First venture on the Cuillins WOW

[jamesb63]

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Let me start anyone hoping to se the usuall stunning pics of the Cuillin should skip this report
the forecast the week previous said sunshine all day
As it turned out it was torrential rain all day and winds gusting to 70mph on the tops
what an initiation to the Cuillin and I loved every minute from start to finish
I stayed at Sligachan campsite the previous night and hardly slept what with the rain
pounding on the Motorhome and the winds fair rocking it
So at 8.30 I set off for Glen Brittle ,the Fairy Pools were just about right for white water rafting
Reaching the parking area the wind was even stronger coming off the loch
and the clag was down to about 700ft,so it was just on with my boots and I was off on the path to Coire Ghrunnda
Some of the path was like a river itself

looking out towards Rhum

On reaching the entrance to Coire a Ghrunnda the wind seemed to be getting funnelled into it
and the clag was racing uphill at a fair speed making the scene seem very daunting

The waterfalls just below Loch Coir a Ghrunnda

Reaching the loch I stopped to take a bite to eat and get a helmet on boy was I loving this
the weather was adding to the day bad as it was
I was soon making my way up and over the boulders and scree to the ridge passing a nice bivvy site
when nearing the top ,once on the ridge the real windspeed in the gusts was wild to say the least
so I quickly and carefully picked my way along to my first summit on the Cuillins Sgurr Eag

Sgurr Eag in the wind and clag

A quick pic and I made my way back along the ridge to the bivvy site where I went through this
to continuie along to the next summit
I had thought I would get a bit my shelter from the wind on the other side of the ridge
was I wrong it now seemed stronger gusts than anything
I was soon passing along under Caisteal a Gharbh-Choire I was great in that although it was so wet
the grip on the Gabbro was like Velcro getting to below the summit where the hard scramble starts
the water was coming down the first slab like a waterfall ,soon passing this it was the some more small
scrambles and onto the summit of Sgurr Dubh Mor it just felt so exhilarating to get here in the conditions

Summit on Sgurr Dubh Mor

I was then a case of back tracking back down to the path and back along to the bealach
I was soaked through by now but overjoyed with the whole day
I wouldn't have traded this expierience for the world as I know I can and WILL return many more times
to enjoy this in sunny days

Heres a couple of more pics I took on the descent the camera now was getting wet and I had that
in a case in a ziplok bag

Back down at Loch a Coir Ghrunnda I stopped to take a bite to eat and take it what I had been through
I couldn't get the smile from my face
Some people will say it was crazy to venture onto the Cuillin in these conditions
but at no point did I feel intimidated or out of my depth ,if at any point I did I would not have hesitated to turn back
Heading out of the coire the clag was now even lower and now it was just a long wet walk out
I again apologise for no spectacular photos they will come another time

Almost back to the campsite what a day to remember

[Alteknacker]

Yep, it really is the greatest place in the world. I completely identify with that incredible exhilaration - exactly how I feel when I get up there! You're hooked!!!

This is how Coir' a' Ghrunnda should look when it's reasonably clear - the little orange dot in the centre on sea side of the Lochan is my tent!

[jmarkb]

That's interesting - I didn't know it was possible to go directly from Caisteal a' Garbh Coire to Sgurr Dubh Mor without going over Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn. Good effort for navigating that in the clag!

[jamesb63]

Yep, it really is the greatest place in the world. I completely identify with that incredible exhilaration - exactly how I feel when I get up there! You're hooked!!!

This is how Coir' a' Ghrunnda should look when it's reasonably clear - the little orange dot in the centre on sea side of the Lochan is my tent!

Image0070 tent in Coire Grunda - R.jpg

Very nice pic of the Corrie your tent really puts its size into perspective

[basscadet]

Brilliant - thats the thing about Skye, the rocks so rough and sticky you can go out in all weathers nae bother (as long as its not so windy you get blown away) SDM is a toughie, well done

[jamesb63]

Brilliant - thats the thing about Skye, the rocks so rough and sticky you can go out in all weathers nae bother (as long as its not so windy you get blown away) SDM is a toughie, well done

Thanks BC SDM was indeed one tough mountain and a lot of fun far harder than anything ive done previous