Friday 10 – Sunday 12 May 2024
Looking back at my records, it is thirteen years since I was last on the Cuillin. My father, 75 at the time, wanted company to climb Bla Bheinn and Bruach na Frithe in order to complete one list or another. A lot has happened in the meantime that has taken its toll on the ability, agility and confidence that I had then.
Last autumn I decided that I would make my return to Skye on the anticipated DMC meet as it would give me the opportunity to hide in a group and test my deficits. It was consequently very disappointing that this meet is to Coruisk. From a past visit on a saturated summer weekend, I know that there are no hiding places here.
As those who are familiar with my fondness for IPA will know, I make as much effort as I can to support the Thursday evening pub meets. For those who are less keen and, perhaps, take the view that all the talk about hills and organising additional ad hoc trips can be done using Discord and WhatsApp, take this as an example of the extra value that the pub meets do add. A couple of months ago, Scott and Heinke were discussing hiring a guide to climb the In Pinn. Eavesdropping and sensing an opportunity, I offered to make it a threesome. With that plan set up for August, Scott and I continued to discuss his list of outstanding Munros that are on Skye and how we were both keen on a May camping trip. The outcome was that it was the weekend prior to the Club meet that suited our diary’s better.
By 9:30 on Friday evening, the tents were pitched in the busy Sligachan campsite, reputed never to turn away a tent, and the beers were out as we enjoyed the view of Sgurr nan Gillian in the surprisingly mild and dry conditions. A few midges were about, but did not yet have an appetite. It was more entertaining than the TV watching the head torches on the mountain in the fading light.
Conditions on Saturday were superb with sunshine all day, cooled by quite a strong breeze that was fortunately never challenging. We enjoyed a nice ridge route to the Summit of Bruach na Friath, where we started to meet other groups. Fantastic views included the future In Pinn. For the afternoon, our plan was to take a gander at Am Bhastier to see if his vertigo and my decrepitude were up to descending the bad step. Although, I have previously done it at least four times, including in 1987 before rockfall made it hard, I was not confident. Scott bailed out at the bealach and so I made my way up alone. It was about ten times more daunting than I remembered and starting down I was rueing not having gone to AVW over the winter to build up some finger strength. I lost confidence one and a half moves down and decided to haul myself back up while I still could.
I will be back better prepared with abseil gear.
Neither of us were disappointed with the outcome of the day as we both achieved the primary objective and got back a bit of confidence for the rigours of the Black Cuillin.
A cooler evening sent us into the tents early which made it easier to be on the road and ascending Bla Bheinn by 7:45. I need to add memory decrepitude to my ever lengthening list of physical ones as I had no recall of having previously used the main tourist route to the summit. However, when I was looking up the date of my last ascent I found that I had taken some identical photographs from that path.
It was an extremely enjoyable and successful return to Skye, deliberately focussing on easier hills and the chat on the drive back to Dundee included discussions for repeat trips and a hope that the Club is in Glen Brittle next year.
- Report by Chris
