John Chivall, Outdoor Instructor

I had a few days to spare in the middle of September, so snatched a few days away climbing with my friend Simon Gill. Driving northwards under blazing blue skies, we decided to stop in Glen Nevis for the afternoon, where we climbed The Old Wall and Storm on Calvary Crack Buttress. We were having a bit too much fun to take pictures unfortunately.

Waking up in the Sligachan campsite the next morning, the Cuillin had a soggy grey hat on, so we thought we'd have a look at the basalt sea-cliff climbing at Flodigarry. What followed was somewhat ignominious - a combination of wet rock, unsuitable footwear and unplanned aid climbing. Top tip - when abseiling down to the start of a route, don't leave your rock shoes at the top!

I've never had to aid a HS before.

Simon, wondering why he came climbing with me.

The next day, the weather was much better, so we headed up into Coire Lagan to do the classic routes of Cioch Grooves (HVS) Arrow Route (VDiff) and Integrity (MVS) on Sron na Ciche. followed by a scramble along the ridge to Sgurr Alastair. An amazing day out and shockingly the first time I'd done any rock climbing in the Cuillin - I will be back...

Simon getting down from the Cioch after our lunch stop

The In Pinn from atop Sron na Ciche

A wave of cloud is broken by the Black Cuillin

Simon dwarved by the Great Stone Chute

Lochan Coire Lagan

Simon by the lochan

Sron na Ciche, with the Cioch casting its shadow over the slab to its left

The sun setting over the Hebridean Sea