
Originally from South Africa, they'd been living for a few years on Skye and had often driven the road through Glen Shiel so when I asked if they'd like to join me climbing the Brothers Ridge they were interested, though protesting they were out of condition. I had a look at the map and said I thought the worst of it would be the short steep climb up from the roadside to Bealach na Lapain and after that we'd be plain sailing. So we agreed we'd give it a go the following week.
We left one car at our planned exit point and the other in the parking area below Bealach na Lapain.
Zigzag path up to bealach
The good thing is you gain height quickly!
View west from climb to bealach
Looking east along the ridge
For folks who'd not climbed a hill in a while they did very well and we were soon up on the ridge.
First view of the Five Sisters from Bealach na Lapain
Brothers Ridge from Hill of the Spaniards
Reaching the top of Saileag
View from Saileag down into Gleann Lichd with Beinn Fhada on right
Saileag summit
It was about this point that Murdina told me she doesn't have a head for heights if there's any narrowness or exposure. Mmm



Murdina facing her fears head on!
Hope the brothers didn't get a complex about this but I couldn't take my eyes off those shapely sisters!

Sisters from the second brother
Walking the ridge to the second brother did involve a few sections Murdina didn't much enjoy.

The ridge between Saileag and Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg
The dogs patiently waiting for the others to catch up
Murdina dubbed him the rock rabbit for the nimble way he hops from rock to rock!

Chris and Murdina reaching the top of Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg
The true summit cairn of Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg is out on a narrow spur which bizarrely has a stone dyke along it. Chris took a pic of me and Jack at the cairn and seconds after pic was taken Jack was violently sick off the rock on which we were perched!



Jack about to throw up at summit cairn

View from top of Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg
Understandably Murdina declined to walk out to the summit cairn but stayed on the relative safety of the ridge.
Walking back from summit
Murdina was by this time quite keen to get off the ridge if there was a feasible escape route. So it was agreed she and Chris would go down via SBD's south east ridge, while Anthony and I went on to bag Aonach Meadhoin, brother number 3.
The guys studying the map while the dogs had their celebratory carrots

We walked along the ridge together until we saw them off on their descent path, then Anthony and I powered on to the final brother and were in such a hurry we didn't even stop to take the usual summit pics.

I had one of those classic hill walking moments when you start to ask yourself why you do this.



Loch Cluanie from descent off Brothers Ridge
By the time I got down Anthony had collected his car and it wasn't too long before the other two arrived having been delayed by deer fences. It had been a fantastic day and the icing on the cake was that Murdina had freshly baked muffins in the car!


Murdina did agree to come out with me again and that time we climbed a Munro that didn't involve any ridge or exposure. So hopefully she hasn't been scarred for life!
