The weather forecast for the week indicated that after Wednesday the weather would change to rain and minimal visibility (didn't turn out that way) so I decided to take Wednesday off and head for the Cuillin. I parked at the long lay-by on the Dunvegan road and was heading up the path by 9 am. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, a lovely warm breeze was blowing and not an insect in sight. Heaven!
Start of the walk. Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Basteir (with tooth) and Sgurr a'Bhasteir on the skyline.
Bruach na Frithe by anniesmountains, on FlickrHeading up Fionn Choire I was itching to gain some height. It's a very gentle ascent up the path to Bealach a' Mhaim and even after turning off into the corrie it takes a while to get 'serious'.
Portree and the Storr after gaining a little height.
Bruach na Frithe-2 by anniesmountains, on FlickrThere are cairns all along the way to reassure those of us who are in the habit of losing paths.
After the grassy field-like patch, the terrain changes and it's pretty much rock and some scree from here on up. I think there are multiple paths which all end up at Belach na Lice as I also kept seeing small cairns across the burn - I kept to the left side. To be honest this is not a difficult climb - the only real steepness is at the very top for a few metres and it's soon forgotten and the wonder of the Cuillin unfolds in front of you. This has to be one of the most amazing ridge revelations in the Highlands. Wow, just wow, I kept saying out loud! However, all of a sudden there were lots of people about. Some had come up the north-west ridge, some had come up Bealach a' Bhasteir, a couple had come up Sgurr a'Bhasteir iteself and a couple of guys from Sgurr nan Gillean and over An Basteir. It was positively buzzing (I'm not used to busy hills!)
The grassy field with a cairn in the middle (probably useful in mist). Bruach na Frithe on the right with the north-west ridge where I could see and hear people. To the left on the skyline is Sgurr a'Fionn Choire.
Bruach na Frithe-3 by anniesmountains, on FlickrWhoo hoo, amazing views. One minute your nose is in scree and suddenly - boom - this is what you are facing. Sgurr na h-Uamhe with Bla Bheinn and Sgurr na Stri behind.
Bruach na Frithe-11 by anniesmountains, on FlickrI walked a short way along the ridge of Sgurr a'Bhasteir and intended going to the end but the wind was cold up here and I was starving. I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast at 6:15 and it was now noon. So, I thought, go up to the summit of BnF for some shelter and lunch then do this ridge on the return trip. Everyone I met told me there was great shelter at the top. I couldn't stop taking photos - lovely Lota Coire, Am Basteir and it's crazy tooth and the whole of the view of the West Highlands opened up. If you think of all hills from which you can see the Cuillin, it works in reverse too and the visibility was amazing. Only problem was the sun was high in the sky and no clouds so not the best conditions for photography.
Am Basteir and its Tooth. No people to get a sense of scale but it really looms above one.
Bruach na Frithe-4 by anniesmountains, on FlickrThe Sgurr a'Bhasteir ridge with Sligachan far below and Raasay beyond.
Bruach na Frithe-5 by anniesmountains, on FlickrGlamaig and Beinn Dearg Mhor with Applecross and the Torridon hills in the distance.
Bruach na Frithe-7 by anniesmountains, on FlickrKnight's Peak, Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Basteir and his tooth from Sgurr a'Bhasteir.
Bruach na Frithe-8 by anniesmountains, on FlickrI even saw a hill runner coming up the Coire a'Bhasteir. One thing to mention for people who have not been on the ridge before, and this worried me somewhat, the maps are so confusing because of all the crags and steepness - just a mish-mash of crags and contours really. However, in good weather, it's not at all confusing. I instantly knew what was what just from having read a few descriptions and you have quite a bit of it sorted out on the ascent. Also, most difficult scrambles have bypass paths although there are so many of them that you may need to back-track to get the one you need. I bypassed Sgurr a'Fionn Choire but took the higher path and had to scramble down a bit when I could see there was a lower path which would not have involved any scrambling at all. In fact I then scrambled down to the lower path!
Pinnacle Ridge and Sgurr nan Gillean. The rock on the right is the base of Am Basteir and to get a sense of scale there is a hill runner centre bottom of the photo, right at the base of the tower. She is wearing a day-glo green top and hopefully you can see the dot of her jacket. I'm kicking myself that I didn't hang around and get a photo of her with the whole of Am Basteir in one shot.
Bruach na Frithe-9 by anniesmountains, on FlickrBasteir Tooth with the Bla Bheinn summit behind.
Bruach na Frithe-10 by anniesmountains, on FlickrLota and Harta corries.
Bruach na Frithe-12 by anniesmountains, on FlickrSummit of Bruach na Frithe from Sgurr a'Fionn Choire. Here's the hill runner on her way down!
Bruach na Frithe-13 by anniesmountains, on FlickrSome views from the summit of Bruach na Frithe:
Sgurr a'Bhasteir from Bruach na Frithe summit. Lots of people on the ridge now.
Bruach na Frithe-14 by anniesmountains, on FlickrThis was my favourite view - the corries (Lota and Harta) across to Bla Bheinn, Clach Glas, Garbh-bheinn, Belig, Sgurr na h-Uamha, Sgurr na Stri and many more....
Bruach na Frithe-15 by anniesmountains, on FlickrZoomed in to Bla Bheinn etc. The smaller hump in front of Garbh-bheinn is Ruadh Stac (yet another one).
Bruach na Frithe-17 by anniesmountains, on FlickrAm Basteir, Knight's Peak, Sgurr nan Gillean and Sgurr a'Fionn Choire in the mid-distance on the left. You can see the South-east ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean go down to Sgurr Beag and then end at Sgurr na h-Uamha with Lota Coire down below.
Bruach na Frithe-26 by anniesmountains, on FlickrSouth to the remainder of the Cuillin Ridge.
Bruach na Frithe-27 by anniesmountains, on FlickrUp at the summit were three people (from Sheffield?) and a lovely black Border Collie (which I would happily have adopted) so I sat and had lunch and chatted away to them. They reckoned Sgurr nan Gillean was an easy climb and the only Cuillin where I would need support would be the Inn Pin - I didn't say much but it just shows how subjective these things are! They set off and there was a string of other people coming and going. Then a young couple arrived who had the air of being happy to be alive. They told me they had come up the north face of Sgurr a'Bhasteir and it was pretty hairy so they were very relieved to be safe. Hi guys!
Meanwhile everyone I spoke to was encouraging me to descent via the North-west ridge rather than go back down the corrie. There is a bypass path to avoid the scramble down from the very top and most seemed to be taking it. Decision time - so I went down the ridge. I can always come back and do more exploring - I really would like to come up Coire a'Bhasteir the next time.
The couple who had ascended via the north side of Sgurr a'Bhasteir.
Bruach na Frithe-16 by anniesmountains, on FlickrLooking back up to the summit after coming down the bypass path.
Bruach na Frithe-19 by anniesmountains, on FlickrThen there is a nice airy ridge walk at the end of which I took a seat on a mossy hummock and wondered at all the beauty around me. It was warmer and quieter than on the summit!
Back to the summit (can you spot the two people on top?) and the mossy hummock.
Bruach na Frithe-20 by anniesmountains, on FlickrGlamaig and the north ridge of Sgurr a'Bhasteir. You can clearly see Beinn Eighe and Beinn Alligin and even my house! The white spot/line in the centre of the mainland shoreline is the beach at Ardbain and my house is in the row behind it.
Bruach na Frithe-21 by anniesmountains, on FlickrSgurr an Fheadain with Coire na Creiche on this side and Coire a'Mhadaidh on the far side.
Bruach na Frithe-22 by anniesmountains, on FlickrI chose to go straight down to the Glen Brittle path although I see now that it would have been easier to take the north spur back into the lower part of Fionn Choire. There was a steep scree slope that I pretty much avoided by keeping to the sheep paths on the moss - it was quite steep though. It was a gorgeous evening so stopped frequently on the way down to take photos.
Pinnacle Ridge, Sgurr nan Gillean, Meall Odhair, Sgurr a'Bhasteir, Sgurr a'Fionn Choire, Bruach na Frithe summit, north-west ridge and north spur.
Bruach na Frithe-23 by anniesmountains, on FlickrMarsco and Bla Bheinn in the evening sunshine. Garbh-bheinn is on the left.
Bruach na Frithe-24 by anniesmountains, on FlickrBack to the start after a marvellous day.
Bruach na Frithe-25 by anniesmountains, on FlickrI'm absolutely sure I will be back in this area as I feel so much was left undiscovered. Advice to anyone who hasn't been yet - please make sure you do this on a clear day!
I’m not at all envious that you have these hills in you back garden, honestly. 
I'm hatching a plan to do Sgurr na Banachdich 
