Great to read again “The Cuillin by Gordon Stainworth” Some thoughts on the Skye trip.

Cuillin – Gordon Stainworth

 

It is great to read again a book you enjoyed and love, this book The Cullin by Gordon Stainforth was excellent. There is so much in so many great wee stories and the poetry is incredible. What pictures and even better the author tells you how and at what time he took them. He spent 150 days on the hill and the ridge was clear for 71 of them and that was poor summer. It is now a collector’s item and I think it is out of print but can be found on Amazon. I met Gordon on Skye and Page 102 is of two RAF Kinloss troops, Ian Ned Kelly and another team member. What a great book, I took it to Skye and so enjoyed reading it.  A book is there to be read and enjoyed and not sat on a book shelve gathering dust.   I love some of the quotes.

“As I had no intention of losing either hold or head, there was no risk and I found my confidence was not betrayed when I whispered to the rock ”

You stick to me and I will stick to you! Fred Jackson on Clach Glas in 1896.

Early morning on the Dubhs Ridge – what memories.

I came back after a long drive really tired the constant heat takes it out of you and found that my BT email has been hacked. It is now back in use after 2 days of trials speaking to India! How great it was too have no mobile phone signal. emails and the joys of modern life and enjoy the peace of Coruisk. Now it is back to the real world and to plan the next trip. It was superb and we all learned a lot.

Wearing a helmet is a “no brainer” in Skye yet we were fooled into it by the heat, the dry rock and I suppose our cockiness. We are all getting older and still think like youths but the reactions slow down and we forget that age is taking its toll. Hard days are now really hard and the body needs time to recover. Yet we can still enjoy these great hills at a slower pace and see more. A scare sharpens the wits but too many and something is wrong, the situation and weather fooled us. These mountains can bite no matter how experienced you are, I must keep that in mind at all times. I look at every years accidents in the mountains and our age group stands out.

The Coruisk Hut what a place to be. My wee tent£12.50 from Tesco’s! did the job!