Sizzling on Skye

Dates: 30-31 May 2018

Hills: Bla Bheinn, Bruach na Frithe

So, sizzling Skye, eh? Here's a photo to set the scene…

Bla Bheinn and Clach Glas from Garbh Bheinn, February 2018

Well, every good expedition has a reconnaissance, and ours was a few months ago when we took a cottage in Torrin with the hope of going up Bla Bheinn and Bruach na Frithe. The weather didn't play ball. I managed to get to within a stone's throw of the summit of Garbh Bheinn, and that was it.

Loch Ainort and Raasay from Garbh Bheinn, February 2018

So back we went, last week, to have another go. First, Bla Bheinn. This time, snow conditions were unlikely to be a problem. The plan was to spill a simple one-day trip over in to two days, to get a high camp and so avoid some of the heat in the glen. The problem with this is that most of the ascent was done mid-afternoon.

Baked Bheinn

The site I'd spotted on the map, by Loch Fionna choire, turned out to be a beauty. It gave us a cinema view of the screen of Bla Bheinn.

Camp site at the head of Coire Uaigneach

Late afternoon, when we couldn't stand the heat of lying around any more (this sounds like a joke, but isn't) we headed off up hill.

Camp site, with An Stac and Loch Fionna choire

Just the tourist route for us today. We lose our spirit of adventure on Skye, I'm afraid.

Looking back to Loch Slapin and Torrin

Views from the summit were hazy, but we weren't complaining.

Bla Bheinn summit

And now the reverse image of the one I started this TR with.

Clach Glas and Garbh Bheinn from Bla Bheinn

Back down at the tent we had dinner and took our seats again to watch activity on the cinema screen of Bla Bheinn. I caught sight of a sheep making her way across the cliffs to the call of her lamb. Well, she made it, but watching her was a real thriller.

Girdle traverse of Bla Bheinn

I don't associate Skye with deer, but here were a few grazing below the cliffs.

Deer in Coire Uaigneach

The following morning I was up and on top of An Stac by about six. Thoughtfully, its shadow was cast over the tent, leaving Caroline and a Sleeping Dog to lie.

Tent and Slat Bheinn

A heaven of a morning…

Tent and Loch Fionna choire

We were back at the car park by mid-morning. The next few hours were spent searching for anything resembling breeze or shade. We took the safari route, via Moll, round the coast line to Sligachan. I'll let OwdJockey cover that in due course.

By late afternoon we were parked up beyond Sligachan, and ready to do the same thing routine again - split a simple one-day hill - Bruach na Frithe - into a game of two halves.

A wholly unoriginal photo

Up the old path to Glen Brittle, with the whiff of burning heather in our nostrils. Never seen Skye more tinder-box dry.

The Red Cuilin and Space

We pitched the tent near where the track to Fionn Choire heads off. Fine, but in retrospect I'd have put it up in the Fionn Choire itself, where we later saw any number of prize pitches.

Camp site and Fionn Choire

A quick bite to eat, and then an evening constitutional up Bruach na Frithe. We went up the north ridge, but somehow missed the dyke on the west side, and ended up following a cairned 'route' up a chossy ground. Hm. Ah well, the views from the top were worth it…

Southern end of the Cuillin Ridge

A word about the dog. For years I have been writing occasional reports of Sadie's declining health. She's had more final tours than Dame Nellie Melba. Basically, she's on steroids for a chronic bronchial complaint which comes on when she's at rest. She also has arthritis, for which she's on something else. Anyway, despite the vet telling us it was a minor miracle that she's still alive (he warned us over winter that she probably had 'weeks rather than months') we thought we'd give her one last play in the hills. In my rucksac, most likely. Well, she did spend some time in my rucksac, but not much, and that was only because of the gabbro on her paws. As for her lungs, they were working just fine. In fact, we haven't seen her looking better for a couple of years. Truly amazing, and for us this was the real highlight of the trip. Anyway, here she is on her 244th Munro…