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Here's an alternative start to the walk - with an additional ridge and minor summit thrown in. Followed this route on 14 May 2009 - a cool, cloudless and breezy day......perfect for walking.
From the Sligachan Hotel, start off on the path that starts opposite the mountain rescue post, heading for the Allt Dearg Mor, using the footbridge, reached after a few hundred metres, to cross over and follow the path towards the Allt Dearg Beag.
The route gradually unfolds ahead (as in the first photo)
After 2 kilometres of pleasant walking, the next footbridge is reached - do not cross over here but stick to the right (true left bank) of the stream - follow this until it peters out after about a kilometre. Straight ahead the stream can be seen coming down from the Bhasteir Gorge. My route took me across roughish, trackless ground on a bearing just a bit S of W, heading for the low col just to the N of Meall Odhar.
From here, just turn left and the N ridge of Sgurr a Bhasteir is the pretty obvious route straight ahead. To get established, I struck up the ridge slightly left of the ridge line itself. It gets steep in a few places (see photo)
but any obstacles can be passed by the removal of hands from pockets and bypassed left or right.
All in all, once past the first rubbishy loose stuff at the bottom, it's a few hundred metres (along AND up) of pleasant, easy scrambling. On the day I was there, the very strong crosswind that wanted to dump into me Fionn Choire added to the sense of fun.....as did the view across to Pinnacle Ridge that unfolds towards the top (see photo)
The fine airy summit - just a few metres short of Munro height - offers some fantastic views, including a really good one of Am Bhastier and the Tooth (see photo)
From here it was a gentle stroll along the ridge to the Bealach nan Lice, where I resumed the route described.
The weather remained cloudless so I was able to get some good shots from the summit of Bruache itself and whilst descending its NW ridge on the route back to Sligachan.
Apart from sharing the summit with 2 other walkers for lunch and "wow - look at THAT view"-type chat, I never encountered a soul all day until nearing Sligachan. All in all, a grand day out.