My first trip to Skye for about five years was met with some of the worst weather I’ve ever seen on the misty isle, just endless rain and wind for hours and hours, followed by very short periods of fantastic weather that would last for 5mins or so and then would be replaced by howls of wind and yet more rain, just to remind you that your in the North west Highlands, land of sheep farming, midges, and poor O2 network reception. I had planned for a Monday to Friday trip but went home early on Thursday morning, back to the safety of the central belt were the rain falls straight down instead of side ways.
There was only one brief weather window in the monsoon that was sweeping across the north west highlands and that was on Tuesday morning, were I was able to deal with the small matter of Sgurr nan Gillean, a quite magnificent mountain, which as the munro guide book says, has one of the worlds greatest mountains views from the top, just a pity I couldn’t see it.
Warning
Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.
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Sgurr nan Gillean
Sgurr nan Gillean
by The-Big-Grey-Man » Sat May 21, 2011 10:30 pm
Route description: Sgurr nan Gillean
Munros included on this walk: Sgurr nan Gillean
Date walked: 17/05/2011
Time taken: 4.5 hours
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- THE CLASSIC VIEW OF THE CUILLIN FROM SLIGACHAN
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- SGURR NAN GILLEAN LOOKING CLEAR
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- I CLIMBED UP THROUGH THE MAZE OF ROCKS AND BOULDERS, IT COULD BE QUITE EASY TO LOSE YOUR WAY HERE IN MIST, THE VIEW BACK TO SLIGACHAN, WITH THE STORR IN THE BACKGROUND
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- PINACLE RIDGE
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- THE RIDGE LOOKS VERY IMPRESSIVE FROM HERE, NOT A PRETTY SIGHT IF YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS
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- THE TINY SUMMIT OF SGURR NAN GILLEAN, AS YOU CAN SEE THERES NO PHOTOS OF ME CLIMBING UP THE RIDGE, AS IT ALL GOT A BIT INTENSE FOR WHILE. THE SUMMIT WAS IN MIST SO NEVER GOT TO SEE THE VIEWS, BUT IT DID GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT YOUR FLOATING ON THE CLOUDS, I DIDN'T FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE UP THERE WITH THE WEATHER DUE TO CHANGE AT ANY MOMENT SO I DECIDED TO DECEND AFTER ONLY MAYBY A MINUTE OR SO ON THE SUMMIT.
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- THE WEST RIDGE
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- LOTA CORRIE
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- THE MIST BEGINS TO CLEAR
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- IF ANYTHING THE DECENT WAS HARDER THAN THE ASCENT, I WOULD SAY THAT IS BEST TO KEEP AS DIRECTY ON THE RIDGE AS POSSIBLE
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- THE INCREDIBLE VIEW ACROSS GLEN SLIGACHAN TO BLA BHEINN
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- SGURR BEAG FROM THE SOUTH EAST RIDGE
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- OFF THE RIDGE I STARTED TO FEEL A BIT BETTER, I DONT KNOW IF I LIKE THAT SCRAMBLING STUFF
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- THE VIEW BACK UP TO THE HILLARY STEP
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- I THAN BEGAN MAKING MY WAY TOWARDS SGURR BEAG WERE I WAS GOING TO STOP FOR SOME TEA AND MARS BARS
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- BLA BHEINN
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- SGURR H-UAMHA
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- IT REALLY IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PEAK, SO FAR IT TOPS MY WALKS BY A FAIR DISTANCE
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- HOPEFULY ILL GET BLA BHEINN DONE TOMORROW
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- SGURR NAN GILLEAN
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- THE WEATHER HELD FOR HOUR OR SO MORE IN WHICH TIME I HEADED BACK DOWN PASSING A PARTY WHO WERE BEING GUIDED, RATHER SMUG THAT I GOT TO SUMMIT BEFORE THEY EVEN LEFT THE CARS
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- THE FAMOUS PHOTO SPOT MY LITTLE POINT AND SHOOT DOESN'T REALLY DO IT JUSTICE
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- I GOT BACK TO SLIGACHAN FOR ABOUT 1200 AT WHICH POINT I THEN DECIDED TO TRY MARSCO AS I WAS COUNTOURING ROUND THE BACK OF THE HILL I WAS HIT BY WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS A WALL OF WIND AND RAIN, SO THOUGHT BETTER OF IT AND HEADED BACK DOWN
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- TOOK THESE NEXT PICTURES ON WEDNESDAY IN THE PERIODS WHEN IT WASNT RAINING,I NEVER GOT TO DO BLA BHEINN, BUT I DID GO FOR A WET WALK UP GLEN SLIGACHAN.
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- OVERALL IT WAS A PRETTY MISERABLE WEEK WITH ONE EXCELLENT MUNRO TO TRY AND BALANCE IT OUT, BUT ILL BE BACK.
- The-Big-Grey-Man
- Munro compleatist
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Feb 19, 2011
Re: Sgurr nan Gillean
by ChrisW » Sun May 22, 2011 8:45 am
Great report TBGM - considering the weather you did well with those pics, some cracking atmospheric shots there. Its always a pain in the butt when it rains and near blows you off your feet but for it to happen almost your entire week is a real sickner.
Beautiful munro that you did get up though - in fact absolutely stunning, the hills owe you so next time it will be sunny all week
Beautiful munro that you did get up though - in fact absolutely stunning, the hills owe you so next time it will be sunny all week
Re: Sgurr nan Gillean
by The-Big-Grey-Man » Sun May 22, 2011 6:50 pm
ChrisW wrote:Great report TBGM - considering the weather you did well with those pics, some cracking atmospheric shots there. Its always a pain in the butt when it rains and near blows you off your feet but for it to happen almost your entire week is a real sickner.
Beautiful munro that you did get up though - in fact absolutely stunning, the hills owe you so next time it will be sunny all week
Lets hope so, but knowing my luck it will just rain again.
- The-Big-Grey-Man
- Munro compleatist
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Feb 19, 2011
Re: Sgurr nan Gillean
by foggieclimber » Sun May 22, 2011 8:44 pm
Nice atmospheric shots of one of the best Munros.
Pinnacle Ridge was one of my best ever days out
Pinnacle Ridge was one of my best ever days out
- foggieclimber
- Posts: 1041
- Joined: Aug 9, 2009
Re: Sgurr nan Gillean
by Bod » Mon May 23, 2011 9:24 pm
Inspiring and exciting, well done. Must get some more time on Skye again this year after a wee weekend trip coming up in June....cheers
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