Thirteen members plus one guest caught a boat to a hut in the middle of nowhere, enjoyed some excellent company and scrambling in good weather, drank a little and caught a boat home again. That in outline summarises what was an excellent May Day  meet following the long tradition of going to an island for the public holiday long weekend.

By deciphering the illegible scrawls in the big red book I can reveal a bit more detail.

Colin arrived early on Skye and went for a 32 km bike ride around the Sleat peninsula to Tokavaig and Tarskavaig.

Heavy Whalley and Ray Harron arrived early, opened the hut and then went up Sgurr na Stri to find the crash site of an F1-11 where Heavy had led the rescue team in 1982. Sue Beardmore arrived a bit later, having walked in from Sligachan, and got cold for several hours, not realising  the hut was open. The others arrived on the evening RIB boat – a ride of barely 15 minutes.

The hut has been upgraded recently and now has electric lighting from solar panels.

Next morning Joe and Jake were up early and set off to do the Dubh ridge and arrived back fourteen hours later having continued along the ridge to Sgurr nan Eag and Sgurr a Choire Bhig. Joe looked as fresh as a daisy on his return – Jake slightly less so.

Jenny, Ellen, Simon, Dan, Sheena, Colin and guest Lesley Muirden also set off to do the Dubh ridge. The wind was very strong and some of the lighter members were grateful for a confidence rope in places. At the top of Sgurr Dubh Beag they spent a little while watching Jake and Joe on the final pitch in the snow of Sgurr Dubh Mhor. It was too windy to safely do the abseil so they back tracked a little and traversed around to the col and then descended, painfully slowly, down Coir an Chaoruinn. This lived up to it’s name with several ancient rowan trees surviving within the boulder fields. Nine hours to walk five miles – there are no short days on Skye.

Ray, Heavy, Bob and Fiona walked around the bay to ascend Gars-bheinn. Ray and Heavy turned back at about 650m while Bob and Fiona carried on to the summit, enjoying a ten hour day.

Sue did a circular walk up to the memorial on Sgurr na Stri, down into Glen Sligachan, on to Camasunary and back along the coast path via the bad step.

Sunday saw Sgurr na Stri as the main objective. Heavy and Ray took Jenny and Ellen up the West face. “Jenny’s route” involved an increasingly precarious ledge on the vertical face in very strong gusts of wind. As Jenny’s face went whiter, and her tightly gripping hands got bloodier from the razor sharp gabbro, Heavy eventually offered to get out his rope. The trouble was that he’d forgotten it. Some how they survived and went on to the crash site where large amounts of debris can still be found. On the summit they met up with Dan, Sheena, Lesley and Simon and everyone enjoyed lunch on what has to be one of the finest viewpoints in the country. The complete panorama of the Cuillins stretches out around you, and also encompasses the red Cuillin, Blaven and Loch Scavaig and the mainland hills. Ray organised a Vogue fashion shoot with the mountains posing behind Jenny and Ellen.

Dan, Sheena, Lesley and Simon had gone along the coast path, past the bad step to ascend the south east ridge. The guidebook was very detailed but was hardly necessary once we realised the trick was to head straight up the hardest looking bits, with easier routes to the left if needed.  Excellent scrambling for nearly 1,000′ brought them to the summit where their peaceful enjoyment of the hills was shattered by Heavy and co’s arrival.

On the descent on the north of the hill we found a large piece of wreckage from the same crash that had been thrown right over the hill for nearly a mile. Over the weekend Heavy told us a lot about the story of this crash and it’s aftermath, including visiting the site with some of the pilot’s family. There is a lot of history and tragedy behind these bits of metal that can be found scattered on so many of the hills and islands.

Joe had a late start and wandered up past Loch Coruisk and up to Bealach Coire na Banachdich and on to Sgurr Dearg. He would have enjoyed his lunch there but having forgotten the bread nibbled on a lump of cheese while sheltering from the wind. A return around the sunny side of the loch rounded off an excellent day.

Sue joined Dan and co for the first part of her walk past the bad step again, followed by a circuit of Sgurr na Stri and Loch Coruisk.

Bob and Fiona also circumnavigated the loch, enjoying the flowers and wildlife en route, including sightings of an eagle.

Monday was a leisurely day for most with bird and wildlife watching from the beach. Quite a few waders were seen, as were a pair of sea eagles who flew around for several minutes.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, favoured with excellent weather.