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is topped by the Inaccessible Pinnacle (colloquially referred to by mountaineers as the In Pin or In Pinn), a fin of rock measuring 150 feet (50 metres) along its longest edge. The top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, which at 3,235 ft (986 m) is the highest point of Sgurr Dearg and the only Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
with a peak that can only be reached by rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
. This makes it the biggest hurdle for many Munro baggers.
First climbed by Charles and Lawrence Pilkington in 1880, the Pinnacle was never climbed by Sir Hugh Munro
Hugh Munro
Sir Hugh Thomas Munro, 4th Baronet of Linderits was a Scottish mountaineer who is best known for his list of mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet , known as the Munros....
himself. Because of its status as the most difficult of the Munros it has now spawned a cottage industry for the local guides, who are frequently to be seen escorting parties of novice climbers. Unlike much of the Cuillin, the pinnacle is basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
not gabbro
Gabbro
Gabbro refers to a large group of dark, coarse-grained, intrusive mafic igneous rocks chemically equivalent to basalt. The rocks are plutonic, formed when molten magma is trapped beneath the Earth's surface and cools into a crystalline mass....
and thus is somewhat slippery in the wet.
Geography
Sgurr Dearg lies on the main Cuillin ridge at the junction of Coire Lagan, Coire na Banachdich and Coir'-uisg. It is the second highest peak in the Cuillin, and faces the highest, Sgurr AlasdairSgurr Alasdair
Sgurr Alasdair is the highest peak of the Black Cuillin, and the highest peak on the Isle of Skye. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.-Ascent:...
, across Coire Lagan.
Although the name Sgurr Dearg refers to the mountain as a whole, references to the "summit" of Sgurr Dearg are, unless otherwise qualified, generally taken to indicate the 978 metre top immediately below the Inaccessible Pinnacle on the north-western side. For reasons that remain unclear, this summit was listed as a Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
in the first (1891) edition of Munro's Tables, while the higher Pinnacle was listed as a subsidiary top; this situation was reversed in the first revision of the tables in 1921. Below the Inaccessible Pinnacle to the east is a smaller pinnacle called An Stac (954 m); this name originally applied to the 'In Pin' itself, and appears to have been transferred to the smaller top in error.
Ascents
Approach to Sgurr Dearg
While the Inaccessible Pinnacle is the hardest of the Cuillin's summits to reach, the approach to its base is relatively simple by Cuillin standards. Most walkers and climbers start from Glen BrittleGlen Brittle
Glen Brittle is a large glen in the south of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. It runs roughly south to north, along the River Brittle, which has its mouth at Loch Brittle . The glen is also overlooked from the east by the formidable Cuillin, the largest mountains on Skye...
, from where the easiest route involves following the faint path to the Bealach Coire na Banachdich via the corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
of the same name; from here the top of Sgurr Dearg may be gained via a tedious scree slope interspersed with some easy scrambling
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
. A more interesting ascent may be achieved by ascending the screes of Sron Dearg, which leads to Sgurr Dearg's narrow and rocky south-west ridge, a grade 1/2 scramble.
Many climbers tackle the mountain as part of a circuit of the Coire Lagan skyline, or a traverse of the main Cuillin ridge, approaching it along the ridge from Sgurr Mhic Choinnich
Sgurr Mhic Choinnich
Sgurr Mhic Choinnich is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is in the Black Cuillin range of mountains and is classified as a Munro. Like all the other Black Cuillin mountains it is made predominantly of gabbro rock and has little vegetation...
to the south-east (Grade 2). In this case the top of Sgurr Dearg can be reached direct by scrambling up the broad flank to the left of An Stac and the Inaccessible Pinnacle.
The Inaccessible Pinnacle
The usual ascent of the Inaccessible Pinnacle itself is by its long east ridge, a climb of 50 metres vertically involving two roped 30m pitchesMulti-pitch climbing
Multi-pitch climbing is the ascent of climbing routes with one or more stops at a belay station. Each section of actual climbing between stops at the belay stations is called a pitch. The leader ascends the pitch, placing gear and stopping to anchor themselves to the belay station.The reason for...
. Although graded Moderate (the lowest grade now in use in the British grading system
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
), with good holds, the ridge is narrow and exceptionally exposed. This route was described by an early climber as "a knife-edged ridge, with an overhanging and infinite drop on one side, and a drop on the other side even steeper and longer". Some climbers prefer to tackle the much shorter west ridge (20 m), graded Very Difficult. It is usual to descend from the summit of the Pinnacle by abseiling
Abseiling
Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
off the west end, and a permanent anchor is sited on the summit for this purpose.
External links
- Sgurr Dearg & In Pinn - details of route of ascent including free downloadable OS map.
- "Seachd - The Inaccessible Pinnacle" - official site of the film, featuring the mountain