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After all the excitement of the Cuillins, the rest of 2005 was a bit calmer. In fact, the next outing was back to this islands - but this time Mull rather than Skye.
We were spending a week's holiday there with friends Birgit, Timo and Esther from Berlin, and were blessed with some great weather.
Lovely views of the Black Mount across Rannoch Moor on the road up ...
A highlight of the week was celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with a sail to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles with Turus Mara.
The sea was like glass, and we landed on both Staffa (my third time) and on Lunga.
Completed our celebration with a meal at the Italian Restaurant at Salen!
The forecast was for the weather to stay good on the next day, so it was off early to climb Ben More (again, for me, the third time).
We decided to make it a circuit, climbing up to the col you can see in the photo (the lowest point on the skyline), then up over A'Chioch and to the summit from the west. This is much more fun than the tedious slog up the north ridge from Dhiseig.
The climb proved a bit rough for Esther, who wasn't used to such rough terrain, but Timo, Birgit and I enjoyed every minute.
Once at the col at the top of Gleann na Beinne Fhada, it is a lovely ridge walk over a' Chioch to Ben More.
It's quite a steep and rough scramble on to the summit, then suddenly the views open out to the west.
Here's Birgit heading up the last steep section, with A'Chioch behind, and the mainland in the distance.
All the hard work is worthwhile!
View from the summit to the north west over Ulva and out to Coll and Tiree.
Then we trundled back down the "tourist route" and along the road back to the car.
For many people, BMM is their final Munro - for me it was my 9th - it's too good to keep until last! But, the route over A'Chioch is definitely the way to do it.
(written 15/02/10)
2pm, on the bealach looking up the east ridge of Am Basteir. Looks fine, though a bit steep and rough. Off we set, up the increasingly narrow ridge, with huge vertiginous drops to the right, and rough steep slopes to the left. Bare rock everywhere. Soon we reached the narrow section 2/3 of the way up, and peered down the "bad step" (right).
Now, if the bad step were anywhere else, you would slither down it without too much trouble. The problem is that it drops about 4m into a notch on a ridge that is only a couple of metres wide, with huge drops on each side, so there is no room for error if you tried to make an uncontrolled descent! This is where we had turned back in 2003.
Apparently, there used to be a large boulder in the notch, which made the bad step a lot easier that it is now.
So, we roped up again, and one by one we did a mini-abseil into the notch.
Pete descending the bad step (above) and me (left).
From the notch, the route to the summit was easy - less steep and narrow than the lower section.
Suddenly, we were there, and peering over the sharp drop towards the Basteir Tooth.
Now I really could say that "compleating" the Munros was a possibility - exactly 100 to go, and none requiring rock climbing ...
.. except, of course, the small matter of negotiating the bad step on the way back down!
Iain (right) on Am Basteir, with view to Sgurr a' Fionn Choire and Bruach na Frithe.
(below) west ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean and Knight's Peak (so-called Munro top!) from Am Basteir
The skies had cleared, and the day was now perfect - blue skies, very clear visibility.
So, back down again.
The bad step was negotiated (with a little help from my friends), and in no time we were back down to the bealach, then round below the north face of Am Basteir, with spectacular views up to the Basteir Tooth (left).
Hmm.. don't think I'll ever climb all the "tops" as well as the Munros!
Easy wander up Bruach na Frithe. Enjoyed the views.
Bruach na Frithe is reckoned to be the easiest of the Cuillins, but is a spectacular peak nonetheless (below).
Here we parted ways. Iain, Pete and Winky returned to Sligachan, while I continued down Bruach na Frithe's north ridge, then took the path back to Glen Brittle.
The next 2 days were to include ascents of Sgurr Alasdair, and the southern peaks, but the weather was absolutely foul in the morning, so we decided to call it quits. We had enjoyed three superb days - many thanks to Winky - and would be back sometime to enjoy the other peaks.
(written 30/01/10)
After all the excitement of the Cuillins, the rest of 2005 was a bit calmer. In fact, the next outing was back to this islands - but this time Mull rather than Skye.
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