#Sgurr Dubh

[crazyprinceruins-blog]

 Loch Coulin - Sgurr Dubh - Torridon - Wester Ross

[ey-tu-chupalohh]

 Loch Coulin - Sgurr Dubh - Torridon - Wester Ross

[scotianostra]

Good Morning from Scotland 

Dawn of Clair by Seán Kerr Photography Via Flickr: Sunrise over Loch Clair in Torridon, NW Scotland. The gorgeous dawn light highlights the relief on Sgurr Dubh, Creag Dhubh and the treetops on their approach and lights up the snow-capped peaks and autumnal foliage of Liathach and Beinn Eighe.

[surrealscotland]

This photo of Scotland could easily be mistaken for another continent 😍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Follow @scotlandissurreal for more 🏞⛰ Follow @scotlandissurreal 🦄🌌 This is the A'Ghairbhe flowing towards the striking snow kissed Sgurr Dubh in the background 😇🏔 📷 Awesome photograph by @e.woodphotography 📸🙏 (at A' Ghairbhe) https://www.instagram.com/p/CW62MTtjiun/?utm_medium=tumblr

[safereturndoubtful]

Days 15 - 18 - At Glenbrittle

A few days without phone signal or wifi in a beautiful place at the campsite in the shadow of the Cuillin hills, with the beach and views of Rum and Eigg, not so bad at all..

The weather improved considerably after a very wet morning, fit only for a pier walk, and a visit to the Distillery shop.

The camping site at Glenbrittle has been considerable upgraded over my years here. It does have a quite superb backdrop, and the afternoon became sunny and clear. It even has a laundry, so the first task was cleaning the van.

The late afternoon and evening, until dark at just after 10.30 pm, we’re with Skye and it’s Cuillin at their very best.

It became evident (visually) that the dog’s malady was that he had eaten unsuitable grass, I recalled it from the morning at Glen Nevis.

It’s a stark reality that Skye has changed so much. The profusion of second homes and AirBnB rentals has steadily grown. It was all telegraphed when the bridge opened. To bring this amount of tourists was what was intended. Day-tripping buses, and in the last 12 months, the many thousands who would otherwise be on ‘all inclusives’ on Europe’s beaches. Next to me was a rental campervan, so many of them around, and an accompanying tent, by chance a Wild Country Zephyr 2, like I had for many years. It was a young couple with shiny white trainers and other expensive designer-type clothes. They didn’t look happy. The tent was flat; such tents are usually good in the wind, but rely on the guy ropes at either end to keep the outer rigid and dry. That hadn’t happened here. Just as a heavy shower rolled in off the ocean at around midnight, they were off, in haste, no doubt to a £100+ a night hotel. I don’t think they’d been more than a couple of metres from their van.

This site now has 38 pitches, each with lots of room and unrivalled views of the ocean, the Small Isles of Rum and Eigg, and of course, the Cuillin. It’s £11 per head, hook up extra, and as a cafe gift shop that the many visitors other than those at the site, stop off at. On a half full day such as today, they average takings in excess of £2500 a day. Not so bad with no bathroom facilities open. That will be doubled in the summer months.

But the weather changes fast, and there can be some really rough days here, anytime of year. Last night the winds gusted at above 40 mph, and there were frequent heavy showers of hail and sleet. This morning though it had blown itself out, and was clear again.

It was more sun than showers after that, really excellent conditions.

The pictures above are from a day out at Rubh’ An Dunain, the southern headland formerly held by the MacAskill clan. Distant relative Danny is a renowned Trails cyclist. In 1601 the MacAskill’s fought the last clan battle, and turned this area into a fishing and farming community. In the 1800s about half the property owners emigrated in the Clearances, but 20 or so families remained until 1883. Now, there is nothing but the ruins.

A storm passing through that night.

The following day into the Cuillin towards Sgurr Dearg.

The Cuillin. I see people headed up for long mountain days, and there’s a tinge of jealousy. I’ve been up several of these routes, to some pretty hairy places for just a hiker and grade 1 scrambler. One particular week at Easter 1996 with my old friend Colin Wadey, we had 5 long mountain days, including an ascent of Sgurr Alasdair from Sgumain. There was a memorable exposed bit just before the summit, then down the Great Stone Chute and a dip in the lochan at its base.

My favourite ascent though was the much easier Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn, with its long walk in, and the quite spectacular approach up the Coir a Ghrunnada. I’d done this a few times, before leading an experienced group of kids there (from KES); twice, once in 2002, and most memorably in 2004 when I took a spill of about one and a half metres, and hobbled extremely slowly down, with my head well and truly between my legs..

Another route I used to lead kids on was from Sligachan, to Bruach an Frithe. Once with a very capable group up its north-west ridge, the others up Fionn Choire, then north past Am Basteir picking a descent through the boulders. It is a superb route. I’ve a painting of Am Basteir, actually done by my dad, in the front room at home.

It’s one time though when I can’t quote that Dylan line.. “I was so much older then..”.

These routes are serious and require things I no longer have, flexibility and most of all, the confidence to take them on. Besides, these are not routes to be done alone, or for a dog; a thought with which I comfort myself..

For the 10 years I worked at KES I brought groups of about 16, usually 14-18 year olds up here every second year, always at Easter, alternate years with Assynt. We varied where we stayed, sometimes camping, sometimes in hostels, certainly once at the Youth Hostel here in Glenbrittle.

As often I quoted, as well as heard from others on my courses, when lecturing in my latter years of consultancy work on Safety in the Outdoors, several of the young people I took away have gone on to accomplish far greater things in the outdoors than I ever did, and I’m fortunate to be still in touch with many of them. And for the greater number that didn’t, and those for whom it was their only such experience, it remains one of their strongest memories, the battle, often, through adversity.

[art-now-uk]

MORNING GLOW, TORRIDON, KEVAN MCGINTY

Just following the sunrise in the mountain wilderness of Torridon, the strengthening morning sun casts an ethereal glow over over the land far below. The view comes from the summit of a mountain called Sgurr Dubh. This painting is framed. Frame dimensions are 76 x 62cm. All my works are painted using quality acrylic paints and satin varnish finish. Please feel free to contact me with questions about this or any other work, or to arrange multi-buyer or returning customer discounts. I have over 15 years experience of shipping artworks worldwide. Signed on the front and labelled on the back, my paintings are securely packaged and shipped through a reputable courier to ensure they reach you safely, ready to hang.

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-MORNING-GLOW-TORRIDON/417871/4394656/view

[siaduff]

Sgurr Dubh and Loch Bharranch 📷 April '16 #35mm #film (at Glen Torridon)

[last100munros]

#244 Sgùrr Dubh Mor and #245 Sgùrr nan Eag

Route: SMC route from Glen Brittle Campsite 

Height: 944m, 924m      

Date: 7 May 2017

Time to summit: 4h 18mins, 6h 23mins

Total time: 9h 13mins

With: Dominic

Weather: Sunshine, quite warm, some wind at times, occasional clouds

Notes: We left Dave M at his car at the end of the Glen Brittle road and then parked up at our camping spot. The route followed the path up to Corie Lagan for about 1km and then turned off, crossing a small stream shortly afterwards. The going was good along the path and there were fantastic views over to Rum and down to the small island of Soay. When we’d left Sligachan in the morning the clouds at the north end of the ridge looked quite threatening but the south end of the ridge was clear.

We made our way along the path, pausing for Dom to trim an errant toenail, then followed it into Coir’ a’Ghrunnda. The route then steepened but had reasonable zigzags in the scree. After a while we reached a wider area in the corie and took the cairned path that skated the bottom of the cliffs, avoiding the bouldery area. At the base of the slabs up to the loch we ate our lunch before beginning making our way up. It was fairly easy going on a vague path although there were a few more scrambly bits where we had to take a bit of care in selecting the right route. Eventually we made it up to the top and into the corie, where the fantastically blue lochan was surrounded by rocky peaks.

After re-applying suntan lotion, we made our way around the side of the lochan, passing quite a few circles of stones where people had bivvied. Our route took us up scrambling over bouldery slopes up to the ridge between Sgùrr Dubh an Da Bheinn and Sgùrr Thearlaich. Reaching the ridge we had fantastic views to the northern end of the ridge, where there was still a bit of cloud on the tops and out over to Blaven. We went down a short way and then continued scrambling up over boulders and ledges to the very narrow top of Sgùrr Dubh an Da Bheinn. We didn’t pause there long before continuing down to the col between it and Sgùrr Dubh Mor. There was a reasonably clear route, some of it a bit scree-y and one little bit of scrambling. We passed a couple of groups of people coming up including two runners we’d seen down in Glen Brittle.

The way up Sgùrr Dubh Mor looked reasonably intimidating with lots of steep faces. The key to getting up was following the ledges around to the right until there were good bits to climb up, with the climbing being fairly short, not too bad scrambles. The summit with a cairn was tiny, only really space for two people, but was a fantastic view point. I went a short way along the narrow arete because I wasn’t sure if the highest point was actually ahead, but looking back it did look higher where the cairn was.

The descent down was okay with bits of down climbing, but this time we could see the ledges rather than the cliffs. We then retraced our steps back up to the top of Sgùrr Dubh an Da Bheinn before beginning the descent down the south ridge. This was a similar type of descent - short sections of scrambling with ledges in between. About half way down we couldn’t see a good way along the crest so we took a route down more on the east side. This involved going down over large boulders and then a bit of down climbing but got us to the base of An Caisteal. The textures in the rocks - peridotite by this point - were really interesting, and were very good for scrambling.

We skirted the base of An Caisteal and then began to scramble up the crest of Sgùrr nan Eag. This was more of a ridge to go along, but keeping slightly on the west side was quite good fun and not too tricky. Eventually we reached a much gentler gradient, and it was then a bit of a way along to the summit with the cairn on it. The cold wind became much stronger on this section of the ridge and at the summit we didn’t stay at the cairn very long because it was so windy. 

We dropped down slightly to have something to eat and were caught up by two men who’d been following us since Sgùrr Dubh Mor. On the descent down we ended up overtaking them and being over taken a few times. We took a line below the crest of the ridge on the west side going down some small scrambly bits and then more boulders and scree, eventually making our way down to the lochan.

Making our way around the edge of the lochan we then began to retrace our route up Coir’ a’Ghrunnda, involving some bits of down climbing at points where we’d scrambled up. We took a lower route across the scree slope, which was also okay to go across, before hitting more of a path again. There were lovely views over to Rùm still and the lighting was very pretty. From there It was a fairly easy walk back to the campsite in Glen Brittle. 

[mhsn033]

Skye climber ‘critical’ after nine-hour rescue bid

Image copyright Skye Mountain Rescue

A climber is in a vital situation in health heart after being stumbled on unconscious and with vital accidents by a mountain rescue team investigating a rock plunge.

Skye Mountain Rescue Crew acknowledged the man had suffered a significant plunge terminate to Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn on Friday.

He became as soon as airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary throughout a nine-hour operation.

Rescuers acknowledged if one other community of climbers had not alerted them to the rock plunge the man may perchance not had been stumbled on for a “very long time”.

Image copyright Skye Mountain Rescue Crew

Image caption Skye MRT were winched on to the Cuillin Ridge by coastguard helicopter

The rescue whisper started after Skye MRT were alerted to a that you just may perchance additionally imagine “plunge/rock plunge” within the Coire Ghrunnda on Friday afternoon.

Twelve participants of the team were winched on to the Cuillin Ridge by Stornoway Coastguard helicopter to head attempting the location.

They found the badly injured casualty about a hours later.

He became as soon as handled by medics on the scene before being winched to the helicopter and flown to Aberdeen.

The rescuers acknowledged he is believed to be in a vital but stable situation.

In a put up on Facebook, the mountain rescue team praised the climbers who before the complete thing alerted them to the rock plunge.

“Many thanks additionally to the climbers who did the moral ingredient by contacting the emergency services and products, performing on what they heard,” they acknowledged.

“Without this preliminary story the casualty keep not need been stumbled on for a extraordinarily long time.”

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[scotianostra]

Good Morning from Scotland 

Dawn of Clair by Seán Kerr Photography

Via Flickr: Sunrise over Loch Clair in Torridon, NW Scotland. The gorgeous dawn light highlights the relief on Sgurr Dubh, Creag Dhubh and the treetops on their approach and lights up the snow-capped peaks and autumnal foliage of Liathach and Beinn Eighe.

[scotianostra]

Good Morning from Scotland. 

Loch Clair Sunrise by Douglas Griffin Via Flickr: The first rays of the sun catch the summit slopes of Sgùrr Dubh and Liathach, reflected in the waters of Loch Clair, at the start of another day in Glen Torridon. I have stood at this spot many times, and have rarely experienced such still conditions as on that morning. Website: Douglas Griffin Photography