Bla Bheinn at last! (2010)

[johnkaysleftleg]

The lack of getting to the hills of late has started to send me a bit stir crazy. So as a bit of therapy I though I'd re-live bagging our favorite mountain (Bla Bheinn) back in 2010, and also get some practice in using Photoshop Elements 11 that Santa left for me under the tree.

We first visited Skye for a couple of days way back in June 2002 when grace was all but four months old. The weather wasn't kind but one thing that stood out was the sight of Bla Bheinn's fantastic buttresses and pinnacles glimpsed very briefly from the Elgol road through swirling mists. At the time I had no idea just what you called this mountain but as an interest in the Isle of Skye turned into a fully blown love affair I quickly found out more about the Island including the names of the hills.

Since that first visit we have returned to Skye year after year (with only a couple of exceptions) but it was in 2007 when we first took to the hills that interest in Skye's Blue mountain started to increase. It was with hope and a degree of trepidation that we discovered that Bla Bheinn could actually be climbed by mere mortals and in fact, according to a visitor book in a cottage we stayed at, by a four year old.

This led to our first attempt at climbing Bla Bheinn in 2007. We picked a fine day and started early but with Grace being only six and our level of experience at the time being very limited (A handful of hills mainly in the Lakes) progress was very slow. We got to around 380 meters before the weather started to take an unexpected turn seeing us beat a hasty retreat back to the car and watched the subsequent deluge from there. Having since climbed the mountain I don't think we'd have gone much further even if the weather had held as I believe the roughness and steepness of the route from around 400 meters would have intimidated us at the time.

Grace and Nicola in 2007

We returned to Skye in 2008 determined to finish our business but events conspired against us. Firstly I got sun burnt feet on an incredible 25C+ day spent on the Beaches of Harris and then the car blew an ignition coil on the way down to Skye tying us to our base near Portree during the first few days of fine weather on the Island. By the time we were fully mobile again the weather had turned and we we denied the opportunity.


Phew what a scorcher! Tropical views and temperatures on Harris in 2008

Our next return came in 2010 and it was looking like we were to be denied once again as the weather was nothing short of terrible for the initial four days. Our patience was to be rewarded however as the forecast for Thursday was favorable.


Dramatic weather on Skye during the start of our weeks holiday in 2010

Once again we turned up to car park at Loch Slapin bright and early. On the way it had struck me just how huge the mountain looked just as we dropped down to Torrin and old doubts had returned. We set off in overcast conditions and found the going much easier than in 2007. This time rather than being intimidated by the roughness and steepness of the route we relished it.


Grace on the way up


Looking back to An Stac from the ascent


Steep!


The Matterhorn of Skye


More views on the way up

We completed the couple of simple scrambles on the way up and came out onto the final easy slops to the summit. I still believed on some level we'd be denied until this moment and I don't think I'd ever had so much energy this high on a hill as we reached our very own Everest.


Family summit shot


The mist that just wouldn't clear

The only thing that wasn't perfect on the day was the lack of a summit view and even though we lingered for longer than we ever have on a top the clouds just wouldn't shift despite threatening several times. It hardly mattered however and we enjoyed the return to the car (apart from when a couple of walkers who had caught us up informed us that the clouds had eventually parted revealing the whole Cuillin ridge ).


Marsco though a gap in the ridge


Loch Slapin


Classic view of the mighty Bla Bheinn

To make up for the lack of a summit view I was treated to perhaps the finest sunset I've ever witnessed from the beach at Ord to round off a day we'll never forget.


Cuillin Sunset from Ord - Click for bigger version

[rockhopper]

cracking set of photos - enjoyed that - cheers

[johnkaysleftleg]

cracking set of photos - enjoyed that - cheers

Thanks rockhopper

[rdtoward21]

Some great pics, brings back memories of our climb up Bheinin last year. Super!!

[johnkaysleftleg]

Some great pics, brings back memories of our climb up Bheinin last year. Super!!

Cheers it's a great hill, well worth remembering.

[Heelander]

Hi Anthony.
Great reading and pictures.
Heading to Skye on Sunday to take in a few cliches and Blaven.

Regards, your Flickr friend Roksoff.

[johnkaysleftleg]

Hi Anthony.
Great reading and pictures.
Heading to Skye on Sunday to take in a few cliches and Blaven.

Regards, your Flickr friend Roksoff.

Cheers Scott, have a good'un