Leading the steeper third pitch, I weaved through bulges of ice with good pro-wonderful climbing — and then engaged in my second cornice battle of the week, as I stupidly skipped an obvious stance and tried to run it out to the top. We were carrying Des' 50-meter rope and my 60, and his cord came tight just as I planted my axes over the lip off the small cornice and tried to lift my knee onto the top. I tugged at the ropes and yelled for Des to untie his short rope, but he couldn't hear me. As I was pondering the delicate downclimb to the last stance, two climbers who had finished the climb just ahead of us — Maciej Ciesielski from Poland and his British host Stan Halstead — asked if they could help. I pulled up the slack in my 60-meter rope and tossed an end to them, then handed them my axes so they could bury the tools for a quick anchor. I belayed with my feet on the lip of the cornice until Des moved up enough for me to scurry back out of harm's way.

On top, Des marveled at the view, saying he'd rarely seen it so calm and clear. Although the sky was overcast, we could see beneath the clouds to the mountain ridges on the islands of Skye, Rhum, and Mull. The afternoon sun glinted pale yellow off the sea. Des turned slowly and named prominent peaks 'round the points of the compass. “Aye, take it all in,” he said, “because you won't get many days like this up here.”

Nor anywhere else, either.