This year’s Hillways visit to the Misty Isle
resulted in 2 testing days on the Cuillin Ridge, Matt climbing the Inaccessible
Pinnacle with Darren from Hebridean Pathways ( http://www.hebrideanpathways.co.uk ) and 3 mainland days avoiding the worst of the weather.
Sgurr nan Gillean
Sgurr nan Gillean & Am Basteir
Day 1 dawned ‘OK’ so we
chose one of the more challenging Cuillin peaks and one that for many, defines
these mountains: Sgurr nan Gillean. This
dark shapely spire dominates the view from the Sligachan Hotel (on at least 10
days of the year anyway) and appears to offer no easy access to the
hillwalker. There is a way though, one
that traverses the E slopes of the mountain and gains the summit by way of the
reclusive SE ridge.
With the upper part of the
peak shrouded in cloud, we set off from the Slig along the well-worn path that
leads across the heather, grass and bog.
An hour out and you reach a cairn marking a fork in the path. Here, we veered left into Coire Riabhach
before the climbing started in earnest.
The path snakes its way up and across the scree and boulder fields before
emerging on the skyline where Lota Corrie suddenly appears directly below you.
Here we entered the cloud
and began our rock-hopping traverse of the SE ridge which appears to climb
exponentially up to the unseen summit.
There’s some steep rock slabs to
negotiate just below the cairn so go carefully here before you pop up on the
crest some 30 yards short of the rather modest cairn. A couple of minutes of mind-absorbing exposed
scrambling will get you your Munro: Sgurr nan Gillean (964m; peak of the young men).
The Summit
We returned the same way,
the cloud slowly lifting until all the tops were clear. The Slig takes forever to arrive, but when it
does the chips are very nice…..
Sgurr nan Eag, Sgurr Dubh Mor & Sgurr Alasdair
Day 2 was again ‘OK’, at
least to begin with… So we positioned
ourselves at the other end of the ridge from yesterday and set off from Glenbrittle
to tackle the 3 southern-most Munros of the range. It takes about 2 full hours to traverse the
open hillside and negotiate the ice-scoured bedrock that leads to the eponymous
lochan that nestles high up in Coir’ a’ Ghrunnda. It’s worth it though as the rock amphitheatre
that awaits you is quite special (and very rocky)!
Coir’ a’ Ghrunnda
A straightforward scree
path (can’t say that very often about the Cuillin) leads SE up a steep slope to
deposit you on the Skye Ridge itself. We
climbed this in cloud and once up, followed the uncharacteristically broad
ridge for 10 mins to reach the southern-most Cuillin Munro: Sgurr nan Eag (924m; peak of the notches). This peak is the only summit on the main
ridge with any appreciable width; accordingly, it sports the biggest cairn!
We retreated back down the
path until half-way towards the lochan before traversing right and regaining
the ridge high above An Garbh-choire. Traversing
past the base of the rock tower of Caisteal a’ Garbh-choire, we paused for
lunch before scrambling up rock slopes that lead to Sgurr Dubh na Da
Bheinn. Placing your compass on the
summit rock here will induce the needle to find its very own magnetic field so
keep it clear of the ground if using it in anger!
Sgurr Dubh Mor & Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn
Here we left the main
ridge for the obligatory diversion E to pick up Munro No 2. It’s a fairly uncomplicated scramble down to
the intervening bealach but the subsequent re-ascent of Sgurr Dubh Mor is complicated and it helps to know the
way. A series of ledges traverse this
side of the mountain and the trick is knowing when to change levels. The summit is one of the narrowest in the
Cuillin and the cairn appears to cling to the very top of the mountain: Sgurr
Dubh Mor (944m; big black peak).
Dark clouds had begun to
gather over the ridge as we returned to Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn. Inevitably perhaps, given our luck thus far,
these started to unleash steady drizzle by the time we were traversing below
our final peak of the day, Sgurr Alasdair.
If Matt & Jenn found the access chimney entertaining, they did very
well to conceal their mirth as they slithered up the dark and dank chute. Even more dark entertainment followed as we
picked our way oh so carefully up the slippery, shattered and crumbling gabbro
slopes of the Black Cuillin’s crowning peak: Sgurr Alasdair (992m; Alexander’s peak). Navigation for the other 2 was greatly eased
by the trail of blood I was laying down for them as a surprising amount of the
red stuff dripped with alarming ease from a small finger wound I incurred
somewhere on the ascent!
A challenging climb, pouring rain and a
gushing (honest, Mum) blood wound all encouraged the shortest of stops on top
and we were quickly on our way down the short, but delicate, ridge to safer
ground. We now stood at the top of our
descent route - the Great Stone Shoot.
This mighty chute of slippery unstable rock, stones and shale requires
care and attention to negotiate and should not be considered a rapid down-escalator
with which to escape from the main ridge.
Accordingly, we picked our way down carefully into the heart of Coire
Lagan where we paused to lick our wounds and gather ourselves for the final
hour’s walk down the path to Glenbrittle.
Coire Lagan and That Stone Shoot Thing!
This is always a big
day. Today, it felt huge!
Maol Chean-dearg
By way of a change from
dancing on slippery rock slopes, we drove to the mainland to resume Matt &
Jenn’s mainland Munro quest. An hour
took us to Coulags near Lochcarron for their 2nd attempt at Maol
Chean-dearg. The last time they were
here, Matt suffered crippling back spasms that terminated their ascent leading
to a very slow and painful retreat. I
think it was bad for Matt too…
Sgorr Ruadh & Coire Fionnaraich Bothy
Today, a dull, dry and
overcast morning saw no such repeat and an injury-free walk up the excellent
path into Coire Fionnaraich. The old
landmarks in this very familiar glen were still all here for me - the bridge
over the Fionn-abhainn, Coire Fionnaraich bothy and Clach nan Con-fionn. The latter (the stone of Fingal’s dog) is where our legendary hero reputedly
tethered his hunting hounds - so now you know!
An Ruadh-Stac
An hour from the car, we reached the cairn marking the junction between
corrie and hill paths. We started up the
latter making good time until we cut the corner off via the quartzite boulder
field where we made less good time! At
least we were spared the steep shaley scramble up the normal route (as well as
a little distance) and were soon climbing the sandstone summit mound that gives
the mountain its name. The summit itself
is flat and crowned by a huge cairn.
Torridon lay beneath our feet and the view north was bedecked by the
best mainland mountains in the country.
Maol Chean-dearg (933m; bald red
head).
We returned via the normal
route, gingerly descending the steep quartzite shale nose that leads down to
the Bealach a’ Choire Ghairbh. The compensation for this is the fine view of that equally fine Corbett: An Ruadh-Stac. We made
it back to the car just as the rain started.
What skill!
Beinn Fhada & A’ Ghlas-bheinn
Continuing bad weather on
Skye enforced the postponement of Matt & Jenn’s last 2 Cuillin Munros so we
returned to the mainland to tackle 2 always-enjoyable Kintail Munros: Beinn
Fhada and A’ Ghlas-bheinn. Starting from
my own favourite discrete car parking spot in Strath Croe, we climbed up
through Gleann Choinneachain and the excellent stalker’s path that leads into
Coire an Sgairne.
Once on the summit plateau,
it was an easy stroll through a couple of remaining snowfields before the summit trig point
appeared out of the mist and we were back on top of one of my favourite Munros:
Beinn Fhada (1032m; long hill).
Approaching the Gates of Affric
Returning the same way
took us to the Bealach an Sgairne - the
Gates of Affric - and lunch. From
here, with clear views across the bleak bog-land of upper Glen Affric, we
started up the seemingly unending path that twists and turns its way up the S
ridge of what was to be our last Munro of the week: A’ Ghlas-bheinn (918m; greenish-grey hill).
From a cloudy summit, we
headed W descending easy slopes that lead to the shoulder of A’ Mhuc. The clouds finally cleared to reveal the
green upper reaches of Strath Croe which we reached via steep grassy slopes
that drop directly to a forestry track. The
track led us back to the car through delightful mixed woodland to the welcome
accompaniment of a babbling burn and sweet birdsong.
Coire Lair
Skye was out again so for
our last day, we planned to drive to Achnashellach and climb the peaks of the
Coulin Forest. Unfortunately, an
unhelpful forecast of 65mph winds proved to be somewhat optimistic and we only
managed to get as far as the entrance to Coire Lair before we bowed to the
inevitable and returned safely to the glen.
As we did so, a walker emerged from the direction of the hills to tell
us he had been blown over at least once trying to reach the first peak and had experienced
some difficulty trying to get back up.
That’s all we needed to know!
Coire Lair
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