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This is an account of one of my favourite outings of 2014, which took place before I discovered the brilliant Walkhighlands site. I thought it might be of interest to those contemplating a traverse of the Cuillin Ridge, or the particular section of it recorded here.
Late in June 2014 my erstwhile and long-suffering walking buddy Karl and myself travelled up to Skye with the ambitious hope of doing a complete traverse of the Cuillin Ridge over two days. Our plan was to walk up from Glen Brittle to Loch Coir' a' Ghrunnda, deposit our bivvi kit there then scramble over Sgurr nan Eag to Gars Bheinn and back again, thus bagging the easy southern part of the traverse on the first day. We were to set off very early the following morning to complete the rest of the ridge, descending to Sligachan and walking back up to Ghrunnda to collect our bivvi kit a couple of days later (allowing for a celebration and a good rest).
Well, that was the plan. But you know what Robbie Burns said about plans - even the best-laid ones!
As we drove north the forecast was indicating only one decent day the whole week - Tuesday 24th. Reluctantly relinquishing our initial plan, we resigned ourselves to making the most of the one day. So on the Tuesday we set off from Glen Brittle at 3.00 am (I ask you!) for Coir' a' Ghrunnda, intending to miss out the southern bit and cover as much of the ridge northwards as we could, either descending back to Glen Brittle or, if we got as far as Gillean, down to Sligachan. Well, guess what? A thick, wet mist covered the whole of the Cuillins almost down to sea level. As we walked up into it we hoped it would clear, but it never did. We sat by Loch Coir' a' Ghrunnda waiting, and waiting; and still it showed not the slightest sign of lifting or thinning or otherwise clearing off. Everything was dark and soaking. There was no way we'd get across the Thearlaich-dubh gap in that. So, with great reluctance and heavy hearts, we went back down.
Then, unexpectedly, Thursday turned out to be a perfect day.
But we just weren't prepared - a lesson to be learned there!
- Oh no, it's a perfect day and we're not ready to go! Sgurr nan Gillean & co. from the campsite at Sligachan on Thursday 16th June.
Fortunately, the forecast was now good for Friday too. So we spent Thursday stocking up on provisions and packing our rucksacks in preparation for Friday, which gave us plenty of time to rue the fact that we had blown a rare opportunity to go for the complete traverse!
Needless to say, a few unwholesome remarks about the Met Office passed between us.
I was quite keen on going back to do as we had planned for the Tuesday. But Karl, understandably, didn't fancy slogging up to Ghrunnda again and, moreover, he liked the look of Gillean. So, we decided to do the northern end of the ridge, taking in Bruach na Frithe, Am Bhasteir and Sgurr nan Gillean. We also wanted to include Naismith's Route up the Bhasteir Tooth, since that's the way a proper traverse of the ridge should be done (!). This would familiarize us with one of the more technical sections, standing us in good stead for a future attempt at the complete traverse. Hence, we packed our harnesses, helmets, a rope, some slings and a minimal rack of nuts and hexes.
On Friday morning we set off walking from the campsite at about 6.45 and the weather was indeed clear and sunny, if somewhat breezy. We soon found the big path heading towards the Bealach a' Mhaim and were elated to be on the hill again.
- Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Bhasteir and Sgurr a' Bhasteir from the Allt Dearg Mor.
- The Pinnacle Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean on the left, Sgurr a' Bhasteir in the middle and Bruach na Frithe on the right.
Just before reaching the Bealach a big cairn marks the well blazoned path heading up towards Fionn Choire and some distance up this a right branch leads out onto the north-west ridge of Bruach na Frithe. As we plodded up this Karl was looking warily up ahead, to where the ridge rears up forbiddingly towards the summit.
I reassured him that a good path skirts that bit on the right and regains the ridge higher up. (I had been up these peaks on a solo trip back in 2001 - though of course I did not include the Bhasteir Tooth!)
Karl was duly reassured when (and only when) the path did indeed veer off to the right as promised. The view from that point, across Coir a Tairneilear to Bidean Druim nan Ramh and Sgurr a' Mhadaidh, were jaw-dropping.
- Bidean Druim nan Ramh and Sgurr a' Mhadaidh from the path up Bruach na Frithe where it quits the N.W. Ridge for a rising traverse along the west face.
- Zooming in on Bidean Druim nan Ramh - a truly outrageous section of the Cuillin Ridge!
The rising traverse is quite exhilerating, eventually zigging back left to reach the foot of a shallow gully leading onto the N.W. Ridge of Bruach, above the ominous looking step. A short and easy scramble then leads to the trig point on the summit.
- Karl on the summit of Bruach na Frithe.
The weather was ideal - dry, not too hot, not too cold, and nothing like as windy as we feared it might be. We fed and watered and took in the fabulous views of the mighty Cuillin peaks and the nearby ocean. It was greatly satisfying to be on the main ridge itself at last.
- Looking south along the main ridge from Bruach na Frithe
- We're going that way! - Looking east to Sgurr a' Fionn Choire, Am Bhasteir and Sgurr nan Gillean, from Bruach na Frithe.
The descent eastwards from Bruach na Frithe was very easy going but we were looking apprehensively at what lay ahead. From this angle Am Bhasteir looks like something out of Tolkein.
- Whoa! You mean we're going up that?! Am Bhasteir, with the Tooth facing, from below Sgurr a Fionn Choire. A pair of climbers are just visible on Naismith's Route.
We by-passed Sgurr a' Fionn Choire, as is customary on a traverse of the ridge, since we were keen to get to grips with the Bhasteir Tooth. As we gazed at it with a mixture of excitement and horror, we noticed a pair of climbers established on Naismith's Route.
- Zooming in on the climbers on Naismith's Route.
We watched the climbers for a while with great interest - after all, we intended to follow them. The leader, about half way up, had not moved for some time. Hmm. What did this mean?
Eventually, to our relief, he moved up and completed the pitch with greater fluency.
We descended easily to the Bealach nan Lice, then proceeded onto the narrowing neck of rock which leads to the ledge right under the Tooth. This neck in fact became very narrow indeed, and gave us a taste of the exposure to come. It was great to reach the ledge, which is oppressively dominated by the huge, overhanging prow of the Tooth. With rising levels of adrenaline we put on our harnesses and helmets, uncoiled the rope and tied on. Belayed by Karl on the ledge, I clambered down a few feet to the right to reach a narrow ledge-line leading out rightwards onto the face, which happily was in the sun. At the end of the ledge I fixed a belay - a sling over a good spike and a bomb-proof hex - and brought Karl across. Once he was in position at the belay, I set off up the main pitch of Naismith's. A straightforward crack with good holds led straight up to the left end of another narrow ledge. Making sure to fix a runner here, I traversed rightwards along the ledge to a shallow groove where the route either goes straight up, or continues rightwards to reach a wide crack. The problem with the latter option is that the placement of protection in the crack will create a very big dog-leg in the line of the rope, causing drag for the leader and massive pendulum potential for the second. So, I decided to go straight up. But now I could see what the problem had been for the leader we had watched beforehand. At just above head height was a light-coloured patch of newly exposed rock where a block had obviously fallen away quite recently. What remained was the fissured edge of a block which flexed when pressure was applied. So that ruled out its use either as a hold or as a runner.
Fortunately, there was a small but positive hold just above it, which would enable a move to be made up to better holds. Even so, this would be a stiff move with sketchy footholds and without protection. If I fell off I would launch into a hideous pendulum and end up somewhere below Karl.
So falling off wasn't an option! Feeling the precariousness of climbing in walking boots, I got my feet higher, then higher still, pulling up on the small hold, until the fingers of my other hand sank gratefully behind a nice big hold higher up and I could get my boots on some decent footholds. I then placed a sling over a nice big spike. Phew!
A good, wide crack led up and right, offering plenty of holds and protection but steepening to plumb vertical towards the top. I found a solid hex placement then moved up to reach the holds on the very top edge of the face. The key here is to get your feet high enough in the crack before swinging your right foot up over the edge then rocking over. Feeling somewhat elated, I placed a couple of nuts behind the ledge for the belay.
Sitting right on the edge so I could see down to Karl, I relaxed as he followed up. He made good, steady progress, though I chided him when he landed on the top ledge like a beached whale (oops - he won't thank me for that!).
- Karl following up Naismith's Route on the Bhasteir Tooth.
We coiled the ropes and scrambled easily up gently inclined slabs to the very apex of the Bhasteir Tooth, where some old slings remained for the Winter climbers who abseil down the overhanging prow on a north-south traverse. Then we went back down the slabs to the neck where the Tooth adjoins the main bulk of Am Bhasteir. A short, wide crack leads easily up to the right onto some ledges with scraps of grass.
Now the guidebook makes the way ahead from here sound awfully complicated, but in fact it is very straightforward. Look up to the left and you'll see a huge, easy-angled basalt slab covered in debris. It's bounded on it's right side by a broken corner/gully. Simply follow the corner/gully until it becomes easier to go onto the slabs which lead leftwards beneath the beetling brow of overhangs above. As you go left the slabs become a comfortably wide ledge leading beneath a little prow of gabbro right on the edge of the north face of Am Bhasteir. Stop at the right hand side of the prow, where you'll see a short corner/groove which is severely undercut at it's base. This is the way to the top, which lies a tantalizing 6 metres above. But this is in fact the most technically difficult 6 metres of the entire Cuillin ridge! The SMC guidebook gives it a rating of 5b - that's if you actually climb it without standing on someone else's head. The traditional way to tackle it is for the leader to stand, if not on his second's head, then at least on his shoulders - what they call 'combined tactics'. However, Karl wasn't too keen on the idea of having my boots scraping about all over his head and shoulders, and in any case, I rather fancied trying to actually climb it.
So, we took off our rucksacks, uncoiled the rope, and I placed a small hex in the thin crack above as high as I could get it from the safety of the ledge. That would at least stop me from flying off the ledge if I came off. I found a hold of sorts for my right hand on the lip of the overhang and got my feet on something underneath it, bridging out left and right, then reached up with my left hand for an insecure finger-jam in the crack above the hex. I moved my feet a bit higher under the overhang, then made a hard move for a prominent handhold up to the right. It was indeed a good hold, thankfully. Then it was just a matter of swinging my right foot high up onto the hold on the lip of the overhang, and standing up into a bridging position across the corner. Phew! The top was just above my head with only a few easy moves to go. I stood there for a moment just savouring the sense of triumph. Done it!
I pulled the rucksacks up and belayed Karl. He made a valiant effort but was happy to admit defeat, so I lowered down a chain of slings for him to climb up - even that wasn't easy!
The cairn on the summit of Am Bhasteir was literally a few yards away. Ropes coiled, rucksacks on, and we were there. The views were spectacular. Boy, that was a summit hard won!
- Sgurr nan Gillean from Am Bhasteir
- Looking back to Sgurr a' Fionn Choire and Bruach na Frithe, from Am Bhasteir.
- Looking south from Am Bhasteir
We enjoyed the airy descent down the east ridge, with its exposed little step, to the Bealach a' Bhasteir. Then we moseyed along to the foot of the chimney which gives access to the West Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean. A party were abseiling down the gully to the left, a tactic which avoids the exposed pinnacles when descending from Gillean. We roped up for the chimney and at its top we coiled the rope up for the last time. The pinnacles were next and I had forgotten just how exposed they are. I felt a bit guilty about not remaining roped for Karl's sake, but he had no trouble with them and we were soon on easier ground. It was an easy though still steep scramble to the summit of Sgurr nan Gillean.
- Sgurr na h-Uamha from the West Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean.
- Am Bhasteir and Bruach na Frithe from the West Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean.
- Looking up the West Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean from above the pinnacles.
Here we removed our harnesses and helmets, took in the fantastic views all around and sat down on our airy perch for a food break. We reflected on how we would have been feeling had this moment marked the end of a complete traverse of the ridge. Of course we would have been ecstatic; but we knew, deep down, that it was unlikely we would have made it this far. We were tired enough as it was! But we were still very satisfied with our day.
- Blaven from the summit of Sgurr nan Gillean
So began the long descent back to Sligachan. At the bottom of the scrambling on the South-East Ridge we met some walkers on their way up. They saw us come down an easy little rock step and seemed relieved that they now knew which way to go. They asked us if the scrambling got any harder higher up; they were obviously rather unsure of themselves. Without wishing to discourage them, we told it how it was: the scrambling gets increasingly difficult and exposed the higher you get, but is within the capabilities of walkers with a bit of scrambling experience. They asked us which way we'd come from. We just said we came over by the West ridge. We didn't bother to mention the Bhasteir Tooth.
Thus we parted company, the others continuing hesitantly upwards, ourselves wearily downwards over the unremittingly rough terrain. We hoped they made it to the summit of Gillean - and back again!
- Looking back to Sgurr nan Gillean from Coire Riabhach
The rough path back to Sligachan seemed to go on forever. We were looking forward to a few Talisker whiskies in the hotel bar. We would raise our glasses to all those hardy and determined souls who have achieved a complete traverse of the Cuillin Ridge. For that is, in the words of the SMC climber's guide, 'the toughest mountaineering challenge in the British Isles'.