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This weekend Dougie is busy with work and golf, so I looked at other things I could do by myself.. Weather looked fine on Saturday, and with compleation day looming, I thought I'd better get ready for it, so it was off to Skye on Friday night.
Got to the Slig at about 9.30. The campsite was busy, and is a bit squelchy just now - must of had a lot of rain in the past week, but i managed to find a dry spot and set up camp. Turned into a late night, as it was so light I just didn't realise
Despite this I was up at a nae bad time and left at the back of 8, taking the well worn path to the hotel, then heading onto the paths beyond.
The path undulated pleasantly across the moorland, past the pool with the blue rocks and up to the plank bridge where I stopped. Not because I was particularly tired, but just because it is such a bonny spot.. Clouds loomed over my target, but forcast was for an improvement
The path steepened beyond the bridge, but it was cold enough that I was able to nip on, past a couple who were also doing Gillean today. They had ropes and allsorts
made me feel unprepared, even though Dougie had reassured me that it was easy..
Once past the big cairn that marks the bottom of pinnacle ridge, there was the easy descent into the corrie, where stepping stones took me across the boggy bits and onto the climb beyond.. The path there isn't brilliant, and for a lot of it I didn't know if I was on a path or in a stream bed. It was sheltered from the breeze so it got a bit hot.. What a slog!
The path continued at an easier angle up to a second corrie where I stopped for a while. The top was in sight!
The way out of the corrie looked like another slog up scree, so when at the mouth of the gully I saw a path heading left I was up for seeing where it went..
It took me below a slabby crag, up a boulderfield then onto a ledge high above the gully. I was encouraged on by cairns that seemed to whisper 'this is the way' as I passed them. A couple of times I was able to scramble up cracks to my left and traverse round back to the path.. This was becoming great fun
just when I was getting into the swing of it, I arrived at a cairn which symbolised that I was back on the tourist route
I saw a big cairn on the horizon to my left.. Just a few metres and I was up out of the corrie
A jumble of boulders made the way indestinct, but the ridge and the summit were in full view, so I just headed for a low point on the ridge, and found a path that took me there, via a couple of chimneys, and slabby bits which gave a welcome distraction from the sloggy bits in between.
I finally made it to the ridge, drizzle starting to fall just in time for the scramble
I stopped and waited it out, not really minding with the views looking so good.. It was still early so plenty time. I could see there were a group all roped up almost at the summit.
The drizzle stopped and I waited another 10 minutes to let the rock dry out. I tried to stick to the crest, even if it wasn't the easiest way. Made the prelude to the main attraction very enjoyable. After a few hundred yards I found the basalt gully, which proved to be very easy.
Beyond that was quite a high step, which looked a bit overhanging on the nose, but round to the left only a few feet, there was a large crack I managed to get up. It wasn't the easiest way, but it was fun and I was still trying for the crest as closely as possible.
The next step up was really easy, with plenty of broken rocks on the nose providing ample options. Once up, some perched boulders led to an airy swing round onto a slab.. Surely not
the slab near the summit I thought, it hadn't been much scrambling at all yet, but at the top of the slab this view came to greet me - The summit!
Just a couple of easy moves saw me there - fantastic! I had been a bit aprehensive about heading into the Cuillin on my todd, but Gillean had been really easy
The main ridge was mostly clagged in, but good views toward the mainland.
I sat there for probably about an hour. No-one else came, but a few shouts from climbers coming over the pinnacles and the odd croak of a raven disturbed the peace. It wasn't warm either wee patches of snow round abouts confirming that it wasn't my imagination!
Eventually I felt like it was time to start heading back. I knew there were a couple of bits I came up that I wouldn't be able to down climb, so had to find another way. I returned easily to the slab
where it looked like folk had gone down to the right.. I went down to investigate, but what I found looked horrific, so I went back up. I went further down the slabs, and swung back round the perched boulders. What lay the other side, didn't look how I remembered it, but I managed a kind of traversing descent on some slopey ledges that made my legs all wobbly. The couple I had passed earlier watched with interest from below which was re-assuring. I made it down and onto the easy traversing path, which although had a few scrambly bits, was easy going back round to the ridge at the top of the first basalt gully, which was easily negotiated. Yaay I had made it down
I had previously decided to take the tourist screes path, but I saw a huge group coming up there, so I went back the path I had taken up. On the way up I had definitely been up a couple of scrambles which I didn't find on the way down, so I guess I was on a different path.. That's Skye for you, a labyrinth
I made it back down to the cairn at the top of the corrie, lots of folk heading up so glad I was out early. I dropped down, again my intention was to take the scree gully down, but I got to a bit that looked absolutely horrific, so I ducked out right, and took the ledge path instead one again. This time minus the scrambly bits.
After the skirt round, I managed to find a better path down into the next corrie, although it seemed a lot longer on the way back. I explored the slabs at the mouth of the corrie and hardly noticed the climb on the other side.
I stopped again for ages next to the plank bridge. there is a rock there just the right shape for me, so really comfy with views to Dunn Cann and the manny at Storr
The sun came out and the rest of the walk and the path over the moor was very pleasant with dragonflies buzzing about and fish jumping in the pools. Absolutely beautiful
I was almost sad to get back, another munro in the bag, and now only one left to go.. Almost at the end of the journey
Weather looked rubbish for Sunday, and I was still feeling fresh enough for the long drive home, so I packed up and got on my way. The weather was getting darker by the moment, and just got on my way in time for the rain to arrive. Fun day out, but not as much scrambling fun as other parts of the ridge
So compleation is nigh - hoping to do it on the 20th June - Sgritheall with a stopover in Suardalan for the obligatoy dram - Come along if you can
