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My Pinnacles of Success

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My Pinnacles of Success 18 feelinG PeaKY Gordon helped terrified Fiona reach the top of Liathach BRICK HAUL St Pancras station model SEE LEGO’s My pinnacles BRICK CITY This summer, LEGO fans can visit a special exhibition at New Lanark World Heritage Site. Brick City will be at the visitor of success attraction from June 28 to August 9, 10am to 5pm. The exhibition features many famous buildings and urban HIGHLANDS icons, including the Colosseum, St Pancras Station and L’Arc De Triomphe, designed by RIDGE WALK professional LEGO Brick artist There are several Warren Elsmore. classic mountain ridge There will also be a play area, walks in Scotland – feeT LEGO Robotics workshops and on THE and Liathach was on Accessible Brick City sessions FIONA my need-to-do list. GrounD for people with special needs. Fiona and n To book tickets see www. RUSSELL The Torridon ridge includes two Gordon newlanark.org of the 282 Munros – and I’m were trying to bag them all. But I’m delighted to Fiona faces not a fan of heights and loathe get back on BOOK IN FOR exposed high-altitude hiking firm terrain her fear of heights paths so was anxious about OPEN WATER tackling Liathach last month. and sheer drops The ridge is almost 3500ft next section of the hike turned 15 minutes to reach the top of A new book above sea level, joining together reveals tips and to tackle the out to be almost as frightening the pinnacle. But I still faced advice about two Munros, and includes a as the pinnacles. the climb down the other side. open water terrifying Torridon series of large rock pinnacles. Walkers must descend a I turned around to face the swimming. The seven-mile Liathach hike vertiginous slope to the south- rock and made a slow and Written ridge in her bid to starts at the roadside in Glen west of Spidean a’ Choire Leith careful descent. All of a sudden, by former complete the Torridon and ascends a steep on a narrow, stone-strewn path. we were back on safer ground international path that zigzags upwards. The I did most of this on my bum, and rejoined the path along a swimmer Paul Mason, Swimming seven-mile hike views over the mountainous sliding carefully downwards. gratifyingly wide section of for Triathlon and Open Water is landscape as my partner Gordon Finally, we reached flatter the ridge. I allowed myself a published this month. of Liathach and and I climbed higher helped me ground. From there, I saw the moment of self-congratulation The book includes more than bag two Munros forget the dreaded pinnacles. The great mounds of rocks and as I looked up at the steep rocks. 50 swimming drills for swimming ascent eases for a short time as it boulders looming up ahead. The walk to the second Munro, freestyle (crawl). There are also heads into the huge curved rocks chapters on technique basics, There is an alternative option Mullach an Rathain, was relaxing of a coire, before you reach a to going over the pinnacles – a in comparison. At the top, we sat body positioning and timing. couple of small scrambly sections. n Paperback is priced £16.99 goat path around the sides. I had to enjoy the fabulous panorama. and £14.99 as an ebook. See Fortunately, it did not feel too been told the path is very narrow I had read the steep descent www.bloomsbury.com/uk/ exposed and I focused on looking in places and extremely exposed. would be tough and it was. The up and not down. As we arrived At first, this seemed like the stony path heads downwards in on the ridge proper, the views best route. By looking only to my tight zigzags with many GEAR OF suddenly opened out over the right at the rocks, never to the opportunities to slip over. north side towards Beinn Eighe. left at the steep drops, I managed Thankfully, this part of the As we walked west along the to negotiate my way around the mountain does not feel so THE WEEK ridge, I began to wonder if the Helly Hansen Vanir first two pinnacles. We stopped exposed, although the downhill guidebooks make more of a fuss between the second and third, hike is hard on the thighs and Reisen women’s jacket of this hike than was necessary. This new technical outdoor the largest, pinnacle to let others knees. Finally, we reached the jacket for women is waterproof, It didn’t take too long to hike pass us in the opposite direction. valley floor and began the highly windproof and to the top of first Munro, Spidean Some had walked the goat path two-mile walk back along the breathable. It is made with a a’Choire Leith, at 3461ft. There, further on and described it as road to our campervan. three-layer polyamide outer spread before me, I saw the full extreme so I decided instead to A bottle of Champagne was fabric that also benefits from extent of the pinnacles that lay climb up and over. It is not a waiting and, if ever there was a Durable Water Repellent between this Munro and the next. difficult scramble and there are the right moment to open it, a (DWR) treatment. I wondered if it was possible to plenty of places to put feet and successful traverse of the Features include descend the way we had come, hold on but the sense of being Liathach ridge was it. water-resistant walk along the glen and climb up exposed, climbing above a Find out more: A route zippered pockets, side the other side of the ridge to the narrow ridge, was terrifying. description of Liathach at body venting zippers second Munro. This would avoid At times we needed to move www.walkhighlands.co.uk and a hood with a the pinnacles but would require sideways along the pinnacle and Places to stay: one-handed Free Torridon a great deal more ascent than I had to rely on Gordon to help Campsite on A896 near the adjustment system. “simply” walking along the ridge. Articulated sleeves me place my feet in the right village. The luxury Torridon allow increased Gordon assured me I would place. I didn’t want to look down. Hotel and the Torridon Inn. mobility. cope with the pinnacles. The Strangely, we took less than See www.thetorridon.com n Priced £220, see Join me on my adventures in Scotland’s great outdoors by checking out my award-winning www.hellyhansen. com/en_gb/ website at www.fionaoutdoors.co.uk. You’ll find lots of great information about walking, Advice cycling, running and other outdoor activities, as well as kit reviews. and ideas.
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