Sgurr Alasdair seen from Sgurr nan Eag

The night before, the forecast was for Skye to be right on the border between thick cloud and drizzle to the north, and bright sunshine to the south. Guess what? It was right! The forecast also talked of rain in the highlands for Saturday but for the Islands to get away with dry weather. Things were looking marginal with the weather but, I decided to go.

Low and behold, as the bus arrived at the Skye bridge, the thick cloud was there as promised. After being dropped off at Sligachan the situation looked hopeless. A strong wind was also blowing. Another wasted trip to Skye?

Nope! I hitch hiked round to Glen Brittle camp site and to my amazement the whole ridge was holding back the cloud. Never seen anything like this on such a local scale! Blue cloudless skies, what a place.

Coire Lagan and Sgurr Alasdair seen
at the path from Glen Brittle

I started walking up the path as soon as I was dropped off. The plan was back on in my mind. The path was excellent all the way up to the stream draining Coire Lagan. After that the path was muddy and steadily deteriorated. I camped next to the stream draining Coire Ghrunnda. It was 4.30pm. Nothing down here was nice and smooth, just rough long grass.

Time to set off, I was parched so I drank loads regularly. The bottom part was rough grass and big flat slabs of rock, then a path materialised. This followed a broad ledge on a smooth slabby convex cliff. Then a short easy scramble up, some rough boulder hopping and then one more short pulse of steps. I was near the corrie lip.

I reached the Lochan up here at 5.30pm. 15 minutes later I was on the ridge just south of the tower of Caisteal a' Garbh Choire - a rock climb to reach that top. To the south lay my first objective - Sgurr nan Eag. My god! There was a formidable looking barrier on the ridge - a rock climb certainly, and the guide spoke of a grade 1 scramble?!? Upon reaching the obstacle I found the way round to the right was trivial, I was on the flat ridge beyond soon after and all that was needed was a simple walk to the summit.

Gars Bheinn

The path on a ledge in Coire Ghrunda

The north ridge of Sgurr na Eag

On to Sgurr Dubh Mhor, it looked formidable from here - a big vertical cliff. I had to go up that??? Well, better find out, I returned the way I came, bypassed the tower on the right and then up the south ridge of Sgurr Dubh da Bheinn. A few puffs of cloud formed in An Garbh Choire. It was 7.20pm and getting cooler. The ridge to 'da Bheinn had some clambering but little exposure was evident. The rock was amazing, different to Gabbro but it had great big lumpy bits (wanting a better word) protuding out of the surface.

Sgurr Dubh da Bheinn and Sgurr Dubh Mhor

Sgurr Dubh Mhor seen from Sgurr Dubh da Bheinn

On to the summit, I got a better view of the way up Sgurr Dubh Mhor. Its profile showed ledges on the south side but seemingly vertical walls. The cloud was starting to gather all around, better get a move on. Down the east ridge easily, I got to the pinnacles. I followed an obvious path diverting round to the right. I rounded a corner to see a better view of the face. No way up! Huh? It was supposed to be a grade 2 scramble. Where? I backtracked and clambered up the sides on the pinnacles and got to the neck of the ridge where it abuts against the summit buttress. Ah ha! An obvious path revealed itself traversing right.

It continued round the corner but I felt that I shouldn't that far. Instead I scrambled up a well scratched step easily, more erosion revealed itself on the platform above. The right way? I continued up in this way, testing whether I could reverse the moves, some felt awkward in descent but exposure was OK. Before I knew it I was on top! Woohoo. 8pm.

Right, better get down, clouds weren't obscuring the view yet but things changed by the minute. The wind was also gathering. I reversed the route down to the Lochan and then feeling tired, got down quickly to the tent. No chance of midges tonight, the wind was actually quite strong here :-).

Sgurr Mhic Coinnich was a formidable obstacle psychologically, I turned back on it once. So I wondered over whether I would climb it all the time. 6.00am Wake up time, the usual routine and then off at 7.45am. I arrived at Allt Coire Lagan and dumped unnecessary items before heading up to Coire Lagan in the morning sun. Cloud shifted in the corrie - sometimes evaporating and sometimes more spilling over from the north. 9.45am I was at the bottom of the Great Stone Chute. The hot sun hadn't reached this place yet so all the better.

Sgurr Sgumain seen from Sgurr Alasdair

The north ridge of Sgurr Thealach seen from Sgurr Alasdair

The broad scree fan had large lumps of lock to make swift upward progress but as it narrowed, so the toil and punishment began. It wasn't unduly steep but I did manage to send some rocks crashing down, no-one around so no bother. Finally the chute proper. An earthy eroded path of sorts relieved the punishment but progress was variable, only the final section was easy. Wow, I made it one hour later and I was up there. All that remained was a short easy scramble / walk to the summit. The top was clear but Coire Ghrunda was smothered in cloud and hugging the edge of the ridge to Sgurr Sgumain.

Now a quick half hour descent to the corrie floor and up the An Stac screes. I stayed to the right for the most stable scree - learning from the last time I ascended the slopes. I reached the ridge at 12.30pm. The tower ahead looked formidable I turned back at the bottom of this before. But it was easy! An easy step up and traverse around to the right and hey presto the way up looked obvious. Just one step proved awkward going up. The ridge ahead loomed, broad at first but some narrow necks required the odd trusting scramble.

A path showed the way most of the time, I passed the Collie ledge exit and the ridge turned to a slab. It was easy angled on the north side and the path provided some reassuring purchase on the basalt slab. I wasn't exposed but somehow felt like a slip would lead to an uncontrollable tumble. I surmounted some steps right on the crest of the ridge but traversed left round the final buttress to the final scramble up to the glossy summit plaque! Yeeeeesssssss! Gooooooaaaal! Just one left but it feels like I've finished already!

The summit plaque of Sgurr Mhic Coinnich

The north ridge of Sgurr Mhic Coinnich

Sgurr Mhic Coinnich seen from Coire Laggan

Right, back the way I came, taking care on the same scrambly bits but I couldn't believe I turned back the first time round - it was easy! Triumph turned to relief when I got to the top of an Stac Screes and relied turned to soreness at the Lochan. Time to rest and take it easy. Just got to pick up the stuff I left and then time to go back to Glen Brittle. a left arrived promptly to take me back to Sligachan.

An Stac seen from the 'Coinnich ridge

Scary - but easy, the 'Coinnich ridge

A Hole in the ridge of Sgurr Mhic Coinnich

Coire Laggan from below

Well, what an achievement! Just one munro left after 4.5 years of sustained effort. I started Skye two months ago feeling like a timid creature on scrambles but now I'm confident on soloing them. What lies beyond the end of the campaign? Who knows? But I feel it's merely the end of the beginning.