An Cliseam

Saturday 2nd July 2011 

After a day spent travelling to the ferry port of Uig on the Isle of Skye and then across the Little Minch to Tarbert I was now on the Isle of Harris. A fantastic, but tiring walk brought me over the headland to the tiny hostel in the delightful, little coastal village of Reinigeadal. For this walk up Clisham, the highest hill in the Western Isles, I had to walk four and a half miles to the main road before I could even start the walk. After eventually reaching the road I took a track opposite across the boggy hillside before veering off into the bogs at the highest point. Having thoroughly soaked my feet and legs I then climbed up onto the eastern flanks of Tomnabhal and boulder-hopped across the rocky terrain, skirting to the south of the top as I had a bigger target in mind. From the col I started to climb the steep rock-strewn terrain of the eastern slopes of Clisham. This was tiring work especially near the top where the slope becomes really steep until eventually I reached the summit of Clisham where I had my lunch in a shelter that completely surrounds the trig point. I had excellent views from the top of Clisham to the surrounding, awesome North Harris Hills, down to the sea at Loch a’ Siar and east to Loch Seaforth. After eating I descended the western slopes and climbed the ridge to Mulla bho Dheas along an exposed path that skirts the northern edge of the eastern ridge. With hindsight I wish I’d tried to scramble up the ridge. Ralph Storer, in his book “100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains” which I use for much of my Scotland walking, says the climb is an easy scramble so I could well have missed a treat there. Before too long I reached the summit of Mulla bho Dheas and from there I followed a wonderful and enjoyably craggy ridge over Mulla bho Thuath to Mullach an Langa. There I dropped steeply down a boulder-strewn hillside to Loch Mhisteam and the boggy valley floor of Gleann Sgaladail. I followed the burn, Abhainn Sgaladail, trying to make my way to the road but eventually I gave up, crossed the river and tried to climb over the headland, struggling through the wet ground to reach my outward path. After more wet feet I joined the boggy path. 

Eventually I returned to the main road and the long walk back to Reinigeadal followed. The prolonged walk at least gave my feet a chance to dry off after the boggy crossing. I really wanted to like this walk. There were many features of note about it: the fantastic weather, the stunning scenery, great rocky hills and more than anything else, that fabulous ridge walk. But there were too many problems for this walk to be considered great. First off there was that long walk at the start and end to the main road that turned a six and a half hour walk into a nine and a half hour walk. And it was very boggy low down so most of this walk was not very good, but once I was on the hills it was fantastic. The hills of Harris are fantastic and incredibly craggy, if only it hadn’t rained there all spring until the day I went for a walk.

Bruach na Frithe

Thursday 30th June 2011 

After my disappointment of the previous day I didn’t want to do a similar walk, like going up the Old Man of Storr, and it occurred to me that I would not be doing a Munro on this holiday since I’d not gone to Glen Brittle, as originally planned. So for my last day on Skye I decided that I would go up Bruach na Frithe, the easiest Munro in the Cuillin, and I got a walk that was just what I needed to lift my spirits. Starting from the Sligachan Hotel again, I walked up the path that had given me so much trouble the previous Sunday and this time I easily managing to get all the way up to the top of the pass. It was astonishing to see the change in the path since the previous time I had been there (like, where’s all the water gone?!), although it did rain whilst I was on that path, just to remind me of what it had felt like! Fortunately that was the only rain I encountered all day and I was easily able to cross the fords that would have barred my passage on Sunday and when I reached the top of the pass I branched left into Fionn Choire. 

Slowly I walked up into the heart of the fair corrie (for the Cuillin) following a faint path through this most grassy of Cuillin corries into fantastic rock scenery. Delving into clouds I climbed onto the awesome Cuillin ridge where I had to be careful with slippery wet rocks and sheer drops (even on the easiest route on the Cuillin it can be treacherous). Gradually I walked along the ridge the short distance up to the summit of Bruach na Frithe, the most welcoming of Cuillin Munros. Unlike almost all other Cuillin Munros this one can be walked all the way to the summit with no scrambling required and is therefore the most popular Cuillin Munro. Fortunately I had the summit to myself due to my early start so I relaxed beside the trig point and had an early lunch. Walking back down from the summit I was astonished to see the clouds open to my right and reveal tremendous views into Harta Corrie and the top of the River Sligachan. I stopped in my tracks and sat on the stony ground while gazing out across the clearing vista all the way to Loch Scavaig and the sea. I could even see the hills that I’d crossed the previous Tuesday, though Loch Coruisk itself was hidden behind the ridge of Druim nan ramh. Most of the Cuillin Ridge was still covered in cloud, as was Fionn Choire, but everything south and below where I was sitting was clear. I was loving every moment of the raw, rugged beauty and took loads of pictures of the landscape. Eventually I tore myself away and moved down to Bealach nan Lice and the top of the corrie path, but instead of going down the path I started exploring the rock pinnacles in this area, including Sgurr a’ Fionn Choire (which I went to the top of in 2007), the jagged (and unclimbable) Bhasteir Tooth, and the Munro of Am Basteir (the executioner). The last two are far beyond my abilities and even walking to the foot of them gave me a tremble of fear and excitement. By walking along the narrow ridge towards Sgurr a’ Bhasteir I was able to get better views of these fearsome looking mountains. It was not difficult to see how Am Basteir got its name. 

Eventually I tore myself away from the awe-inspiring surroundings and started to descend back into the corrie on the route that I had taken for ascent. I had a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing walk back down to Sligachan, taking my time and simply enjoying every moment of the tremendous mountains that I’d just been up. The weather hadn’t been great for this walk but the awesome splendour of the mountains I’d been walking amongst made up for what the weather lacked. After the disappointments of my week on the Isle of Skye this was a great way to finish, with a reminder of the glorious mountains that can be found on the misty isle. Coming down I was literally thanking myself for choosing to go up Bruach na Frithe; the walker’s Cuillin is a fabulous mountain. I wish I could go up there in better weather when I would get a view of the whole Cuillin ridge, but even in not so good weather it’s still a great walk.