To Skye With The Mighty Quinn(s)!

Loch Coruisk

This has not been a classic May so far, weather-wise, on the Misty Isle. But it was OK for my return last week when the highlight of the week was meeting up with the Quinn brothers, Michael and Chris who were closing in on their last 4 Cuillin Munros. Having warmed up on the Five Sisters of Kintail, they met up with me at Glen Brittle Youth Hostel where we decided which of the 4 remaining peaks the conditions would lend themselves to. In the event, we elected for the relatively safe route up into Coire a' Ghreadaidh to climb the 2 central peaks of Sgurr a' Mhadaidh and Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh.

Coire a' Ghreadaidh

The path leads up alongside the delightful waterfalls and rock pools that the Allt a' Choire Ghreadaidh has created to add interest to its relentless journey down the mountainside to the sea. Louseworts and milkworts provided some rare colour by the path but there was no sign of the golden eagle sighting I had rashly promised Michael. A passing shower dampened only the gore-tex as our spirits remained high given the rapid progress this route makes up on to the higher ground. You might expect any mountain day with the Irish to be entertaining and the boys didn’t let me down. I now know an awful lot more about the differences between Scottish and Irish Gaelic, how to service a Boeing 737, and the development of Soviet-Irish diplomatic relations, than I did last week! Cloud shrouded the ridgeline and did so for much of the day but we could clearly see our route up on to the scree and into our gateway to the skyline: An Dorus (the door), a sharp defile that provides a rare access route on to the main Cuillin ridge.

An Dorus

Whilst An Dorus itself is easily attained, it takes a tricky rock step to climb out of it on either side and a steady head – and hold or two – is required to make onward progress. One of these can be avoided on the left by leaving the gulley about 20m below the ridge and working your way up shaley ledges before scrambling up on to the rather anti-climactic summit of Sgurr a’ Mhadaidh (918m; peak of the foxes). Just north of this summit the Cuillin ridge makes a 90 degree turn eastwards before continuing on to the northern peaks that culminate in the shapely spire of Sgurr nan Gillean. The only view we got today was of the day’s other objective: one of the Cuillin’s finest peaks: Sgurr a’ Ghreadaidh. We returned to An Dorus the same way thus avoiding one difficult step; but there was no escaping the second one which gets you on your way southwards.

Sgurr a' Mhadaidh

Soon after leaving An Dorus you come across the rock crevice of Eag Dubh (black notch) which has been sliced out of the ridge and is narrow enough to give an Asda shopper a tight squeeze. It can however be avoided to the left and the ridge is again followed up past the Wart, an impressive prow of gabbro which appears to block the way from a distance but is in fact easily passed to the right.

Eag Dubh

A little after this the ridge narrows and a diminutive summit cairn marks the northern and highest summit of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh (973m; peak of torment). The summit ridge of this fine mountain forms a twin-peaked sharp ridge which is the narrowest rock arête in Britain. Nowhere is it technically difficult but a steady head and sure foot is required throughout and the traverse of the mountain is totally absorbing. Do it on a fine day when this aerial walkway will give you one of your most memorable UK mountain experiences – but do it!

Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh From Sgurr a' Mhadaidh

If you decide to continue south from here, as I did earlier in the week, there are no escape routes off the ridge for some way so be warned. The ridge continues south-west from Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh past the rock pinnacles of the Three Teeth and over the cone of Sgurr Thormaid to the next Munro: Sgurr na Banachdich. Further on again and you come to Sgurr Dearg and its iconic summit prominence, the Inaccessible Pinnacle (which loomed out of the mist and was deserted today). You can then escape westwards down a good path back to Glen Brittle.

A Misty and Deserted Inaccessible Pinnacle

Today, however, the 3 of us returned to An Dorus and successfully negotiated the difficult step and made good our descent back the way we had come. One brief shower on the way down but still no golden eagles! The next day Michael and Chris endured a magnificent 10-hour day and secured their last 2 Cuillin Munros. Job done – as they say in Ireland! I bet some Guinness was downed that night....

Return to Skye - Black Cuillin

Cuillin Ridge - Southern Section

Early June saw good weather this year in the NW Highlands and on Skye. Fair weather and a brisk wind dried out the Cuillin Ridge and made for excellent walking, scrambling and climbing conditions. Dr Darren was kept busy with a steady stream of clients and I went along to see the great man at work guiding Frank over the southern part of the Ridge on a day encompassing 4 Munros and an infamous rock climbing obstacle!

Starting from the Glen Brittle campsite on a gorgeous morning, we had only been walking about 15 minutes when Darren declared a snake in the grass – an adder! Sure enough, there at our feet silently weaving its sinuous way across the path and into the grass was a living breathing example of Britain’s only poisonous snake! Having failed to persuade the good Doctor to pick the thing up so we could get a decent photo, it was left to Frank and I to snap away as it made its escape. Our best effort is here:

Adder! (you'll have to use your zoom to see it)!

After all this excitement the rest of the walk up and into Coir’ a’ Ghrunnda had only the Doctor’s erudite observations on dubious geological titbits or even more dubious looking climbs to entertain us. Frank and I did our best to look interested whilst dreaming silently of joining the Ramblers Association! Fortunately, those strange thoughts soon passed and before we could tie a map-case around our necks we found ourselves imparting some route-finding advice to some (very pretty) European neighbours who were unsure of the best way through the rock landscape. Then it was up to the lochan high in the corrie, pausing at the ‘ringing rocks’, a hollow sounding igneous rock which lets out a surprising musical ‘ting’ when tapped. A short, steep climb took us up on to the ridge itself and a short walk led to the first Munro: Sgurr nan Eag (Notched Peak, 924m).

After surveying the wide expanse of sunlit sea and islands to the south and west, not to mention the distant peaks of Knoydart and Kintail, we commenced our hours of joyful scrambling up and down and along this finest of all British mountain ridges. Copious use of the hands and arm muscles do take some of the strain off your legs but it is still hard and thirsty work and the rough rock (great for grip) takes its toll on soft hands and fingertips. Cuillin Finger can stay with you for days if you aren’t a regular member of a chain gang! Retracing our steps and continuing along the ridge, we contoured around the rock tower of Caisteal and climbed steadily up to the musically sounding Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn (sounds like Sgurr Doo na Darven; Black Peak of the Two Mountains, 938m). Here we had to leave the main ridge for a short detour to capture the second Munro of the day: Sgurr Dubh Mor (Big Black Peak,944m). The latter is only 6m higher than its sibling on the main ridge but its best not to dwell on such statistics as you spend the best part of an hour clambering down from the ridge and up a series of complicated terraces and gulleys to capture the Munro – before going all the way back again!

Last Smile Before the TD Gap!

This minor inconvenience, however, was nothing compared to the fiendish Doctor’s next treat. A little way north of Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn, and without any prior warning whatsoever, one’s confident progress along the ridge is abruptly halted by a deep gash of what looks suspiciously like fresh air in front of you. This is the infamous Thearlaich-Dubh Gap (usually referred to as the TD Gap).

The south side of this ‘challenge’ (you can guess who called it that) is a 30’ vertical wall whilst the northern side stretches to 80’ and is just as vertical! I looked at Frank, Frank looked at me; nobody looked at the Doctor! It didn’t matter, he was quite intent on forcing us to take up religion (it didn’t last) as he set up his belay to lower us down into this horrendous looking defile. Once down, the way up the other side looked just as improbable (sorry, impossible) as it had done from the top of the southern wall. The next 45 mins was a bit of a blur but largely consisted of me sitting in this cold, damp and very dismal wind tunnel as McAulay hustled his way up the smooth-sided chimney groove that represents the escape route out of this charmless spot.

Climbing Out of the TD Gap

It’s not a pretty climb even by an expert (none of those around from what I could see) but eventually his nibs announced success. Having set up a belay, he then coaxed, cajoled, tempted and otherwise bullied poor Frank up the same polished rock whilst I slowly succumbed to hypothermia. Regrettably, I was still alive – just – when it was my turn to scamper up after them! I’m not sure if scamper accurately describes the Gault patent method of chimney groove climbing technique. Sufficient to say that after a series of huffs, puffs and fairly inglorious scrabbling for spitefully placed handholds and out-of-sight footholds, I was up and back into the land of sunshine and horizontality!

Sgur Alasdair

The ascent of Skye’s highest peak was always going to be a doddle after this and sure enough, a short walk from the TD Gap brought all 3 of us to the Cuillin’s highest point: Sgurr Alasdair (Alexander’s Peak, 993m). On a good day you can see St Kilda from here way out in the Atlantic to the north-west. Ben Nevis, in the other direction, appears to be almost a close neighbour in comparison. Alasdair is a fine sharp-pointed summit with dramatic close-up views down into Coire Lagan to complement the impressive distant landmarks. The Inaccessible Pinnacle of Sgurr Dearg is in clear view now, its wafer-thin vertical wedge of rock inviting those who have survived the TD Gap towards their next big adventure!

Innaccessible Pinnacle

From Sgurr Alasdair we descended to the top of the Great Stone Shoot – a popular, if unappealing loose-scree route up and down this mountain – before traversing over Sgurr Thearlaich (Charlie’s Peak, 977m). Not a Munro, but nevertheless a fine roof-top summit ridge best done (as I have always done it) in warm, early evening sunshine. A complicated scramble leads down from the end of the roof to a small break in the ridge before the final Munro of our day: Sgurr Mhic Coinnich (Mackenzie’s Peak, 948m). This peak can either be tackled directly up another of those improbable-looking chimney-corners or, as Frank and I chose, by the much more pleasing traverse along Collie’s Ledge before doubling back along the ridge to the summit.

Collie's Ledge

All we had to do then was carefully weave our way down into Coire Lagan before striding manfully off into the setting sun and the green fields of Glen Brittle. The day took almost 11 hours which illustrates how deceptive the Cuillin can be. The distances may not be great, but everything takes time and throw in some rock climbing and associated ropework, and you know you’re going to have to rush for your steak and chips and celebratory dram of Talisker at the Old Inn in Carbost!

Sgurr Mhic Coinnich and Sgurr Alasdair From Glen Brittle

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm

Sunshine on Skye!

Cuillin Ridge

Last week I again helped out Darren with a party of Scotland’s finest youngsters on a couple of days climbing two of the easier peaks on the Cuillin Ridge of Skye. Perfect weather provided a magical backdrop to the climbs and afforded great views all along the ridge as well as to distant Ben Nevis in the south-east and the Outer Hebrides out to sea.

Day 1 saw us departing from the Glen Brittle youth hostel and wandering up past deep pools and waterfalls into Coire a’ Ghreadaidh. Half-way up, the grass gives way to good old Cuillin gabbro rock and the last part of the route is up a scree-filled gulley to An Dorus (the door) – a distinct notch on the main ridge which provides relatively easy access on to the skyline. The highlight for us today was the sight of a golden eagle right above us; for some of the party, it was their first such sighting! A left turn at the top up a tricky (for some) rock step opens the way to a short scramble along the ridge to the summit of Sgurr a’ Mhadaidh (918m). The return route was modified slightly to avoid the rock step. We intercepted the scree gulley a little way below An Dorus and returned to a Glen Brittle bathed in hot sunshine under cloudless skies – Skye as you must experience it at least once in your life (although you may have to try quite a few times before succeeding)!

Am Basteir

Day 2 started from the Sligachan Hotel and we took the well-worn, but good quality path up towards the base of Sgurr nan Gillean’s Pinnacle Ridge before threading our way across Coire Bhasteir right below the imposing chisel-shaped rock peak of Am Basteir and its detached offspring, the Basteir Tooth. Once again, what should we see soaring above us but one of those golden eagles - and for some of the party it was their second such sighting! It was then just a short traverse across the odd soft snow patch to our summit of the day, the Cuillin’s easiest Munro: Bruach na Frithe (958m). From here we could again see along the length and breadth of the main ridge whilst that newly-familiar golden sun just kept on shining! Our descent took us down into Fionn Choire before following the bubbling waters of the Allt Dearg Mor back to ‘the Slig’.

Sgurr nan Gillean and Am Basteir From Bruach na Frithe

If you want to try your hand at the UK’s premier mountain chain and you have little experience of climbing and scrambling, treat the adventure (because that is what it will be) will a deal of respect. Research the Cuillin fully and gain as much understanding as you can of the complexities, difficulties and technical problems involved in traversing these enigmatic rock pinnacles. Unless you are very experienced, employ a local guide and get yourself very fit . You should be entirely comfortable with exposed ridges and rock ledges (not to mention route-finding prowess) to tackle the peaks separately and you will need rock climbing skills and experience in order to conquer Sgurr Dearg’s Inaccessable Pinnacle and some of the intervening steps along the Ridge.

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm