Monday had snow showers blowing through and a very steep start to the weeks walking attacking Faochag to do Sgurr na Sgine and intending to go on to the Western half of the South Glen Shiel ridge as far as Sgurr an Doire Leathain. In the end I made it as far as Sgurr Beag before lack of fitness causing me to take ages led me to bail out down the pleasantly narrow grassy north ridge, which was covered in snow, back to the road. Snow not a problem other than sapping energy. Indeed it made getting off Sgurr na Sgine by dropping into Core Toiteil rather easier than it would have been on bare rock.
On Tuesday over to the North Side. A circuit of Coire Lair taking in Carn
Ghluasaid, Sail Chaorain and Sgurr nan Conbhairean. A nice stalkers path lifting me relatively painlessly to the first.A pleasantly sunny day but still quite cold in the wind with views over the whole of Northern Scotland.
Two more on the North Side on Wednesday. First the broad slopes of A Chralaig and then the excitement of the scramble along the pinnacled ridge to Mullach Fraoch Coire. Then down into Coire Odhar and back to the road by the bogy path through An Caorann Mor under the shadow of the Corbett Am Bathach.
On Thursday the sun was beating down and the snow was melting.
So I decided to tackle The Saddle via The Forcan Ridge. I managed to stick mostly to the crest but the bad step down from Sgurr Nan Forcan defeated me.
I could see the next foothold just down from me but couldn't manage to make the stretch to it no matter how I tried so I climbed back up and took the easy option down the gully to the left. Great views out to sea from the top.
On Friday I decided to have an easier day than the Five
Sisters I had planned as it was still hot and sunny, and climbed the two Munros on the South Glen Shiel Ridge that I missed on day one. Of course I now regret having gone up via the North Ridge of Sgurr an Doire Leathain rather than Druim Coire nan Eirechanach to Maol Chinn-dearg as I now have a short 2 km section of the South Glen Shiel ridge that hasn't passed under the soles of my boots. :-(
