CIC Sunset

Steve & I have climbed together for 25 years. Less so recently as his growing family deserves more and more of his time, but we try and get at least one trip in a year.
For a while the mighty Tower Ridge has been on Steve's radar - its filtered into conversations and floated around our plans. I've done it twice before in winter - but never in summer conditions - so it seemed like a great idea to me.
To get to the route proper would take you nearly three hours from the North Face car park - but with a bit of planning you can arrange to stay in the famous CIC Hut (Charles Inglis Clark Hut) - at the foot of the North face - and then the walk in is only 45 minutes or so. This hut, run by the SMC, is probably the closest thing we have here in the UK to a proper Alpine Hut - fueled by its own wind turbine and a supply of huge gas cylinders there's cooking facilities, gas fires and electric lights - water comes from the stream - everything else comes in on your own back.
The weather on Friday lived up to the horrendous forecast - but it also got suddenly nicer in the evening just like they said - leaving the car at 19:00 it was dry and the stormy sky was turning to blue (it goes without saying that it was unbelievably midgey - my mesh smock is essential equipment in Scotland)- arriving at the hut at 21:00 after the slow steady climb to find there was only the four of us it was time to put the kettle on, pour a wee dram and watch nature's spectacle in its fullest glory.

Tomorrow looks like being a great day...