The Cuillin has been called a Mecca for Mountaineers, and in some ways they have their similarities. Every mountaineer, at least every British mountaineer, really must strive to visit the Cuillin at least once in their lifetime, and sometimes the queues at the bottom of the In Pin can resemble those surging around the Kaaba at the time of Hajj. Visitors to Mecca often do so as an annual pilgrimage and so it is for the Moray Mountaineering Club and Glen Brittle. In both cases the origins go back to ancient traditions, and in the case of the MMC it is the traditional Elgin September holiday. This year it fell on Monday 2nd September giving people the opportunity to stay for an extra night, although it is not entirely clear if anyone gets local holidays anymore so the reasoning behind the tradition may be totally obsolete. But enough of the similarities, I guess Mecca is drier than Skye, in more ways than one.
On Friday evening the car loads gradually arrived one by one. Apparently there was slight confusion and a bit of a delay in getting into the hut, with no warden and the building locked. However, given that the person who was supposed to be organising the weekend was last to arrive it was of no concern to him. Access had been achieved by then and the party was in full swing. The absence of a warden guaranteed that no grumpy authority figure would clump down the stairs at 1am to ask such rhetorical questions as “Do you no think it’s time to be in bed?” or “Do you really need to make this much noise?” It must be said, though, that when the wardens did arrive on Saturday they couldn’t have been friendlier and more welcoming and certainly not from the stereotypical YHA “lights out at 10” mould.
Dan, Graeme, Penny TWD, Sheena and Alan enjoyed a day on the Cuillin on Saturday as depicted in the following extract from the “Book of Climbs”
“The day dawned sunny, but with a little fog in the head. After much deliberation almost everyone seemed to decide on the hills around Coire a Ghrunda. The advance party decided to beat the crowds and left early (the crack of almost 10am). Some pleasant scrambling took us to Loch Coire a Ghrunda, where first lunch was consumed. The summit of Sgurr nan Eag was easily attained and second lunch was consumed in the shelter of the cairn. The scramble along to Sgurr Dubh Mor was excellent and passed without event – apart from having to push and haul our four-legged friend up the steeper bits. The clag came down in time for the summit and so we scampered off back to the coire (via a rather bouldery route around various crags). Met up with the rest of the Coire a Ghrunda party and headed home for tea, beer and cake. A good day out!”
Jenny, Kat, Greig and Jane were the “rest of the Coire a Ghrunda party” and also enjoyed a taste of the Black Cuillin, returning with many tales to tell and much booze to drink.
Drummond, Ella opted for a day on the Red Cuillin, the shapely and less severe Granite hills neighbouring the fearsome Black Cuillin:
“Plans had been Glamaig and over Beinn Dearg Mhor and Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach. We had to call it a day by the bealach between the two Beinns as the wind had got to “blowing over” stage. Need to eat more pies.”
Joe, Judith and Sheila headed up to do something similar to Drummond and Ella but in the opposite direction. They enjoyed some lovely views from the Red Hills, especially when the Black Cuillin was enveloped in cloud. The wind started fresh and became fresher until the trio were forced down by the wind at the very same bealach as the aforementioned couple.
Bob, Fiona, Katie and Helen headed west away from the cloud-shrouded wind-whipped Cuillin to explore some of the coastline around Talisker and climb the steep and striking wee Preshal More.
Another evening full of good craic was had, with temperatures dropping low enough to make use of the stove and a lively debate over the relative merits of electrical lighting and candlelight.
Sunday dawned greyer and damper than Saturday. A leisurely breakfast was enjoyed by most with an abundance of coffee and bacon, and a particularly fine herbal tea provided by one fine fellow. About ten or so people headed to Talisker Bay and had a bit of a donder with the brisk sea breeze blowing in from the Atlantic. Some opted for some sport climbing on the way home at Moy Crag but the hard core of the club weren’t to be daunted with the weather…
“Graeme, Jake, Dan and Penny TWD tackled Talisker Bay Direct – an HVV graded aid route situated on the cliffs at the north end of the Talisker Bay. Fortunately the heather (aid) had had a good growing season and so provided fine holds. The classic Very Vegetated characteristics of the route are rudely interrupted in the upper region by a few rocky outcrops, but thanks to Jake one of these is now situated on the beach some 100m below. The ascent was celebrated with a lunch stop next to the famous up-hill waterfall. It was followed by a fine cliff-top walk to Fiskavaig and then back via the track to Talisker Bay.”
So a grand weekend was had and we will return same time next year. Good climbing weather is not unheard of at this time of year on Skye and on previous club Glen Brittle meets I have enjoyed sitting on belay ledges on the huge face of Sron Na Ciche, pleasantly warm and midge free, surrounded by an expanse of bare Gabbro and truly awesome exposure. This wasn’t the weekend for it, but maybe next year’s meet will be.
Author: Joe, Photos: JennyS