The In Pinn
at last!

After my previous Skye trip two weeks before, I was up again meeting up with some folk from uk.rec.walking. We were out on Skye for a whole week with six of us there all week and various other folk joining us for a couple of days at a time.

I started the trip on an attempted ascent of Sgurr na Gillean on Saturday 19th May only to turn back in filthy drizzle. The rest of the group arrived Saturday evening and sunday saw us trying for Inaccessible pinnacle. We ascended the An Stac screes to the ridge linking In Pinn with Sgurr Mhic Choinnich. The group successfully ascended Sgurr Mhic Choinnich but I turned back at the first step. The day was misty with drizzle later on. I wasn't doing well in knocking off my summits.

Sgurr na Gillean seen from Coire a' Bhasteir

Am Basteir seen on the way to Sgurr a' Basteir

Monday started cloudy. Great! Another claggy day I thought. The group assured me they'd get me up the top of Am Basteir. We set off mid morning and slogged up the good path to Coire a' Bhasteir. Several rest stops later we arrived at the bottom of the gorge leading to Coire a' Bhastier. Here they decided a direct ascent up the north-east ridge of Sgurr a' Bhastier, a grade 1/2 scramble, would be a good mental warm up for me.

On the top of Sgurr a' Basteir

The North Ridge of Bruach na Frithe

We ascended the slabs right of the gorge easily then branched off right to start ascending the broad north east ridge. Easy rock steps provided optional scrambling with one steep step providing a nice scramble before the ridge became more defined. Here some gullies cut deeply into the ridge but the scrambling turns to a walk with light scrambling. Soon we reached the top and then headed south to beneath the Bhasteir tooth.

The south ridge of Bruach na Frithe

North Cliff of Am Basteir

The east ridge of Am Basteir

From here we ascended Bruache na Frithe and returned to the base of the tooth. The weather was now improving and it was time to make our way round to the east ridge of Am Basteir. We made our way beneath Am Basteir's overhanging northern buttress on a path in scree and occasional snow. At the bottom of the descent, a well worn path in more scree lead the short distance to the east ridge. The ascent was loose but not desperate like An Stac screes.

The way round the Bad Step

Sgurr a' Bhastier

Final scramble before the summit

From here I took in the views of climbers on Gillean's west ridge - a moderate rock climb. while waiting for the others. The south cuillin tops were still smothered in cloud but slowly the weather got better. The initial ascent of the east ridge was easy at first and narrowed into a scramble when the ridge levelled off before the bad step - 10 feet of 'diff' climbing. To the left, some wide loose ledges slanted downwards along the south face towards the way we just came from. We went down along a ledge and found an easy down to the next ledge. I found some solid rock among the loose stones to scramble along and this wasn't too difficult. All too soon I was at the bottom of the bad step and all that was left was a simple scramble to the top.

Martin tackling the Bad Step

Sgurr na Gillean seen from Am Basteir

Sgurr Beag and Sgurr na h-Uamha

I reached the top and merged into a crowd of climbers who were preparing to abseil down to the tooth. The top platform was narrow with BIG drops down both sides. Seen from Sgurr na Gillean, the photos of the ridge we just did looked terrifying! Now is was a simple matter of returning the way we came. Ascending the bad step was simple - a step made worse by rock fall 5 years ago. Then it was plain sailing to the bealach and thus down Coire a' Bhastier to the camp site at Sligachan.

Bruache na Frithe and Sgurr a' Fionn Choire

Sgor Dearg and Inaccessablw pinnacle seen
from Sgurr na Banachdich

This morning dawned with clear blue skies. A perfect day to try these three munros. I had one person with me for this trip, Martin Richardson. We drove round to Glen Brittle Youth hostel for an ascent to the three munros via Coire a' Ghreadaidh and An Dorus. An excellent path started up this corrie which is quite grassy even high up. Several rests saw us to the bottom of the scree slope that rises upto An Dorus. A worn path goes up this screes but is quite loose. Before the gap of An Dorus we branched out left onto scrambly loose slopes and ascended on to less steep ground. From here, easy scrambling was had to the top of Sgurr a' Mhadaidh.

The hills west of Glen Brittle

Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh seen from the north

Sgurr Thuilm seen from Sgurr a' Mhadaidh

The view of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh looked scary, a big black buttress had to be passed beneath it upwards and on the right on what looked like a slither of slab above a massive vertical drop. I dwelled on it whilst waiting for Martin. We descended to An Dorus with six feet of scrambling at its bottom into the gap. The rise out to Ghreadaidh was a steeper 20 foot scramble upto the easy ridge beyond.

Look northwest from Sgurr a' Mhadaidh

The Eag Dubh cleft

Sgurr na Banachdich seen from Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh

We had a walk across steep grippy slabs - unnerving for me but straightforward. Then there was a descent to the top of a really narrow cleft - a scree gully just three feet wide we an overhanging wall on side and near vertical wall the other.

After scrambling on easy steps, the rest of the walk to the summit of Greadaidh was merely a walk, no way near as scary as when seen from Mhadaidh. But from the top ........

Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh's narrow ridge

The descent south from Ghreadaidh

...... the way ahead looked more interesting! The ridge narrow into a dramatic knife edge. The southern top didn't look far, but the situation was exposed. However the scrambling was easy and not too awkward. There were several places to take a breather (even a small picnic) with the narrowest part seeing a tiny platform for your feet above a massive drop. This section finished with a steep climb down.

Loch Coruisk seen from the west

The descent route from Sgurr na Banachdich

Coir a' Mhadaidh seen from Glen Brittle

Once on the south top, the scrambling was still exposed but gradually got easier and on the proper descent to the bealach it was mostly rough walking with small scrambly steps. I notices a lot of stone circles on this section of the ridge. I presume they're there for the bivvying parties who do the whole ridge.

On to Banadich and the ridge was much easier. I did the first two teeth and bypassed the third. Mostly walking upto Sgurr Thormaid followed by a steep easy scramble down before the final scree rise upto Banachdhich. We stayed here a while savouring the views before heading west down to Coir' an Eich.