walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
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.

My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich


Postby BlackPanther » Thu Jun 16, 2011 1:37 pm

Route description: Sgùrr na Banachdich

Munros included on this walk: Sgùrr na Banachdich

Date walked: 09/06/2011

Time taken: 6 hours

Distance: 7.6 km

Ascent: 950m

9 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

The 4th chapter of My Skye Reports should be called "The day the clouds stood still". Why? Well, I'll explain everything in a minute.
Tuesday's wash-out left us a bit disappointed, but Wednesday's forecast wasn't bad so we boldly planned to tackle another Munro. According to guides, Sgurr na Banachdich was "a walk rather than a scramble, hands not needed". Good news! I have nothing against scrambling but all the recent rain made rocks slippery and dangerous. It was bad enough on Sgurr Alisdair. Taking on a challenge like Sgurr nan Gillean felt slightly beyond my reach.
The morning woke up very bright and sunny, but showers were forecast for late afternoon, so I ordered Kevin out of the sleeping bag for an early start :lol: :lol: The Cuillin ridge looked lovely and my appetite for another anventure was growing...
Image
Image
We drove the short distance to Glen Brittle youth hostel and took a well constructed path up the south side of the stream.

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


The path follows the gorge of Allt a Choire Ghreadaidh for about 1.5 km and passes a whole series of beautiful waterfalls. Before I could say a word, Kevin's new camera was out and working:
Image
Image
Image
I hurried my husband up the mountain. I still remember the showers predicted for the afternoon and I wanted to get to the top while still dry.
Image
The summits were still clear but some clouds began to gather which worried me...
Image
We knew that to climb Sgurr na Banachdich we had to leave the main path leading to Coire a Ghreadaidh and follow the side of a small stream - Allt Coir' an Each to the bottom of Coir' an Each itself. But Coire a Ghreadaidh looked so tempting, with its great waterfalls (we could clearly hear them from where we were). This is certainly another Skye priority for me, especially that there are two Munros to climb from this corrie. Next year, if I'm brave enough...
Image
Loking back, the lower hills of Beinn Staic and Truagh Mheall:
Image
Filming the views while I still could:
Image
The more interesting way to reach the ridge is to go up the wide western shoulder of An Diallaid. It's steep but relatively easy climb with great views opening up all around.
An Diallaid and Coir' an Each from below:
Image
Nice views back:
Image
Image
At some point MacLeods Tables came into view:
Image
Climbing An Diallaid:
Image
Two minutes of rest:
Image
That's our target:
Image
As we climbed, we admired vertical cliffs of Sgurr nan Gobhar:
Image
A gap in the rocks:
Image
Unfortunately, although the day was pretty windless, clouds appeared from nowhere:
Image
Image
The last chance to grab a view:
Image
Clouds were now in every direction:
Image
Looking down along the ridge of Sgurr nan Gobhar:
Image
We reached the top of An Diallaid and walked along its ridge towards the final, short climb to the summit of Sgurr na Banachdich. As I expected, no scrambling involved, just a rocky slope:
Image
From Bealach Coire na Banachdich we could finally see the summits of Sgurr a Mhadaidh and Sgurr a Ghreadaidh... Well, almost :lol: :lol:
Image
One more push - and we were standing on the summit. Clouds stayed on the western side of the ridge and as we looked towards Sgurr Alasdiar and Sgurr Dearg, we were just able to see them:
Image
Image
Image
The pano down to Loch Coruisk was pretty impressive:
Image
Blaven on the horizon:
Image
Sgurr Thormaid and Sgurr a Ghreadaidh:
Image
Image
The tiny summit cairn:
Image
The Inn Pin emerging from the clouds:
Image
The sun was rather strong despite clouds:
Image
We expected the clouds to pass over the ridge but they stayed put, settled well in Coire a Ghreadaidh. Therefore, only one half of the Cuillin Ridge was visible:
Image
Image
The Inn Pin again. Such a shame from Sgurr na Banachdich only the top of the Pinnacle is showing...
Image
...but we still managed to capture brave maneuvers of rock climbers:
Image
Sgurr Alasdair:
Image
As we sat on the top some other walkers arrived and soon the summit was pretty crowded :lol: :lol: :lol: No wonder as it is a fantastic viewpoint and an easy mountain to climb if you bear in mind it's part of the Cuillin. Eventually we went back down - on the way back we descended straight to Coir' an Each, leaving An Diallaid to our right:
Image
Image
One last look at toady's conquest :D :
Image
Just before we got back to the car park, the white-ish clouds that accompanied us for most of the day turned rather dark. it resulted in a few "moody" photos of waterfalls:
Image
Image
Image
Image
So happy to have ticked off a Munro again :D :D :D
Image
We expected the predicted shower to come at any time but it didn't arrive until late afternoon. We had a fantastic day again - the day the clouds stood still.

The final chapter of My Skye reports will be about... waterfalls. It shouldn't surprise anyone - all in all, Skye is an island so plenty of water around :lol: :lol: :lol:
Last edited by BlackPanther on Thu Jun 16, 2011 1:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby iainwatson » Thu Jun 16, 2011 1:43 pm

excellent report once again and an enjoyable read,loved the shots of the inn pin and the 'moody' waterfalls :D
User avatar
iainwatson
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 813
Munros:282   Corbetts:20
Fionas:5   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:4   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:2   
Joined: Jun 28, 2010
Location: glasgow

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby colgregg » Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:47 pm

Yet another great report BP. You've given me more reminders of Skye that I'd lost.
colgregg
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 2182
Munros:15   Corbetts:5
Fionas:5   
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:181
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Aug 25, 2009
Location: Richmond North Yorkshire

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby Bod » Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:49 pm

Some very fine views and atmospheres BP. Thanks again, even more food for thought for us, what a place! Like your lower walks too very much.....happy ventures
User avatar
Bod
Walker
 
Posts: 1548
Munros:282   Corbetts:67
Fionas:34   Donalds:21
Sub 2000:44   Hewitts:27
Wainwrights:51   Islands:25
Joined: Jul 30, 2010
Location: Cowdenbeath

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby chieftain41 » Wed May 16, 2012 9:38 pm

Great report and Pics BP :D Planing this one or Alasdair this summer. I'm a big feartie when it comes to exposed scrambles or paths, glad to know that this is an easy one with none of the above to worry me :shock:
chieftain41
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 41
Munros:45   Corbetts:4
Sub 2000:1   
Joined: Jul 22, 2010

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby Lenore » Wed May 16, 2012 9:52 pm

Lovely read, BlackPanther! I've only been on this forum for about a month now but have already learnt to look forward to your reports! Some day I'll see some of those gorgeous places you've been to myself, I hope. Till then I'll keep reading your reports. :-)
User avatar
Lenore
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 586
Munros:13   Corbetts:4
Fionas:1   
Sub 2000:1   
Joined: Apr 22, 2012
Location: the Netherlands

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby chriswilson7 » Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:35 pm

This is a great write-up. I visited Skye last week for the first time and though I'm not one for exposed scrambling I wanted to gain the ridge at some point if possible and Sgurr na Banachdich (only my third munro) it was last Thursday (21st). I lost the path a number of times and ended up scrambling up the 'burn' (which wasn't very wet), but the plateau and summit climb are totally fine for any walker and still offer magnificent views of the ridge as you've shown :D . The weather also closed in on me - strong winds blowing me down the corrie and cloud then wrapping over the ridge after my descent before the wind and rain moseyed on down to batter Glen Brittle campsite all night! My tent survived though.
chriswilson7
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1
Munros:3   
Joined: Jun 7, 2012

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby ChrisW » Mon Jun 25, 2012 5:15 pm

Great report BP, don't know how I missed it first time around but I'm glad someone gave it a bump to get it back on the front page. Because I don't live over there now I stopped searching the hikes pages some time ago :( I remember Kevin getting the new camera and commenting on that so I must have seen some that were very close to this.
Anyway, lovely stuff and a nice step back in time too :lol:
User avatar
ChrisW
Rambler
 
Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby BobMcBob » Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:54 pm

I love those moody pictures with the clouds hanging around the peaks, they're so atmospheric. And they really show Skye in a true light, splendid :)
User avatar
BobMcBob
Rambler
 
Posts: 1420
Munros:73   Corbetts:18
Fionas:9   
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:33
Wainwrights:12   
Joined: Jul 26, 2011
Location: In a van, somewhere

Re: My Skye Part 4: Sgurr na Banachdich

Postby mrssanta » Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:56 pm

these are superb pictures, and I love your stripy jumper too
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

9 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: moirabee and 64 guests