Inaccessible Pinnacle - the InPin

The advert in the Guardian for its travel section in next week's edition says under a picture of the InPin (left) that there will be an article on Bear Grylls and the "notorious climb". The InPin, one of the Cuillin Ridge Munros, Skye, is an easy grade for climbers,

But it was scary enough for me when we did it in May 2000. I have no head for heights, but had to do it in my challenge to myself to climb all 284 Munros. Because a rope was required, we joined a group with a guide, Skye 1, Gerry Ackroyd, for the Skye Munros.

We started off with 9 men and 3 women. Descending after our two mountains on the first day one of the women slipped on the peat and broke her wrist. The next day we started with the InPin, then we'd do Sghur Mic Choinnich and Sghur Alasdair, descending by the Great Stone Shute. The other woman refused to try this top section of the In Pin so she took this picture of me going up. I asked to go third as I didn't want to put it off in case I got too scared. It started to snow while I was at the top, so I was a chilly wait till everybody got up. I felt a great sense of achievement but we still had to get down, then get along Collie's Ledge to the next Munro. The other woman lost her nerve at that point so the guide's son took her back very quickly, before we all got the fear.

For the rest of the week I kept thinking I was the only woman left and things go in threes, but Gerry was a brilliant guide. "Trust your boots" he'd tell me if I hesitated. The rock (gabbros?) is really very grippy, though I did wear through the seat of my trousers one day.