The roof of Skye - Alasdair, Dubh Mor and Eag
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:56 pmOK finally, got round to this one 
After the adrenalin pumping previous couple of days on the In Pin and Gillean 3, the third day of my Cuillin trilogy was to be the relatively more relaxing southern 3 Munros (emphasis on the relatively!) rather than another day of dizzying aretes on the Coire a'Ghreadaidh skyline...
It was another clear, if hazy morning, with barely a breath of wind. The lack of sun might be described as dull conditions in many other places, but here the jagged Cuillin skyline rendered that word redundant
Limbs loosened with stretches and a quick jog to warm up, I set off presuming I'd have the hills to myself, but soon gaining the company of a Perth-based South African guy Robert, who was also finishing his Munros. His plans for the day sounded impressive - traversing the ridge of Sgurr nan Eag to finish by soloing the In pin. I'd struggle to keep up!
Another tremendous approach path took us in good time in Coire a'Ghrunnda, sticking to the northern flank of the Corrie before requiring some scrambled up slabs to reach the lochan. The sun was burning through to warm us up and we took a couple of minutes to enjoy the surroundings, a tamer, more welcoming haven that the more foreboding Coire Lagan - another Cuillin gem discovered
We took a direct route up the broken crags of Sgurr nan Eag's northern flank, a clear path weaving amongst the rock with little scrambling or exposure. Banachdich and Bruach na Frithe are usually mentioned as the only two easy Cuillins, but I'd definitely add Sgurr nan Eag to that list for anyone wanting to ease their way into things.
The summit ridge is slabby on the east side but easy and broken on the west, and quite long relative to the Cuillins, a fact I mentioned to my pal Robert with unexpectedly hilarious consequences...
so... We'd made it - the cairn is at the far end of the summit ridge, and I continued downslope a short way for an unbroken vista of the sea shore flanking Gars Bheinn. My friend joined me but as I returned to the summit, he continued a little way further, then even further, continuing down the ridge - wow was he keen for that perfect photo opp!
Increasingly baffled I eventually called out to him "where are you going?!" - he pointed to the summit of distant Gars Bheinn - "to the summit!" "What? This is the summit!" - I said pointing at the cairn at my back breaking into laughter. He looked bemused, smiled then returned. "You said it was a long summit ridge?" - "Aye! But not THAT long!" "Well that makes the day a hell of a lot easier!!" he said 
Still chuckling at that bit of grand misidentification, we retraced our steps northwards, scrambling down the slabs of the ridge crest until it was easier to join the easy path on the left. The Castle, a massive prow of bare rock sat astride the ridge col, was turned easily on the east flank.
The ascent to the top of Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn was an entertaining if thoroughly easy scramble, the remarkable friction gained from the gabbro and peridotite really something else.
We wasted little time getting to grips with the route to Sgurr Dubh Mor, which looked tricky. Easy scrambling led to a bealach topped by a couple of rock towers that were outflanked, first to the left hand side, then the right hand side, before we regained the ridge crest below a craggy nose which seemed to discourage direct progress.
From this point, a photo on Steve Fallon's website was recalled which points out that a less direct ascent can be gained from following terraces to the south side, and we duly followed a path leading that way. Maybe because the nature of a traverse path casts your eye to the ground in front of your feet and thus - indirectly - "down" (breaking my golden rule ), or maybe because I felt rushed by Robert's quick pace, I was feeling some real exposure
At each turn in the zig zag up the terraces, a steepish slab required some thoughtful scrambling. At one point, I cast a nervous glance in front of me at my advancing partner and was alarmed at the groan of immense effort required to haul himself over a short rock step. I got there, and sure enough, a couple of slabs either demanded an exposed move or two above a sheer drop, or a tricky pull up the recess between them - I tried the latter, and in a precarious spot found my rucksack was stuck. I called for assistance, removed the obstruction and chucked it up to Robert, and made the move with little difficulty. Phew The summit was a short distance on....
We stopped briefly at the cairn, but moved on to a point a little further along which - tipped off by mountain guide JJ from the day before - is apparently higher... (dives for cover from alarmed Munro baggers ) This point was remarkable, the 'crest' forming the high point being so narrow that the only comfortable resting point to enjoy the summit was to sit abreast it with a leg either side. Relaxing.... 
We headed onwards to Alasdair. Now Robert's ambitious plans to head onto the In Pin and solo it, hitching a ride "hopefully" on someone's rope for the abseil off it (but what if no one else was....
), had long since been conceded to be as mad as a box of frogs. The fact that now it became apparent no less than the Thearliach-Dubh gap had been news to him (invisible from this part of the ridge, he was reluctant to believe it existed! ) I felt i was repaying his company with some useful/bloody essential route finding advice
The alternative route I'd researched, traversing below the craggy south face of Alasdair above a scree slope, went with surprising ease - even a path to follow. From a prominent cave, we cut across towards a short chimney scramble 50ft below the crest - an easy diversion from the Mauvais Pas on the crest, and another example of the value of some pre-route research. Once I'd freed an alarmingly deeply wedged boot, stuck in a crack on the steep move, the chimney went ok
The remaining slope to Alasdair was loose and scrambly but of relatively fairly shallow gradient. Joining the crest a little far to the east, a final 30 ft of narrow ridge took us to the tiny, tiny summit of Alasdair - a good bit smaller than Gillean and that was fairly airy!
We could relax and enjoy the situation, the hazy high cloud still there but the air still very clear, with distant lochaber peaks etched on the horizon. A climber on Sgurr Mhic Choinnich made for a good photo
We descended the easy east ridge to the col before dropping into the dramatic jaws of the stone chute, another incredible Cuillin location that echoed to the sound of the screes tumbling along beneath our feet.
My battered and bruised Brashers didnt thank me for charging down the looser scree, but it allowed for a relaxing 10 minutes in the corrie floor waiting as Robert caught me up. A group of 30 odd geology students by the lochan briefly shattered the raw brutality of the scene, but as a former Geography student myself, I sympathised - give me Glen Brittle over Bangor anyday!
On the walk out back to the car, I probably should have been more disappointed to be approaching the end of my Skye adventure. Overriding though was the sheer joy of the last few days - my initially hesitant expectations, abandoned in a dust cloud of scrambling - had left me thoroughly satisfied and looking forward to a return Skye was definitely worth the 16 year wait!
After the adrenalin pumping previous couple of days on the In Pin and Gillean 3, the third day of my Cuillin trilogy was to be the relatively more relaxing southern 3 Munros (emphasis on the relatively!) rather than another day of dizzying aretes on the Coire a'Ghreadaidh skyline...
It was another clear, if hazy morning, with barely a breath of wind. The lack of sun might be described as dull conditions in many other places, but here the jagged Cuillin skyline rendered that word redundant
- Loch Brittle before the sun had broken through
Limbs loosened with stretches and a quick jog to warm up, I set off presuming I'd have the hills to myself, but soon gaining the company of a Perth-based South African guy Robert, who was also finishing his Munros. His plans for the day sounded impressive - traversing the ridge of Sgurr nan Eag to finish by soloing the In pin. I'd struggle to keep up!
- The little stream running out of Loch a'Ghrunnda
Another tremendous approach path took us in good time in Coire a'Ghrunnda, sticking to the northern flank of the Corrie before requiring some scrambled up slabs to reach the lochan. The sun was burning through to warm us up and we took a couple of minutes to enjoy the surroundings, a tamer, more welcoming haven that the more foreboding Coire Lagan - another Cuillin gem discovered
- Reflections of Sgurr Alasdair in Loch a'Ghrunnda
We took a direct route up the broken crags of Sgurr nan Eag's northern flank, a clear path weaving amongst the rock with little scrambling or exposure. Banachdich and Bruach na Frithe are usually mentioned as the only two easy Cuillins, but I'd definitely add Sgurr nan Eag to that list for anyone wanting to ease their way into things.
- The summit ridge of Sgurr nan Eag, looking to Gars Bheinn
The summit ridge is slabby on the east side but easy and broken on the west, and quite long relative to the Cuillins, a fact I mentioned to my pal Robert with unexpectedly hilarious consequences...
- My photo-opp request pays its dues!
- Atmospheric light as distant hills are seen through the haze
so... We'd made it - the cairn is at the far end of the summit ridge, and I continued downslope a short way for an unbroken vista of the sea shore flanking Gars Bheinn. My friend joined me but as I returned to the summit, he continued a little way further, then even further, continuing down the ridge - wow was he keen for that perfect photo opp!
Increasingly baffled I eventually called out to him "where are you going?!" - he pointed to the summit of distant Gars Bheinn - "to the summit!" "What? This is the summit!" - I said pointing at the cairn at my back breaking into laughter. He looked bemused, smiled then returned. "You said it was a long summit ridge?" - "Aye! But not THAT long!" "Well that makes the day a hell of a lot easier!!" he said - Gars Bheinn, NOT to be confused with the summit of Sgurr nan Eag
Still chuckling at that bit of grand misidentification, we retraced our steps northwards, scrambling down the slabs of the ridge crest until it was easier to join the easy path on the left. The Castle, a massive prow of bare rock sat astride the ridge col, was turned easily on the east flank.
- Across to Bla Bheinn
- Some friendly slabs on the north ridge of Sgurr nan Eag
The ascent to the top of Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn was an entertaining if thoroughly easy scramble, the remarkable friction gained from the gabbro and peridotite really something else.
- Looking back to the north ridge of Sgurr nan Eag
We wasted little time getting to grips with the route to Sgurr Dubh Mor, which looked tricky. Easy scrambling led to a bealach topped by a couple of rock towers that were outflanked, first to the left hand side, then the right hand side, before we regained the ridge crest below a craggy nose which seemed to discourage direct progress.
- Commencing the ascent towards Sgurr Dubh Mor from its neighbour Da Bheinn
From this point, a photo on Steve Fallon's website was recalled which points out that a less direct ascent can be gained from following terraces to the south side, and we duly followed a path leading that way. Maybe because the nature of a traverse path casts your eye to the ground in front of your feet and thus - indirectly - "down" (breaking my golden rule
), or maybe because I felt rushed by Robert's quick pace, I was feeling some real exposure - The south face terraces below Sgurr Dubh Mor
At each turn in the zig zag up the terraces, a steepish slab required some thoughtful scrambling. At one point, I cast a nervous glance in front of me at my advancing partner and was alarmed at the groan of immense effort required to haul himself over a short rock step. I got there, and sure enough, a couple of slabs either demanded an exposed move or two above a sheer drop, or a tricky pull up the recess between them - I tried the latter, and in a precarious spot found my rucksack was stuck. I called for assistance, removed the obstruction and chucked it up to Robert, and made the move with little difficulty. Phew
The summit was a short distance on....- Odd looking summit rocks of Sgurr Dubh Mor
We stopped briefly at the cairn, but moved on to a point a little further along which - tipped off by mountain guide JJ from the day before - is apparently higher... (dives for cover from alarmed Munro baggers
) This point was remarkable, the 'crest' forming the high point being so narrow that the only comfortable resting point to enjoy the summit was to sit abreast it with a leg either side. Relaxing.... - Sgurr Alasdair above Loch a'Ghrunnda
We headed onwards to Alasdair. Now Robert's ambitious plans to head onto the In Pin and solo it, hitching a ride "hopefully" on someone's rope for the abseil off it (but what if no one else was....
), had long since been conceded to be as mad as a box of frogs. The fact that now it became apparent no less than the Thearliach-Dubh gap had been news to him (invisible from this part of the ridge, he was reluctant to believe it existed! ) I felt i was repaying his company with some useful/bloody essential route finding advice - Cave on route to Alasdair
The alternative route I'd researched, traversing below the craggy south face of Alasdair above a scree slope, went with surprising ease - even a path to follow. From a prominent cave, we cut across towards a short chimney scramble 50ft below the crest - an easy diversion from the Mauvais Pas on the crest, and another example of the value of some pre-route research. Once I'd freed an alarmingly deeply wedged boot, stuck in a crack on the steep move, the chimney went ok
- Across the Dubhs to distant Knoydart and Lochaber peaks
The remaining slope to Alasdair was loose and scrambly but of relatively fairly shallow gradient. Joining the crest a little far to the east, a final 30 ft of narrow ridge took us to the tiny, tiny summit of Alasdair - a good bit smaller than Gillean and that was fairly airy!
- Relief at my last summit of the trip
We could relax and enjoy the situation, the hazy high cloud still there but the air still very clear, with distant lochaber peaks etched on the horizon. A climber on Sgurr Mhic Choinnich made for a good photo
- Climber on the summit arete of Sgurr Mhic Choinnich
- Ben Nevis a long long way away
- Sgurr nan Eag seen across Loch a' Ghrunnda
We descended the easy east ridge to the col before dropping into the dramatic jaws of the stone chute, another incredible Cuillin location that echoed to the sound of the screes tumbling along beneath our feet.
- A straightforward, final scramble of the day, east ridge of Sgurr Alasdair
- Entering into the jaws of the Great Stone Shoot
My battered and bruised Brashers didnt thank me for charging down the looser scree, but it allowed for a relaxing 10 minutes in the corrie floor waiting as Robert caught me up. A group of 30 odd geology students by the lochan briefly shattered the raw brutality of the scene, but as a former Geography student myself, I sympathised - give me Glen Brittle over Bangor anyday!
- The immense scale of Coire Lagan
On the walk out back to the car, I probably should have been more disappointed to be approaching the end of my Skye adventure. Overriding though was the sheer joy of the last few days - my initially hesitant expectations, abandoned in a dust cloud of scrambling - had left me thoroughly satisfied and looking forward to a return
Skye was definitely worth the 16 year wait! - The Cuillins - a final view
