Creepers on the Crest to Sgurr na Banachdich
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:54 pmWe are working our way along the Cuillin Ridge in bite size pieces, today was the section of the ridge from Sgor Dearg to Sgurr na Banachdich.
We started out from the campsite at Morvich
We parked by The Glen Brittle YH and were walking by 07:40. The smaller parking areas were already busy so we were pleased to have made the early start.
Then taking the left hand branch of the path into Coire na Banachdich.
.
There was an obvious path which led high up into the Coire and stayed on the right hand side of the Altt Coire na Banachdich all the way, contrary to the map which showed it crossing the burn then back again. We by stopped for a drink and filled our water bottles by a sparkling clear pool near the final branch in the burn. Here the still obvious path continued up along its right hand branch and when the stream finally dwindled away the path continued to the foot of a gully on the right of the line of crags. There were occasional cairns marking the route.
At the top of the gully the path ran to left under a line of crags until it reached the scree slope leading up to the Bealach. There were mutiple paths in the scree but we found the easiest line ran up the right hand side bringing us out by some stange shaped bouldery outcrops.
.
Now the ridge.
.
I had always imagined the Cuillin Ridge to be an exposed committing scramble, all the way along and I know many sections of it are, but here, although the crest is definately an exposed scramble, there is a bypass path most of the way.
We had thought we had cracked knife edges on The Saddle, until we encountered this. The drop on the east is several hundred metres. We traversed the western side where the drop was just a few metres to the ground and it had better handholds.
Another lesson for me is that the narrowest part of a ridge doesn't always mean that it is unavoidable or exposed on both sides.
.
The danger of paths Is that once you are on them the temptation is to just keep going and it takes willpower to move back onto the crest. We were busy bypassing the central pinnacle and when the error of our ways was realised we had to climb up the side to regain the crest. 
You find wild flowers in the most unusual places and I received a ticking off for taking pictures of these while the OH was risking life and limb.
The very brave may descend the centre pinnacle by its very sharp nose but this seemed to lead into a gully so we came down to the west just before it.
Rather than follow the last section of crest we diverted to look at the cone sheets of dolerite.
Then back up to the ridge and onto the summit.
Then time to come down, except we couldn't make up our minds which descent to choose.
The going was hard but the views made up for it.
16:09 and back to the car.
- The route
We started out from the campsite at Morvich
- 06:40 Approaching Kyle and the Skye bridge
We parked by The Glen Brittle YH and were walking by 07:40. The smaller parking areas were already busy so we were pleased to have made the early start.
- Past Eas Mor waterfall
- Coire na Banachdich
There was an obvious path which led high up into the Coire and stayed on the right hand side of the Altt Coire na Banachdich all the way, contrary to the map which showed it crossing the burn then back again. We by stopped for a drink and filled our water bottles by a sparkling clear pool near the final branch in the burn. Here the still obvious path continued up along its right hand branch and when the stream finally dwindled away the path continued to the foot of a gully on the right of the line of crags. There were occasional cairns marking the route.
- Then up the gully
- 11:15 and we are on the bealach
Now the ridge.
- Locals on the ridge.
I had always imagined the Cuillin Ridge to be an exposed committing scramble, all the way along and I know many sections of it are, but here, although the crest is definately an exposed scramble, there is a bypass path most of the way.
- The second and narrowest pinnacle
- Just crossed the narrowest section of the ridge
Another lesson for me is that the narrowest part of a ridge doesn't always mean that it is unavoidable or exposed on both sides.
. The danger of paths Is that once you are on them the temptation is to just keep going and it takes willpower to move back onto the crest. We were busy bypassing the central pinnacle
and when the error of our ways was realised we had to climb up the side to regain the crest. - The consequence of being carried away by the path
- Almost there
- Creepers back on the crest
- Roseroot (Sedum rosea).
The very brave may descend the centre pinnacle by its very sharp nose but this seemed to lead into a gully so we came down to the west just before it.
- Descent from central pinnacle.
- Looking east through the gully
- Summit Pinnacle
- Cone sheets forming a convenient ledge
Then back up to the ridge and onto the summit.
- 13:00 Sgurr na Banachdich
- Pose on the second summit
- Summit views
- More summit views
- Superb situation for a brew up
Then time to come down, except we couldn't make up our minds which descent to choose.
- We considered Sgurr Nan Ghobar but were not sure not about the steep descent from the summit.
- An Diallaid was our planned descent but we followed the scree path too far down and did' want to go back up.
- So we just continued straight down.
16:09 and back to the car.
After seeing all your recent posts I know you'd have had no problems whatsoever going down Sgurr Nan Ghobar. Your recent reports have been giving me loads of ideas for future scrambling adventures, so thanks for posting!