My Best Mountain Day…
A Traverse of the Cuillin Main Ridge

F David Smith

Chance plays a very important part in ones life.  In 1947 a college friend, Harold Wiseman, persued me to accompany him on a climbing holiday with him in Glen Brittle. With some trepidation I agreed to the adventure, for that is what it was to me. In those days it was a twenty six hour journey by bus, train, boat and finally a bus down the green road from Sligahan to Glen Brittle Lodge. The total cost for the nine days including transport was the enormous sun of £ 9:3:9d. This was my initiation to mountaineering and to something much more important than money or career for it was for me the source of so many wonderful friendships and  endless happy memories.

Looking back over the fifty years I have had the good fortune to have enjoyed many trips to the Scotland and the Alps, to Wales and Ireland, to Norway and Nepal but still for me the Cuillin hold pride of place.   Every weekend in the summer of 1952 Douglas Spray, a one time YRC Member, and I would be seen on the Lakeland crags with a view to a return visit to Skye and an attempt on the Cuillin Traverse;  which was to become my best mountain day.

We stayed at the Glen Brittle Post office, which from early days has been run by the Chisholme family. Our decision to attempt the ridge was well received until we suggested a 4am start, there was no question that they would get up to provide us with breakfast. Morning of the attempt dawned fine and in the kitchen we found little notes telling us where breakfast things were to be found. There were double packed lunches waiting for us on the table. At 4.05am we commenced the trudge across the boggy moor towards Gars-bhienn in the semi-darkness along the Corie Lagan path passing  Corr’a’Grunnda and Coire nan Laoch and up the steep slopes of that western most summit.

Gars-Bhienn top was reached at 6.20, still only half light but we enjoy the solitude and the dramatic views down to Loch Coruisk. It had decided to spend 5 minutes on each top taking a photographic record and to relax.  Sgurr a’ Choire Bhig and Sgurr nan Eag were soon behinds us then came the rock castle of Caisteal a’ Garbh-choire climbed by a moderate rock  climb on superb rock, this provided us with a pleasant interlude before  scrambling along the ridge to Sgurr na Da Bheinn which provided a warm up for the more exciting section, Sgurr Alasdair to the Inaccessible Pinnacle.

One of the high-lights of the day must be the Thearlaich-Dubh Gap. First pinnacle is climbed on good holds before a 30ft abseil into the gap followed by a 80ft polished chimney, about V Diff., and is probably the hardest part of the expedition. But for someone brought up on Yorkshire gritstone, it did not present a problem.  Sgurr Alastair is not actually on the main ridge but it would have been wrong not to include this, the highest summit..  We ascended this mountain by its South East ridge.  The spectacular Great Stone Shoot can be seen wending its way down to Corrie Lagan.  I had memories of the 1500ft scree-run I made in four minutes by this route on my first visit in 1947. We proceeded to Sgurr Thearlaich by its west wall, up a groove before an interesting scramble to the main ridge.

The descent is by a crest to the Bealach Mhic Coinnich has sheer drops on both sides. From this bealach leads to a short but step wall and Collies Ledge. We decided that the formidable, though not especially difficult, Kings Chimney offered a more exciting route. The previous time I climbed it I remember water ran down my sleeves and into my boots; but this time it was mercifully dry.  All this took a further 50mins, then followed a loose rocky section leading to An Stac. Our youthful and purist approached to the mountains demanded that we kept to the ridge at all times taking in every little top despite the fact that they could be easily bypassed on obvious paths.  I am sure we made the expedition as difficult as it was possible, but it is a very special group of mountains and it needs to be savoured. It was 10.25 before we actually reached the shattered summit of An Stac, quickly followed by the spectacular Inaccessible Pinnacle by its North East Ridge, then the 40ft abseil down the West ridge by the classic method, Figures of eight and the otheraids had not been invented in those days.

Sgurr Dearg, from which the celebrated pinnacle projects, was our dinner stop, we decided on a thirty minute rest. We consumed between us one of the two small tin of manderin oranges, the only liquid that we had brought with us. What had become for us a tradition,  was to fed the seagulls with the revolting black crust of the ‘Scottish’ loaf from our sandwiches before leaving the summit taking a path at  right angles to the obvious but dangerous false ridge to the right.  Sgurr na Banachdich has four tops, which has some easy but exposed scrambling en route; this took us 25 minutes which was followed by our obligatory 5minute photo session and then off again to Sgurr Thormaid by its steep west flank. We continued along the exposed ridge to Sgur a’Ghreadaidh and along its knife edge crest, possibly the finest arete in Britain.  The ‘Black Notch’ of Eag Dubh is then encountered where one can look down the famous An Dorus gap which provides a route between Coriusk and Glen Brittle.

Next comes Sgurr a’ Mhadaidh, before descending to the top of a steep gully named Deep Gash, with more steep scrambling on loose rock to the middle summit; the final top was easier. Descending now to Bealach na Glaic Moire where an escape could be made. Things were going well and before us was the next major obstacle the triple summited Bidean Druim nan Ramb with its long tail stretching down to Coruisk.  The easy South-West peak was the followed to the exposed slabs into a deep gap prior to ascending the Central Peak by a series of cracks. Descent from this top is the most confusing section of the whole ridge. The escape is by the unlikely north ridge, keeping to the crest and scrambling down to a steep step. An exposed gap comes at this point. But concern is aleviated by good views of the Harta Corrie and Glen Harta adding to the trip expedition.

Without any real problem Bealach Harta is reached and then along a good ridge to An Caisteal.  An exciting jump across a steep sided notch adds more tension.  It was then 2.05pm  the weather was holding up well, just a few whisps of mist came and went. The whole ridge could then be seen and it was now nearer to the finish than the start, so morale was indeed high.  Sgurr na Bhainich was just 10 minutes ahead followed by the disappointing summit of Bruach na Frithe and on to  Sgurr a’ Fionn Choire where water can be found, but we had no luck.

The incredible prow of the Bastieir Tooth appeared an hour later. The usual route taken is Naismiths  but we climbed it by a much more demanding route; Shadbolts Chimney, This route bores its way into the inside of the tooth. The best way to start it is in a spread eagled stance facing outwards, or at least that is how I overcame the awkward start to the climb.  We sat on top of the Tooth from 3.50 – 4.05 in sunshine to enjoy the remains of our sandwiches before the last lap to Sgurr nan Gillean.   It only took five minutes to climb Am Basteir by way of a loose nose and over an overhanging boulder.

The spectacular West Ridge of Gillean is a delightful last phase, Then came the Gendarme on the crest of the ridge (this parted company with the ridge in 1986). Once clear of the Gendarme and the shoulder above, a fine crest is followed to a narrow arete which is reached through a hole in the ridge. Perfect rock lead to the summit which we gained at 4.35pm. Neither of us felt inclined to take in the Pinacle Ridge but it would have really made a ‘day of it’. Descending the track to Sligahan we discovered a bottle filled by a single drip of pure crystal water, without doubt there has never been such a drink. We were down in Sligahan at 6.20, the Glen Brittle bus normally leaves at 6.30, but our luck had run out, there was no bus, because it was Thursdays and the bus time table said 4.30pm.

We telephoned the Post Office and discovered PO Staff, Mary, the proprieter and her cousin Ruby, a descendant of Rob Roy were arranging a special dinner of venison for us.  But before that was the tiresome trudge over the Bealach back to Glen Brittle which we completed in good time despite our tiredness. We sat down to  our dinner at 9.30pm. Tired, yes, very-happy most definately. The top to top time was 10hours 15 minutes which we learned afterwards that it was a record, however we also learned that our record only lasted one week.     

Twenty years later with Roger Allen and Richard Gowing the top to top time was 13h 50min.   Almost forty years later with John Devenport we had to call a halt just before Gillean because of rain, a bad decision, the rain did not persist, though it was about 10.30 before we reached Sligahan. But increasing age and longer times did not detract from pleasure of the expedition.

Sgur Beag, Sgurr Nan Gillean, Am Basteir, Sgurr a’Fionn Choire and Sgurr a’Bhasteir from Sligachan

The times: