Sgurr Mhic Choinnich
Encyclopedia
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. The mountain is named after the mountain guide, John MacKenzie.
The most common route to the summit involves climbing the An Stac scree slopes out of Coire Lagan to reach the bealach between Sgurr Mhic Choinnich and Sgurr Dearg. From here an airy and challenging scramble up the peak's north ridge is required to attain the summit. The ascent is a challenging climb by the standards of British mountains, being an exposed scramble at Grade 2 standard. The south face of the mountain, by contrast, falls sheer to the bealach between Sgurr Mhic Choinnich and Sgurr Thearlaich, and the easiest route up this face (King's Chimney) is a V. Diff rock climb. Moreover, this bealach cannot be reached from below without further rock climbing, and the north ridge of Sgurr Thearlaich which leads down to the bealach contains an awkward rock step (a Moderate rock climb) which must be taken in descent. For those with the ability to reach this bealach, however, a remarkable terrace, Collie's Ledge, which is only a Grade 2 scramble, avoids King's Chimney entirely by traversing the western flank of the peak and joining up with the north ridge. This ledge is difficult to find, but when located, it is often used by mountaineers on the full traverse of the Cuillin ridge to gain the summit without having to climb King's Chimney.
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 in the Black Cuillin range of mountains and is classified 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...
. Like all the other Black Cuillin mountains it is made predominantly of 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....
rock and has little vegetation. The mountain is named after the mountain guide, John MacKenzie.
The most common route to the summit involves climbing the An Stac scree slopes out of Coire Lagan to reach the bealach between Sgurr Mhic Choinnich and Sgurr Dearg. From here an airy and challenging scramble up the peak's north ridge is required to attain the summit. The ascent is a challenging climb by the standards of British mountains, being an exposed scramble at Grade 2 standard. The south face of the mountain, by contrast, falls sheer to the bealach between Sgurr Mhic Choinnich and Sgurr Thearlaich, and the easiest route up this face (King's Chimney) is a V. Diff rock climb. Moreover, this bealach cannot be reached from below without further rock climbing, and the north ridge of Sgurr Thearlaich which leads down to the bealach contains an awkward rock step (a Moderate rock climb) which must be taken in descent. For those with the ability to reach this bealach, however, a remarkable terrace, Collie's Ledge, which is only a Grade 2 scramble, avoids King's Chimney entirely by traversing the western flank of the peak and joining up with the north ridge. This ledge is difficult to find, but when located, it is often used by mountaineers on the full traverse of the Cuillin ridge to gain the summit without having to climb King's Chimney.