Skye Scrambles - Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh to Sgurr na Banachdich

Hot Rock - Cool Head

Saturday 30th April

No photographs recorded the summit scene on Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh, it was a busy place!

.

Bill chatted away to a couple who had driven all the way from 'bagging' in Southern Ireland, just because the forecast was so good for Skye - now that's dedication to a hobby.

.

Andy was champing at the bit to continue the traverse of this central section of the Cuillin.

.

Stan looked down the rocky ridge with trepidation.

.

It is narrow, committing and sustained - with loads of exposure.

Yes it is broken and loose, but all the holds are there, just don't do it on a wet day!

The large summit party kindly let us past. We moved on down the shattered rock, careful not to dislodge anything.

Have you heard the expression -
'you meet all sorts on the hill', well it's true!
From fully kitted out climbers, to a guy in an anorak on one of the hottest days of the year.
He must have been pretty warm, wearing enough clothes for a full winters day.....

We found ourselves alone on a path up to Sgurr Thormaid's summit.

View south - left to right - Sgurr Dubh Mor, Sgurr Mhic Connich end on, Sgurr Thearlich - the sharp pointy one, Sgurr Alasdair - the big one in the distance,  An Stac sitting on the shoulder of Sgurr Dearg & The Inn Pinn sticking out the top.

It's one rocky place for a walk!

Andy unfortunately knelt on his digital camera, ouch!

One split LCD screen, not good.

The Gabbro is so rough, it 'bites' your finger tips....

Second, or was it third? snack spot.

Water reserves are getting low.

The climb up to Banachdich beckons.

Two hours twenty minutes from Sgurr a' Mhadaidh, our first hill, we reach our last summit for today.
A party behind us were scrambling up & down Sgurr Thormaid.
The picture gives an idea of the constant exposure you experience on this walk.

In places, the ridge is sensationally exposed, in others a hands in pocket walk - but don't trip, it's a long way down.

Stan looking forward to a beer.

Loch Brittle sparkled below, the campsite a green oasis at the head of the loch.

Andy delighted to have experienced such a splendid scramble and knocked off another 3 Munros.

Descent into Coir an Each was hot, loose, and dusty.

We were glad to get off the scree and onto the softer moor. 

Taking a beeline for the hostel it wasn't long before we were dipping our feet into the stream.

Bliss.

It took just over an hour to drive back to our house in Dornie, and a welcome beer in the evening sun.

If only Scotland was like this every weekend.

click here to return to Moray Club home page

Skye Scrambles - Sgurr a' Mhadaidh

 Sgurr a' Mhadaidh to Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh

Saturday 30th April

After our two hour walk across the extremely dry moor we stood on the Sgurr Thuilm ridge.

In front of us, a huge prow of rock guarding access to the summit of Sgurr a' Mhadaidh. You wonder how on earth you get to the top.

Stan didn't say much as we picked our route through the jumble of rock; 100% concentration was essential!

In places it's a hard and exposed scramble.

On reaching the summit of Sgurr a' Mhadaidh it's a big surprise to find a tilted slab with a crack running along it. With hands on the top and feet in the crack it's an impressive way to reach the top.

All this scrambling has made Andy's hair stand on end!
Seriously - a strong (but warm) easterly wind was howling through the An Dorus gap.

Immediately after the gap there is an easyish 20 foot rock wall to climb. After this it becomes easier for a time and we sheltered out of the gusty wind next to one of the many rock circles on this part of the ridge.

There was a large party of around 10 in front of us, and as we were in no hurry, we gave them some time to move on.

The views toward Sgurr Thormaid and Sgurr na Bannachdich were awesome. The sun was certainly beating down on Skye today. Perfect conditions for this part of the Cuillin

On the Coir' Usig side, the void draws your eye to the hidden jewel of Loch Coruisk, and the mainland beyond.
Bill, waxed lyrically about the prominent Dubh's Ridge to the right of the loch - was he hinting for a visit?

Examining Sgurr a' Mhadaidh behind us revealed that it is a mountain of four summits, fortunately for scramblers the main summit is relatively easy, the other tops requiring 'real' climbing.
In the distance is the north end of the Black Cuillin;
Skye has small but serious hills.

After our snack we made rapid progress, Andy up front thoroughly enjoying route finding, Stan in the middle concentrating on the next move and Bill as back-marker photographer.
Sgurr a Ghreadaidh has twin summits, the route starts to 'narrow up' on the approach to the higher north summit.

Almost everyone chatted a few pleasant words as we passed, suppose that's inevitable as it's precarious!

Stan peered over the tops of his glasses on hearing that another 'interesting bit' was coming up....

for the next instalment click here

click here to return to Moray Club home page

Skye Scrambles - Coir' a Ghreadaidh

Sgurr a Mhadaidh - Sgurr a Ghreadaidh 

 Sgurr an Banachdich

Saturday 30th April

We were elated and disbelieving.

None of us could remember an April with such a prolonged period of wonderful settled conditions.

Perfect for one of the classic Skye Cuillin coire rounds.

It was warm, even the strong easterly wind blowing down the slopes of the Cuillin was balmy.

Parking at the Glen Brittle Hostel was tight, normally you wouldn't dare park in the soggy ground 'off road'.

Walking up beside the Allt a' choire Ghreadaidh was delightful, the ground was bone dry.

Our aim was to gain the ridge by climbing up the An Dorus notch, although it's a rather tiresome scree ascent. The stream tumbling down slabs from Coire an Dorus was a mere trickle.

Bill passed a comment that it was like walking in the Sierra Nevada in Southern Spain, certainly the temperature was Mediterranean - it was roasting....dehydration could be an issue today.
The katabatic wind, which was mentioned in the weather forecast, was rushing from the summit ridges.

Entering Coire an Dorus proper, the full extent of the rocky Cuillin 'hits' you, it's a special place, nothing quite like it anywhere else in Scotland.

Bill 'decided' for Andy and Stan, that a rake going onto the Sgurr Thuilm ridge would be a much better ascent than slogging up the An Dorus scree. It was a route that Bill had previously used, but that was 23 years ago!
Views were extensive, and as we gained height the wind speed decreased, the day was just getting better and better.

We reached the ridge in exactly two hours, now came the 'interesting bit'

- the ascent to the summit of Sgurr a' Mhadaidh.

Conditions couldn't have been better for a vertical scramble up hot gabbro.

part two click here

click here to return to Moray Club home page