​Due to being quite busy, I had to make the drive North to meet Matt and Colm at 3am on Tuesday morning on Skye. We were all staying at the Old Inn at Carbost, and when I arrived, Colm was still tucking into his hearty breakfast, whilst Matt was trying to dry kit in the sunshine following a drenching the previous day in Kintail.
 
With a good forecast of 20c on the summits (!), sunshine most of the day and light Southerly winds, we decided on Bruach na Frithe as their introduction to Skye, but via the North ridge to add a little frisson.  The car was parked along with two million others, (OK, I exaggerate a wee bit, but in 20yrs of coming to Skye, I have never seen it so bust at the Faerie Pools), and we set off from Glen Brittle for a change. I normally do this route from Sligachan, and I cannot for the life of me decide why - This way is shorter and far more pleasant.
 
We were soon on the ridgeline proper, and the lads soon got into the swing of 'push down, don't pull', and 'tread like a ninja' on the loose basalt, and move after move, their confidence increased and with it, their enjoyment. All too soon, we were at the summit, with views that make this such a special place in these conditions.
 
After a long lunch, we picked our way to the head of the Fionn Coire, but not before watching some climbers on the Bastier Tooth. The descent in loose, but gradual, and we enjoyed the turfed lower reaches before picking the path up back to Glenbrittle, and into the maelstrom that was the traffic. Simply put, there were scores of cars parked in the passing places, and no-one could go forward or back. People were simply inexperienced in driving in such circumstances, and I had to get out of the car and organise things over about 100m for 15 or so minutes before things got moving again. Apparently the Pools have been widely advertised somewhere, and they are now a serious honey pot. You Have Been Warned!
 
A great day, a great introduction, finished off by a pleasant pint at the Old Inn, with the full route in relief behind us.
 
Wednesday did not promise to be so pleasant weather wise. Still very warm indeed, but with cloud down to 100m, and sharp pulses of rain. That meant being in waterproofs on and off constantly, and feeling like a boil-in-the-bag rice with 'em on. Very uncomfortable.
 
We elected to go for the two most Southerly of the main munros, Sgurr nan Eag and Sgurr Dubh Mor, with an open-ended plan on which route to descend, and indeed how far we would go in the conditions. As we sweated our way up into the imposing Coir'a Ghrunnda, the clag gave it an eery feel, and the boilerplate gabbro slabs took on a life of their own. We were making slow progress, and soon came to one of the steepenings.
 
These are normally OK in dry, clear conditions, but if you are not an experienced scrambler, and the way isn't obvious in the murk, they take on a whole new seriousness that can be unnerving. It was already lunchtime, and we knew we had a long way to go. As we prevaricated, there was another cloud burst, and that, along with the difficult terrain made our decision for us. Down we went.
 
It was still 3pm before we made it back to the Glenbrittle camp site car park, and we knew we had made the right decision. This was further vindicated when later that evening, another strong group who were staying at the bunkhouse returned after an 11hr day in 'miserable conditions', being led by one the top Skye guides. We knew we would have taken even longer, so accepted that discretion had had the better part of valour.
 
Our final day was spent in cloudy but much clearer conditions, with a fabulous walk around the Quiraing in Trotternish.  We took the higher path over the cliffs, with great views down on the Table, the Prison and the Needle, all features in the spectacular geological spectacle. It is a large, super slow-motion landslip that has been happening for 10,000 years, and along with the Storr further South, forms part of the 30k long Trotternish Ridge in the NE of Skye. Very accessible, and the round only takes around 4hrs, so quite amenable for a short day out.
 
So we only managed one munro in the lads' first visit to Skye. Not at all unusual of course - The special terrain experienced in the UK's premier mountain location means you need all the factors to come together to get the most out of the trip, and often the first trips are about building experience and familiarity. This is what we did, and along with a few great nights in the OId Inn, we had a cracking time. Haste ye back fellas, haste ye back!

Character-building conditions around Loch Mullardoch this weekend, working for Steven Fallon Mountain Guides. For full blog, see - ​http://www.stevenfallon.co.uk/blog.html

​I have wanted to really get my teeth into the mountains of the Far North ever since I finished my first round of the munros. I had done the munros of course, as well as Ben Loyal and Stac Pollaidh, but I only did Suilven last year, and from there got enticing views of the quartzite delights that were Arkle and Foinaven.
 
My friend Caroline had equally wanted to bag the whole ridge as part of her quest to finish the Bill Birkett book of ridge walks, so finally we managed to set a date when we were both free, and the long drive on the single track roads was made, (with not a car seen for over 30 miles - where else can you say that in the UK?). The only problem as ever was the weather. A wet and changeable spell had become persistent, and these were hills we didn't want to squander on a tussle with the rain and wind. We therefore decided day one was to be a warm-up traverse of the delightful Ben Stack, at 721m, not a Corbett, but a very fine hill, especially seen from Loch Laxford.
 
We chose to do it N-S, and I am glad we did, as the Southern approach described in the Corbetts book must be tedious in the extreme - always rough (as all terrain is up here!), always wet. For a descent it wasn't too bad, but the steeper NE ridge is much better. En route we met a chap who was 'fresh' from walking from Land's End to J.O.G. in 59 days to celebrate his retirement. Oh dear,  another  thing to add to Caroline's tick-list!
 
The hill was a delight, full of interest and a narrow little ridgy bit, as well as a wee mast and transmitter over which we could actually hear the estate workers on their radios. Didn't half make me jump! A great warm up.
 
And then came the Big Day - The forecast was better, the West wind easing, bringing finer conditions. It did, but it remained cold at 10c, and the wind was still up to 20mph occasionally. The rain also made a three or four appearances too, but overall it was dry, with a sunny end to the day. We set off at 07:15 from Laxford Lodge, with Arkle encased in cloud. The route takes you straight up a brutal 40 degree slope straight to the summit, and it was 3hrs of effort over the quartz and gneiss screes and boulders that set the scene for the day. These might not be the most famous UK hills, or the highest or most technical, but to do the full traverse requires patience on the very rough terrain, and tenacity as the 26k and 2000m of ascent takes its toll.
 
But what hills. What rock formations. What coires and lochans. Despite my many years and many, many mountains, these two had wonders at every turn, at every knee-jarring descent and sweat-inducing ascent. It's like the celestial beings took  a drop of Skye, mixed in a melange of Torridon, a pinch of particularly Beinn Eighe, a sniff of Suilven,  and then finished it all off with sea views to rival Stac Pollaidh, and then hid the result in the far North Western corner of the UK just to keep it all secret.
 
I had always wanted to do them due to the fact I could see them from Ben Hope and Suilven, but it was more as a 'filling in the spaces' exercise. Little did I realise what an absolute treat they are. A hard won treat I grant you - Always torture underfoot, at least 11hrs to do the route with only fleeting stops, and if the weather was poor, a real struggle I would suspect, but a treat indeed.
 
Thanks to Caroline for being so insistent, and thanks to Bill Birkett for his slightly masochistic full traverse route. If you have done these hills, then you'll know what I mean. If not, do them....just make sure you get a good day, or you'll be in for a tussle you won't forget in a hurry!