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This was intended to be an account of the Skye Magic Mountain Festival, but it isn't really going to manage that for reasons that will become apparent as I progress. But I had booked us onto the festival when I happened to notice it online a couple months back - didn't really know what to expect. There was a mix of talks/workshops and music in the evening, which looked quite interesting and of course it was on Skye which is always nice to be able to visit. Allison had a half day to use up before leave year ends, so we headed off on Thursday just after one, with the original intention of driving to Glenelg and walking some way into Beinn a'Chapuill which we'd climb on Friday morning. I was surprised to see snow back on the hills as we drove up the 82, given the almost complete absence of the stuff last weekend. The forecast wasn't especially conducive to the Beinn a'Chapuill idea anyway and we'd already revised plans to camp in Kintail on Thursday night and do Garbh-bheinn and Belig on Friday morning. There were quite a few aberrant drivers on the roads and in fact after some discussion we decided to report one driver who I'd followed for miles and who kept veering over the middle of the road, having had several very near misses with oncoming traffic. Never done that before. Drunk? Just a crap driver? Certainly not someone you'd like to have coming towards you on a tight bend.
We pulled in at our chosen spot near Shiel Bridge amidst snow and hail, managed to get the tent up and retreated into its shelter for the night. Knowing we had to register at the festival and check in to our hotel in Portree by late afternoon, I dragged us up before 7.30 and we had a straightforward drive to Skye. Parked at the big lay-by at the head of Loch Ainort and looked across at our hills, which had a fair amount of snow from about 500m upwards.
I remembered Garbh-bheinn as having some quite scramble/slabby sections at the top, but was quite confident that we'd manage to get the pair done - this was my fourth time after all. We set off in high spirits, looking forward to the events ahead. The weather was alright - overcast with brief bursts of snow or hail. Ground was really wet lower down, but the going improved as we lugged ourselves up Druim Eadar Dà Choire. We could see over to the main ridge, with the northern Cuillin Munros looking very tasty in their white coats. There didn't look to be a great deal of snow on Garbh-bheinn, but what there was was fresh and soft, slippy rather than grippy. We continued on, finding things a little trickier on the slab black rocks higher up. Bla Bheinn and Clach Glas looked superb over to our right. We paused for lunch having found a small sheltered area behind some large rocks, and reckoned it was also time to get the axes out.
Garbh-bheinn & Belig
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Snowy ridge
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Al, on Flickr
Gillean
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Al, on Flickr
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Bla Bheinn/Clach Glas
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We continued up the ridge, the snow getting deeper. Reaching the narrow section before the final slab ascent up to the summit block, we were faced with quite a lot of snow covering the slabs, which didn't make for safe foot placement. Allison went on ahead over a narrow section, but without being able to see a clear route ahead, I called her back. I wondered if it would be possible to find a route over to the west side of the summit, and dropped down to investigate, but I couldn't see properly past an edge. Then the weather started coming in - it was time to pass for another day. We've not been out in snowy conditions for ages, and discretion suddenly seemed the better option rather than chancing a slippery ascent without any guarantee that we'd be able to get back the way we came, or find it easy down the other side.
We decided not to go any further...
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Al, on Flickr
On our way down we passed two fit young women on their way up. As they'd originally been planning to do the Clach Glas traverse it didn't seem likely that they would struggle with Garbh-bheinn. I did think of turning around after them and following their trail, but we just stopped back down the way we'd come up, both feeling that we'd made the correct decision, but me still feeling a bit of shame at defeat.
We drove to Portree, to the Third Ridge climbing wall where part of the festival was being held. Not the greatest organisation to be honest, poorly signed and we found that all bar one of the workshops had already been booked out. Ach well. We headed into town to check in at the hotel which I discovered was very near the Gathering Hall, where the evening events would be held - pure chance. We had a shower and prepared for the evening festivities, which had been curtailed by the postponement of one of the performers. But food was promised, as well as an appearance by Glasgow band Cloth, whom I like. The food was good, the audience more interested in talking to each other than seeing the band. Which was a pity for Cloth who'd travelled up specially for the gig.
Cloth
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Al, on Flickr
Saturday morning was bright and sunny. Much too nice to consider spending it in workshops or talks or viewing films. It's Skye - with sunshine and snow on the hills! We had decided to give Garbh-bheinn another go, thinking perhaps that better weather would be a passport to the summit. Driving towards Sligachan from Portree we had to stop a few times to marvel at the snow-clad Cuillin. We were driving past Sligachan, looked down the glen towards Sgùrr Na Strì and had a sudden change of plan - no snow on that hill, but it would surely be a fantastic viewpoint for the whole ridge. Allison had already been up there and we'd been saving a joint visit for a summit camp in "good weather" but this was too good an opportunity to pass by. Parked at the start of the glen and set off for the lengthy walk. No-one else about for ages, then we met a few folk coming up presumably from Camasunary. Eyes were continually drawn to Gillean with its wonderfully jagged pinnacles outlined in white against the sky, becoming ever more pointy as we skirted around it. Bla Bheinn also looked spectacular, back on the ridge we could see the Inn Pinn sticking upright from Sgurr Dearg. What a day.
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Shot of the Pinn in profile
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Al, on Flickr
Bla Bheinn
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Al, on Flickr
Gillean
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Al, on Flickr
We caught up with 3 guys who were also going to Sgùrr Na Strì, including Joseph who'd worked all day & night yesterday and was back on a nightshift tonight but wanted to get a mountain in. We paused for lunch at the bealach before Sgurr Hain, just marvelling at the views. I thought it would be a short distance from there to the summit, but it's another 2km with some descent before you finally get near the summit area of Stri. We headed to the western top first of all, which gives that breathtaking view down to Loch Coruisk. Sadly, the sky clouded over somewhat as we arrived there and the pictures don't really do justice to the sight our eyes beheld. I can only imagine what it's like to camp up there and wake up to that view with the dawn. Awesome. We then crossed over to the true summit, which has merely alright views in comparison. Joseph came to join us, announcing he was going to have a nap at the top before heading back. Hope he woke up in time!
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Al, on Flickr
Pinn again
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Very ordinary view from teh true summit
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Al, on Flickr
We retraced our steps, stopping at the monument south of Coire Riabhach, to the memory of Captain Maryon, who lay there for two years in 1946 after meeting his death. Firstly I can't imagine a body lying nearly that long in the hills these days. And secondly - what a curious phrase "met his death" is - I had the image of being out hillwalking, seeing another walker coming towards you, raising a hand in greeting and the other says Oh hello...I'm your death, you know...fancy meeting you here...
Anyway - we continued back to the car at a brisk pace, the air cooling as the sun set, reaching it just about 6pm...we still had to go to the Co-Op and get some food for tomorrow's lunch and get to the Gathering Hall before 7 if we wanted to get fed...so no opportunity to get showered or changed. As mostly everyone was in hill-or climbing gear anyway I didn't really think it mattered much. The full moon rose sending buttery light over Portree harbour as we parked the car.
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Al, on Flickr
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As Above, So Below
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Moonlight
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Al, on Flickr
Another good meal with various shareable vegan dishes, a play by Daniel Cullen then some music / film. Once again the audience was very noisy during the performance, well the music anyway, and it didn't really feel conducive to staying long. The events went on til 1am but we were back in the hotel before 10 - we could still hear the sounds from the Hall from our room.
Sunday's forecast was for cloud and snow showers, but it was way out - in a good way. What will we do? Garbh-bheinn was once again mooted, but I could just forsee another failed attempt coming up. The only hill I had left anywhere nearby (excluding three Cuillin Munros, which were not on the table) was Beinn na Chapuill out at Glenelg way. We'd tried to climb it before Xmas but very heavy rain and gushing waterways had prevented that. So we headed along to Balvraid, which was kinda on our way home anyway and arrived at the parking area about 10.45. Left the axes on the rucksack, which turned out to be a good move, and set off along the farm track, past the ruined broch and onto the track. I had intended going along to the east side of Srath a' Chomair where there's a ford, but on inspection there is now a bridge once again at the west of the forest. Admittedly it has warning signs saying not to use it, Unsafe, but I thought it was considerably safer than some of the bridges we've crossed upon, so we crossed over - it saves about 3km and having to get your feet wet on the round trip to do so. Once over the bridge safely we made for the start of the long tail of Beinn a'Chapuill, aiming for the pylon initially. Allison said she was feeling out of sorts, had no energy, so things were pretty slow for a while.
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Al, on Flickr
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We followed animal tracks along the curving back of the ridge, noticing that there was a fair bit of snow ahead, looked like a lot more than had been on the Skye hills. Beinn Sgritheal and the adjacent Corbetts looked braw, the sun was blazing down and the air warm enough for a base layer only. At around 400m the snow began, getting thicker as we climbed until it was between 6-18 inches deep. At the beginning of the steep nose section we swapped our poles for axes and continued upwards, almost having to kick steps in places. It was an utterly fantastic day, you seldom get anything better than this - fine weather, virgin snow, nothing dangerous to prevent you from wallowing in the majesty of nature. Reaching the summit, the snowy hills all around, the sea with Eigg ahead...ah, just perfect. My spirits were considerably buoyed by today, made the somewhat disappointing Magic Mountain Festival dim into insignificance.
Beinn na Chapuill
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Al, on Flickr
with Sgritheal
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Al, on Flickr
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Sgritheal
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Al, on Flickr
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My kind of day out
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Al, on Flickr
We were at the top at around 3pm - it took just over 2 hours to get back to the car, where we had a bite to eat before setting off down the road. The drive was aided by moonlight - a splendid view of the rising moon reflected on Loch Achtriochtan as we turned into Glencoe - longed to stop for a photo, but it was already a late night getting home. Been the first weekend for a while that there have been "wow"s!