Sgurr na Bannachdich is the mountain that sits right in the middle of the Black Cuillin of Skye, and was one of only two Cuillin peaks I didn't manage on the walking and climbing week I did there back in 2005. Poleaxed by a migraine, I spent a wretched day languishing in the Glenbrittle youth hostel. Back on the island for a family holiday, gave me the opportunity to make amends for that disaster of a day!
The walk begins at the youth hostel and follows the attractive burn past a series of pools and waterfalls. As we ascended the sun broke through the early morning mist and lit up the ridge before us - which looked as intimidating as ever. On my previous two ventures up the corrie "Coire a Ghreadaidh" we have ascended up to the notch in the ridge known as An Dorus, an airy little scramble up onto the summits. This time however we turned up the path to the right heading for the An Diallaid ridge. The walk is straightforward until just after a pleasing grassy meadow, the ridge bars the way with a wall of scree. A scrathy path is etched into the loose rock, but it presents an awkward challenge.
We were accompanied on this walk by two of out three children - our middle one, was in Cornwall rock climbing. Our eldest had done this route earlier in the Summer with a load of uni-pals and so knew the way up; our daughter had never climbed anything as hard as this before and found it quite intimidating.
Above the scree, the ridge narrowed and solidified, but still presented a series of awkward steps, before the summit ridge offered an exhilarating sense of height, exposure, and incredible views along the ridge, (North and South) and down to Loch Coruisk below. We sat on the top for ages - it was just too good a view to squander, before pulling out the walking poles and edging back into the scree.
It was a scorching hot day. and by the time we were down we couldn't resist jumping into the river for a dip. A quite magical day!
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