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This was the first day of our four days with a guided group bagging the Cuillin Munros and I am struggling to find the words to describe the experience. Stunning, fantastic, amazing. I'm still buzzing after a day of washing, unpacking and putting things away!!
We decided some time ago that if we were ever going to climb the Cuillin then we would need a guide. My husband is not very keen on heights, and the reports and books we'd read suggested that we would struggle on our own. the maps even the Harvey map don't really describe the situation adequately. so we booked a week's holiday, arranged grandparents to keep house and phoned Skye Hi aka Graham and Annie Paterson. I'd recommend Graham and Annie to everyone, thank you so much for an indescribably excellent week.
So here we were on Monday morning at 8am meeting up with Graham and the other four members of the group for the first time. With a bit of trepidation. would they be nice, would they all be loads fitter than us and leave us peching miles behind? we needn't have worried as we made a great team, excellent banter and by the end of the week I can safely say we have made some friends we will never forget.
Anyway on with the walky stuff.
here is a route map for our first day. Only it might not be quite right as it was great not to worry at all about the route finding through all these boulders and slabs and scree and other scary stuff.
From the campsite at Glanbrittle there is a view out to Canna and as you climb the hill this opens out towards Rum and Soay comes into view as well.
- in the foreground you can see a ring of boulders dropped by the last glaciers, then the island of Soay (although you can't see from here that it is an island) and Rum and its Cuillin, with Eigg and Muck also visible
So we gradually climb around the side of Sron na Ciche where there is a good path, and up into Coire a'Ghrundda where we crossed some slabs below the outflow of the lochan. Then up a very bouldery slope, halfway up which we stopped for our first lunch and left our packs. We continued on up to where we suddenly came to the ridge with the most amazing views over the other side into Coir'Uisk and across to Bla Bheinn and the mainland.
- Coire a'Ghrundda, I think the peak is Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn which isn't a Munro. very rocky and bouldery.
- Sgurr Alasdair on the left, just to its right is Sgurr Thearlaich, Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn on the right. Later we walked (if that's what you call it!) across the top of the screes just below Sgurr Alasdair to reach the chimney we climbed to the top.
- Looking over the top of the ridge down to Loch Coruisk and over to Loch Hourn on the right in the background. Bla Bheinn on the left.
From this point it was a bit of scrambling and a walk along the ridge to the summit of Sgurr nan Eag, our first Skye munro.
- View from the top of Sgurr nan Eag looking north along the ridge, the Inn Pinn just sticking up on the extreme left, then Sgurr Alasdair and Sgurr Thearlaich next to it, behind I think is Sgurr na Banachdich, and on the right in the foreground is Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn and Sgurr Dubh Mor, our next target.
For the next hour and a bit I didn't take any pictures as it was all some rather exciting scrambling which Graham took us along back down to where we had dumped the bags, across under the great lump of Caisteal a'Garbh-Choire and Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn, then up to the next summit, Sgurr Dubh Mor. this was great fun and Graham quickly sussed us out as to which ones were confident and which ones less so, showing us where to put hands and feet while clambering around us as if it was just some rocks on the seashore.
- From the top of Sgurr Dubh Mor looking north to Sgurr nan Gillean on the right, to the left of that Am Basteir with its tooth, and then Sgurr a Fionn Choire and Bruach na Frithe. Saving them for Friday. In front of them the great ridge of Druim nan Ramh and the triple-pointed Bidein Druim nan Ramh at the top of it.
some more exploring of cliffs and scrambling here and there took us eventually to the top of Sgurr Alasdair, the highest point on Skye.
- looking down to Coire Ghrunnda from the ridge
- somewhere along the top of the scree before ascending to the top of Sgurr Alasdair
- a wee plant high up on the ridge
- looking donw from top of sgurr alasdair to the ridge on Sgurr Thearlaich. Rather glad we don't have to go on that bit, looks very scary. that's my husband's head in the corner of the picture
from the top of alasdair we soon reached the top of the Great Stone Chute, our descent route, 1000 feet down scree which is pretty horrid. This is a usual way up to Sgurr Alasdair, described by Graham as "purgatory" to go up. it was pretty hard coming down too but we made it into Coire Lagan from where there is a good path back to the campsite and tea.
- top of the great stone chute
- about two thirds of the way down
- Loch Coire Lagan. At this point the clag had come down a bit and it started to snow, but it didnt last very long.