Nic Bullivant - 80613

Attempt at solo ridge traverse, North-South.
12thMay2004Wednesday SMMC Skye meet.
Decided to “go for it” and do a solo Main Ridge traverse. Felt decidedly nervous at the prospect. The game plan was to enjoy it. If it wasn’t enjoyable, I would pack in. So I didn’t want to be in a rush, and planned one overnight bivvy, in the Banachdich area. I didn’t want the weight of a stove and fuel, so I took lots of water and apples, energy food and a tin of grapefruit segments. Ian Marshall lent me a tin opener. Liz Mackay gave me a fruit cake.
Set out at 9.00 from Sligachan with Tom Crombie and Alison Simpson, who were heading for Am Basteir. It was hot and sunny. I split off from their route at the second bridge and followed the reconstructed Gillean Tourist Path. I had decided to go that way to familiarise myself as it seemed an awful long way on previous occasions. That’s because it is.
From a cairn at a slightly higher point the path deteriorates along a slope into a slight corrie then climbs fairly steadily over another spur into a higher, rocky corrie before struggling up its far side and onto open slopes with some scree and onto the skyline ridge. The top scramble was more memorable, and I reached Sgurr nan Gillean at 12.00. At the time I thought that was slow, but it was 4kmh and 10m climb per minute, so it was a good speed, and I was carrying quite a big pack. The view all round is fantastic. There was a bit of cloud out to sea, but nothing to worry about.
The descent of Gillean, via the site of the former Gendarme, was quite slow. I found the Gendarme site very tricky and decided to abseil. I lowered the pack and half- abseiled, half-climbed down. Found a way straight back to the ridge crest, so perhaps I hadn’t needed the abseil after all.
Surprised to see none of the others all day. There were two of our parties on the Am Basteir – Bruach na Frithe area, and another on Greadaidh and Mhadaidh section. I saw 27 other people. The Gillean – Basteir col was one of the two busiest places. On the way up Am Basteir, a man asked me the way round the Bad Step. I asked which bad step, and that I didn’t think there was (a way round). He assured me there was, but I just carried on and soloed down a little step and on to the summit. He had given up and gone back to his companion resting by the packs.
I had a break and drank water. I was keen to drink more than I was carrying. The sun was still hot and I was a bit concerned about burning. It was hot in the stretch fleece. I should have changed to shorts. Skirted round Am Basteir and came back up to the main ridge beyond Sgurr a’ Fionn Choire, so dumped the pack again and went back along to it. Ended up descending back to the traverse path on the upper slopes of Fionn Choire and back to the pack. Descended to the traditional water source high in Fionn Choire and found an additional water body at the toe of a snow patch, though it was disappointingly not freezing cold. Felt quite bloated with all the water I was drinking.
On to Bruach na Frithe, the most crowded summit of the day and another slightly longer rest. There is a long ridge from there via An Caisteal and Sgurr a’Bhairnich, whose name I struggled to recall, and found later on the map. There are a couple of little surprises – gaps to step across or climb down into. I was getting quite tired on account of the heavy pack, and beginning to suffer cramps in my thighs.
I had a longer rest on the grassy spaces of the bealach before Bidein Druim nan Ramh. I thought I would traverse Bidein and have another long rest at the other side. Things were going fine for a bivvy around the Banachdich area. A few bits of light cloud were floating in around the Western peaks, and the upper sky was streaked with long very thin bands of cloud. It looked distinctly non-threatening.
Bidein was a bit tricky. I saw my last other person on the main summit as I reached the North summit he descended towards the same gap as I was. I couldn’t find a sensible way down and set up another abseil. I climbed as far as I could then had to put my weight on the rope. When I was down it stuck fast. I looked around and found the easy way I should have come down, so I scrambled back up, retrieved and coiled the rope, and scrambled back down to the pack just as the other man was setting up his abseil into the gap. Looking at the climb out, I realised it was quite difficult, and when he was down, I accepted the offer of use of his rope to climb out. I set it through the friction device, intending to hutch up as I climbed. In the end I didn’t need it, as the moves, though out of balance, were on huge holds, requiring boldness.
Over the top, down to the next gap, up the slab next to the weird pinnacle that forms the next top and down the strange trap dyke ladder with the jutting tongue at the top and it was easier down to the lengthy col at Bealach na Glaic Moire.
I sat for a while in the middle of a circle of stones, rising occasionally to walk around, investigate things, fetch water from about 100m down on the Coire a’ Mhadaidh side and then started thinking more seriously about where I was going to spend the night.
There was more cloud blowing through the gaps between the Western peaks. The curlicues in the eddies near Sgurr Thuilm were very entertaining. The sun shone weakly now through a thin layer which managed to produce sunbeam like shadows across the disc of the sun as if seeing it through pleated material. It was still too early to know whether the weather would deteriorate to the extent that a continuation was not possible, so I decided to spend the night at this Bealach and continue in the morning. I was very tired. Clearly I had got something about my planning or preparation, diet or packing wrong. I thought I could probably rouse myself for another hour’s traverse of the big, awkward peaks that were coming next, but I thought that that would take me into the less sheltered Western side, where there was already cloud, and I might avoid that where I was.
I had no idea what time it was, having mislaid my watch/clock so I was about to get ready to bivouac when I noticed a stone construction up against a low overhand in the cliffs of the east side. It was completely sheltered there, the overhang offered further protection from the elements, which, considering the oncoming cloud, was quite attractive, so I went for it and moved all my kit up.
Bedded down before dark, noticing a band of sunshine coming along from the West. I remember sitting up to look at the orange sunshine coming through the more general mist, but didn’t struggle to stay awake.
13thMay2004Thursday
Alas! The rain found me early and I was glad of my Gore-Tex bivvy bag. I snoozed and ate and packed slowly. The traverse was over. There was no fun in slogging on over slippery scrambling with a big pack. I was glad of the waterproof jacket and the mysterious green overtrousers I had brought, hoping to reunite them with their owner. When I put them on the home made alteration and insertion of zips in the legs assured me that they were Hugh Eaglesfield’s, the only member who would do that.
I picked my way down the route I had descended when our attempt failed in 1976. Now I was glad of the map, which I had only packed as entertainment. I traversed below Waterpipe Gully and crossed the path coming out of Coire a’ Tairneilear. From there on it got very sketchy and I suppose I lost height or didn’t gain it fast enough. I crossed a path I reckoned to be the Bruach na Frith path and followed it for 300m before cutting off Left to find the main Bealach a’ Mhaim path.
I stooged for 15 minutes and realised something was wrong. Although the land still rose on my right, it was not steep enough. Was this Am Mam? The only way to besure was to climb for 50m. Sure enough, it plateaued out and I was having elevenses by the summit cairn. Now without a compass, which way off? If this hill was Am Mam, there was lots to aim for, but if it was Beinn na Gaoithe, which was an outside possibility, I didn’t want to be north of east, so better turn fairly sharpish right.
Down 50m again I crossed a bit of a path. A bit further I began to see something I didn’t expect below the mist – the straight edge of a plantation where I expected the foot slope of Bruach na Frithe. Despite the name, there is no forest on Bruach na Frithe. I was looking towards Glen Brittle! From what I could see through the smirr of rain and mist, the Bealach was now to my left and I had come round full circle. It’s a long time since I’ve done that, but why should I have burdened myself with a compass when they are useless on the Cuillin, and even having one is a temptation to using one and trusting its wayward readings.
At last on the right path, I tramped the weary miles back to the Sligachan. Back at the car at ten to twelve. I was disappointingly wet, changed and headed back to Portnalong.