The Skye Week

SUNDAY

After climbing yesterday, I felt like a rest. Unfortunately Colin, Karen and Joy had to climb Blaven a Skye Munro and the only one not part of the Cullin Ridge. I had climbed this years ago and didn’t particularly feel the need to climb it again. With no Sky TV I couldn’t watch the cricket but I could pick up the radio through the tv so I settled down and listened to the Ashes unfold. There were Spotted Flycatcher in the garden and Common Sandpiper by the Sligachan Hotel. The weather had deteriorated and there was steady drizzle most of the day – whilst the rest of the UK was having a Heatwave.


MONDAY

We had hired a guide for the week – these hills are serious! We had arranged to meet Tony Hanly at 9.00am by the Sligachan Hotel. We were up early, with nerves jangling and were at the car park early waiting for Tony to arrive. He turned up, introduced himself and declared that we wouldn’t be walking as it was too windy and the rock would be wet with the rain! We were all a little disappointed but he was the expert. It was rather an anti-climax. They weather wasn’t much better for birding but we picked up Golden Eagle, Whimbrel, Twite and a few bits and pieces in a leisurely drive around the west coast of the island.

TUESDAY
Met Tony at the same time and place. The winds had dropped to gusts of 35mph so it was borderline but we would go for it. We walked from the Hotel with the targets the three northernly Munros of Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Basteir and Bruach na Frithe. On the way a Greenshank was seen whilst it chased off a Hooded Crow.

We walked up into Fionn Choire from where we accessed the west ridge of Sgurr nan Gillian. We put on our harnesses and helmets and started to make our way towards the summit. The wind was very strong and you had to shout to be heard. As we ran out of path we were roped up, then Tony disappeared about 70ft up this Chimney and we had to follow. I was to busy concentrating on where I was putting my hands and feet to be worried, we eventually reached the ridge and it was exposed – I mean EXPOSED.

The next part involved edging our way around some large boulders and climbing up through a crack to another ledge, then another short climb to regain the ridge. When my turn came I just did it, but I remember thinking I hope the whole week isn’t like this. As we got towards the top we had to thread the needle – this was a hole in the rock to access the summit. We were lucky as we reached the top it cleared a little and we got some good views. On the descent we avoided the difficulties on the way up by abseiling 90ft down the side of a cliff, a strange and remarkably fulfilling experience and not as difficult as you might think.

Next up was Am Basteir this involved some climbing classed as difficult. We were however soon on the summit. As we approached the wind was still strong. Tony said “When you get up there and sit down – there’s not much of it so don’t spread out”. We didn’t stay long and returned to the col to pick up our haversacks and then traversing back underneath Am Basteir where we took the leisurely walk out to the summit of Bruach na Frithe the only one of the Cullins eleven Munro’s that doesn’t involve any real level of difficulty.

Sgurr nan Gillean

Am Basteir

The chimney we had to climb up with Tony “The Rock Rat” Hanly at the top.

The west ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean. The eye of the needle is just right off centre

The summit of Sgurr nan Gillean

13th July – Scotland

Travelled to Perth on Friday after work for a week climbing the Skye Munro’s. These mountains are the real thing they are Alpine in nature and for us mere hill walkers a Guide was called for, doing the hills individually is possible but to string them together involves a lot of climbing and rope work – something I would not be comfortable with.

However, before that on the Saturday we decided that we would walk two rather remote hills at the far end of Glen Shiel which is on the way to Skye – Beinn Fhada and A' Ghlas-bheinn. We arrived at 9.30am and started the walk in bright sunlight and we were rewarded with fine weather all day. It took over three hours to reach the summit of Beinn Fhada which was a straightforward climb on good paths.

To reach A’ Ghlas-bheinn involved losing a lot of height returning to the bealach which left us with a big climb to get to the summit, we thought we had made it about four times but it seemed to be getting further away rather than closer! It took us 2h 30m before we reached the cairn. The views though were incredible down Glen Affric and we could see all the six Munro’s that we had left to climb there. Bird wise on the hill we heard Golden Plover and saw loads of Meadow Pipits and Wheatear.

The summit of Beinn Fhada

A’ Ghlas-bheinn from the slopes of Beinn Fhada

The distant Beinn Fhada from the summit of A’ Ghlas-bheinn

At the summit of A’ Ghlas-bheinn

Saturday 6th July

Popped in briefly on Saturday morning, there were around a dozen or so Common Tern but not a lot else, a juvenile Grey Wagtail was feeding on the shoreline by the car park. The Spotted Flycatchers in my garden appear to have had a successfully bred. The adults are busy feeding the youngsters at the moment.

Scotland at Last

Had another trip to Scotland to fit in a few hills. Of the three walks we had targeted we settled on the hardest as the weather later in the week looked to be getting poorer.

So on Monday we traveled to Spean Bridge parking at Corriechoille to walk the Grey Corries plus a couple of outliers – four Munro’s in total. The first target hill was Stob Ban we got through the first gate to be confronted by an unusual sight the “Wee Minister” a lifelike carving made out of wood. I would imagine on a dreek, foggy day it might look otherworldy.

The “Wee Minister”

It took about an hour and a half on the track to reach to Lairig Leacach Bothy from there we headed up the east ridge to the top of Stob Ban a very shapely peak, a fine mountain in its own right, but completely dwarfed by the Grey Corries which it lies behind. The descent from here was short but steep down scree slopes to the bealach to Stob Choire Claurigh the first of the Grey Corries.

Stob Ban from Stob Choire Claurigh

It was a good pull up to the top of Stob Choire Claurigh and the views from the top were expansive especially along the ridge to Stob Coire an Laoigh there were three tops inbetween but the drop between them was minimal and although it took nearly an hour and a half to get to the other end it was enjoyable.

Stob Choire Claurigh from Stob Ban

Looking along the Grey Corries Ridge

It was a good pull up to the top of Stob Choire Claurigh and the views from the top were expansive especially along the ridge to Stob Coire an Laoigh there were three tops inbetween but the drop between them was minimal and although it took nearly an hour and a half to get to the other end it was enjoyable.

The ridge without me in the way with Stob Coire an Laoigh at the end.

As we arrived at the cairn on top of the days third Munro Stob Coire an Laoigh we met our first people of the day, believe it or not they were from Burton-on-Trent! At this point the last hill of the day was in sight and it look a good way away and steep. However, I had no intention of returning so after a quick bite to eat Joy and I headed along the rest of the ridge and descended down a rocky nose of the top Stob Corrie Easain and climbed steeply up Sgurr Choinnich Mor the fourth of the day. It was probable the best hill of the day, but it didn’t feel like it! 

After a couple of photographs we had to retrace our steps over Stob Coire Easian to descend using the hills north ridge this seemed to go on for miles we eventually dropped down east to a gorge and cross the river, then having to climb our of the gorge to find the path which led to a abandoned tramline which took us back to the car. We arrived back at 8.30pm eleven hours after we started. It had been a fulfilling day, but more importantly one of our hardest remaining walks was in the bag. Needing a couple of days to recover it became apparent that the weather was going to worsen, that coupled with a phone call from work to say they were a couple of people short ended the trip. I am glad we chose this one first, I now won’t have sleepless nights about it.

Sgurr Choinnich Mor from Stob Coire Easain

Sunday 16th June

I have spent a bit of time at Shustoke recently but there has been very little around. I took a walk around on Sunday and there were still around eight Common Tern but little else on the Reservoir itself although there were 48 Great Crested Grebe.

The highlight was a Cuckoo which was my first for the year for Shustoke. The Spotted Flycatchers in the garden are breeding which I am delighted about, at least I have a good reason for gardening now.

Thursday 6 June

Not Shustoke Reservoir this time but on Tuesday evening Joy and I did something we don’t often do! We sat in the garden and enjoyed it, rather than work in it. I was on my second coffee when with my naked eye I picked up a bird flitting around in the big oak tree. My first instinct was that it was Spotted Flycatcher so I rushed inside to fetch my binoculars, loh and behold it wasn’t one but two. They were also carrying nesting material. Those of you who read the blog might remember that last year in June I found a dead Spotted Flycatcher in the garden, that got me thinking at the time “have I missed them”.

Well it might well be that I have. Anyway I am highly chuffed.

Spotted Flycatcher in the garden.

Birmingham City Centre

I did my annual trip with the Captain to Birmingham City Centre, not shopping but looking for Black Redstart, apparently they haven’t been doing to well. We searched a couple of the traditional sites that I used to check out 20 years ago for the WMBC and the Black Redstart Survey. We were lucky we had two birds, one at each site. There was quite a few species on offer we had a pair of Mistle Thrush feeding young at St Paul’s Square and unusually a Stock Dove!

On the way back I checked out the Reservoir and there were the usual dozen or so Common Tern but not much else.