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Big plansThis weekend was the annual Skye trip for the Glasgow University Mountaineering Club, camping at Sligachan. For this day, the Saturday, me and some friends agreed on doing the Coire a' Ghreadaidh traverse, a combination of several grade 2 and 3 scrambles that roped in a three munros along the Cuillin ridge. It was a high rated traverse in Magnus's book 'Classic Scottish Scrambles' (by Andrew Demster). It had also come well timed as I hit my 98th munro (Beinn Fhada) on the Friday.
- Coire a' Ghreadaidh at the start
Around 9:30, the seven of us were dropped at the Glen Brittle Youth Hostel and began our walk. It was familiar for me, Theo and Gabriele, as we had accidentally started here for Sgurr Alasdair a year before (
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=118661) on the last club Skye trip. The weather was overcast, clouds initially coating the munros above us, but as we soon learned, it was the most ideal we could have for a few weeks.
Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh
- Going up the side of Sgùrr Thuilm
Our group soon made its way across the river and up the slopes of the top Sgùrr Thuilm. The ascent was largely a slog of scree, but allowed some alternative scrambling opportunities that we took. Once at the top of Sgùrr Thuilm, the views across the rest of Skye and towards the other isles were beginning to pan out for us. We went down to the base of the Sgùrr Thuilm - Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh ridge and had lunch there about 12:10.
- Views across Skye, the Fairy Pools being below
- Going up the Sgùrr Thuilm-Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh ridge
The ridge looked quite daunting from below, as if we'd almost have to rock climb it. In practice however, it was so much fun. As I made my way up, the views all around were sharp and dramatic. We made it to the top of Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh at roughly 13:20. There, we had views across the whole of the Black Cuillin already, with the clouds have pretty much cleared now.
- Sgùrr Thuilm behind us
- The Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh summit
Sgùrr a' GhreadaidhThe crossing between Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh and the next munro, Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh, was a calmer turn after having done the Sgùrr Thuilm ridge. The An Dorus gap was technical but fun nonetheless, and at the next up scramble up to Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh we passed some other members of the club, as well as some from the Edinburgh University Mountaineering club.
- The Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh summit
We made it to the Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh summit at 14:02, marking my 100th munro. Being the highest point, it offered better views south of us, especially of the next ridge to some. The ridge from here got much more technical and dramatic for us again, with some careful moves needed to down climb around the munro's south top. Once past the hardest few parts, it was an easier stretch towards the lowest point between Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh and the final munro, Sgùrr na Banachdich.
- Continuing along from Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh
- The Sgùrr a' Ghreadaidh south top
Sgùrr na BanachdichAfter pondering at the shelters at the dip, we moved on upwards to the three teeth. They were nice scrambling until the down part of the last one, which only Gabriele decided to attempt while the rest of us went back to the end of the second one to bypass it. The top of Sgùrr Thormid was fun to go up and down, with the seven of us taking a short break at the top before we continued to the last bit.
- Descending from Sgùrr Thormid
- Sgùrr na Banachdich
The final ascent up Sgùrr na Banachdich seemed simple enough, though most of the group opted to climb up a rockier section for the extra fun. When we made it to the summit at 15:42, the clouds had cleared much more, and the sun had some out. Making a blissful conclusion to our time on the Cuillin Ridge. While the Sgùrr nan Gobhar ridge was an option for us to take down, we chose the less steep down path from Sgùrr na Banachdich. Making for a smoother walk back towards the hostel. When we arrived there at about 17:30, we had a dip in the nearby basin, where the water was a clear and good as the Fairy Pools.
- Post-walk dip
