Blaven by the Clac Glas ridge

[jonathan - norfolk]

A distant view of Bla Bhienn from Banachdich taken some years later

Bla Bheinn (Blaven) and the Clac Glas ridge (Cuillins, Skye) from Loch Slappin. The route up initially follows the Allt an Dunaiche before reaching the col between Sgurr nan Each and the Clac Glas ridge itself.
This was really the wrong choice of route for the conditions. Having been pushed off the main Cuillin ridge by bad weather three times in the last week we thought we’d give this route a go. Cold, wet and windy, we even had sleet at one point. Both of us had recently been leading VS rock climbs on grit south of the border, but in this weather, frankly, the route was rather too close to our limits, and well out of our comfort zone - scary stuff. Difficulties with route finding and slow progress over difficult ground meant that this turned into a much longer day than we’d anticipated and we eventually got off the mountain at about 1.00 a.m. much relieved to be on safe ground! It was still a fantastic outing, exceptionally exposed and it unquestionably needs a rope for most people, even in good conditions and it is not one to be as taken lightly as we had done.
An excellent account of this route by John MacKenzie is included in the book “Wild Walks” compiled by Ken Wilson and Richard Gilbert (1988) if you can get a copy. We’d obviously missed the bit that stated: “In conditions of snow, high wind or heavy rain the ridge should be left to the experts”. We were not experts, but we were young, experienced and very fit (we both had run several half marathons and the London Marathon earlier in the year) and we got away with it, but we’d both agree with the statement! That said, it remains one of my best ever, and most memorable, days out in the hills.

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Length: 5.92 miles 9.53 km Ascent: +1148m -1148m Naismith: 4 (<5h +)

[Meatball]

Any pictures of your day?

[jonathan - norfolk]

No photos taken on the day (I was somewhat pre-occupied!) although the book I cited has some awesome photos and I will be uploading some photos of Blaven taken on a subsequent trip soon.

[gaffr]

Yes, this is a fine day out....but in dry conditions.
To make a grand traverse you can visit a Graham, Corbett, a non Categorised and a Munro all in the same day.... highly recommended. ...Belig, Garbh bheinn, Clach Glas and Bla-Bheinn.
If I may.....a couple of images, the only ones that I have, maybe to show the type of terrain that is to be found on Clach Glas.

A bit of downclimbing.

The way we found onto the summit block....a wee traverse and a pull round the corner onto a slab.

[jonathan - norfolk]

Excellent photos. Thank you. I think that I remember the first one, it was in swirling mist, with water running down it, so it's hard to be sure that's it, but we definitely encountered something very similar, although it didn't seem quite so steep,(but certainly steep enough!) Maybe I'm thinking of the slab that was around that corner! The pull around the corner I definitely do remember, I looked everywhere for a less terrifying alternative before I realised that this WAS the least terrifying alternative!