James Stone (Clach Liath)

Mountaineering and the Volcanic Seven Summits

  • Home
  • About me
  • Volcanic Seven Summits
  • Top 50 Ultra Prominent Peaks of the World
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Blog / A night in Coire a’Ghrunnda – Sgurr nan Eag

A night in Coire a’Ghrunnda – Sgurr nan Eag

10th July 2013 by James Stone Leave a Comment

I was last up in Coire a’Ghrunnda in May of this year.  I didn’t intend anything other than to attempt to scale Sgurr nan Eag.  But I never made it…

IMG_5562

I could just about make out The Castle – a huge block of gabbro that lies across the ridge.

IMG_5563

I had scrambled up into the upper corrie over a couple of inches of wet snow, cold water on occasion running down the inside of my sleeves as I sought out hand holds hidden under the white blanket.  That was fun!

The loch was choppy and the snow horizontal.  Discretion was called for and I turned around.

It was now two months later.  My May attempt was by no means my first visit into this spectacular corrie.  In fact I had previously been there at least three times before – each time on pretty decent days.  I had noticed the various rudimentary shelters constructed in various places around the loch.  I had wondered what it might be like to use the corrie as a base.  I now had the chance to find out and to tick off an experience that had been on the mental list for a while.

I did not arrive at the car park just short of the camp site until around 8.30pm after a long drive from God’s own county.  But the signs were promising.

IMG_5641

I had packed my rucksack before I had left home.  I was travelling light – a tent and sleeping mat, but no sleeping bag and a minimum of food.  I was away before 9.00pm.  The camp site was busy.  It was warm and a modicum of sun bathing was still going on.  There was no midge to cause the lily white skin on display to go blotchy.  I passed a few groups descending the steps behind the toilet block and received strange looks. Surely I was going the wrong way at this time of day?

I was hot after 5 minutes and dipped my sun hat in the stream just after the path splits with that headed for Coire Lagan before plonking it back on my head.  The walk across the moorland to the mouth of Coire a’Ghrunnda was a beautiful sweatfest.  There was barely a breath of wind.  The Isle of Rum floated offshore

IMG_5642

The sun blazed as it plunged to the north west

IMG_5644

and the ridges above were tinged

IMG_5648

The scramble up the headwall was taken coolly and steadily.  I arrived by the loch before 10.30am.  It was dead still in the corrie.  The only sound was of the stream exiting the loch and the occasional passing insect.  Still no midges!

I found a spot to pitch the tent amongst the rocks, quite near to the “path” that leads up on to the ridge above

IMG_5651

and then had a little wander around.  Rum was still there, wrapped in haze.

IMG_5650

The loch was flat as the proverbial pancake.  I had one last look at The Castle before turning in.  Somewhat different from the May view!

IMG_5653

zzzzzzzzzz

I was woken by the increasing light at around 4.30am.  OK so I only had about 5 hours sleep.  But things had not changed outside.  I had not in fact had the corrie to myself.  Two guys who I was to meet later were camped on the other side of the loch.

IMG_5661

IMG_5659

The Castle reflected in the loch.

Rum remained serene offshore.

IMG_5662

I had a bit to eat and was off by 5am.

Here is the corrie below

IMG_5664

I had started off wearing trousers.  Before I hit the main ridge I had changed into shorts.  It felt hot even at this early hour.  35 minutes after leaving the tent spot I was on the crest of the ridge.  Blaven hove into view.

IMG_5666

Wave after wave of ranges stretched out above the haze.

IMG_5668

Sgurr nan Eag’s ridge glowed in the early sun.  That sun was also picking out the detail in the ridge to the north.

IMG_5670

My neighbours from the corrie caught me up just as I reached the summit cairn.  They hoped to tackle the whole ridge.  They set off for Gars-bheinn.  I wished them luck – they would need it in the cauldron that the day was threatening to become.

So there I was sunbathing on the top of Sgurr nan Eag – the last of my Skye repeats – before 6am.  Still the air remained completely calm.  I leant against the slab of rock supporting the cairn and closed my eyes.  I felt the warmth of the sun on my body.  Deeply I breathed in the fresh air.  I could have gone to sleep.

IMG_5673

Blaven remained dark against the rising sun.

IMG_5677

Ben More on Mull looked close by though was about 52 miles away.

IMG_5678

Ben Nevis soared in the distance – 54 miles away.

IMG_5679

Oh my!  I could not believe how fortunate I was to be here in such conditions.  Here is a zoomed shot of Sgurrs Alasdair and Dearg.

IMG_5682

I almost felt I was intruding into the morning of the inhabitants of Soay.

IMG_5685

It was a shame to have to tear myself away from my eyrie.  I had been there for 40 minutes and I had another mountain to climb that day.  But that is for my next posting.  I was back at my car before 9.30am.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Munros

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Links

  • Walkhighlands
  • Parkswatchscotland
  • Peakbagger
  • Alan Arnette
  • Mark Horrell
  • Ted Fairhurst
  • Cookie policy (UK)
  • Terms & conditions

Tags

Aconcagua Antarctica Australia Ben Nevis Bolivia Corbetts Damavand Dan Bull David Hamilton Francois Bernard Giluwe Hewitts Humour Iran Iztaccihuatl Katie Sarah Kilimanjaro Kosciuszko Llullaillaco Marilyns Mount Bogong Mount Elbrus Mount Hagen Mount Mukal Mount Rainier Mount Sidley Munros Ojos del Salado Pico de Orizaba Ruapehu satyarup siddhanta Scottish Mountains Seven Summits South America Taranaki Ted Fairhurst Teide Tochal Toubkal Ultras Volcanic Seven Summits Volcanoes Yorkshire 3 Peaks Zhang Liang

Recent posts

  • Cerro Chirripó – the highest peak in Costa Rica
  • Volcanic Seven Summits completions – February 2023
  • Mount Sidley – January 2023 – seven more V7S completers
  • V7S completion update – end 2022
  • Nevado Sajama

Archive

  • March 2023 (1)
  • February 2023 (1)
  • January 2023 (2)
  • October 2022 (2)
  • September 2022 (1)
  • August 2022 (1)
  • July 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (1)
  • December 2021 (1)
  • November 2021 (2)
  • July 2021 (2)
  • March 2021 (2)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • November 2020 (2)
  • July 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (2)
  • April 2020 (1)
  • March 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (6)
  • December 2019 (1)
  • November 2019 (1)
  • October 2019 (1)
  • September 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • January 2019 (2)
  • December 2018 (3)
  • November 2018 (2)
  • October 2018 (1)
  • September 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (3)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • April 2018 (1)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (3)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • October 2017 (4)
  • September 2017 (4)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • June 2017 (2)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • April 2017 (2)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (1)
  • December 2016 (2)
  • November 2016 (4)
  • October 2016 (3)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (1)
  • May 2016 (7)
  • April 2016 (4)
  • March 2016 (3)
  • February 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (2)
  • December 2015 (3)
  • November 2015 (4)
  • October 2015 (4)
  • September 2015 (2)
  • August 2015 (1)
  • July 2015 (4)
  • June 2015 (1)
  • May 2015 (5)
  • April 2015 (2)
  • March 2015 (4)
  • February 2015 (1)
  • January 2015 (2)
  • December 2014 (2)
  • November 2014 (25)
  • October 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (1)
  • June 2014 (1)
  • April 2014 (1)
  • March 2014 (1)
  • February 2014 (2)
  • August 2013 (1)
  • July 2013 (7)
  • June 2013 (3)
  • May 2013 (1)
  • April 2013 (1)
  • February 2013 (3)
  • October 2012 (1)
  • June 2012 (3)
  • April 2012 (2)
  • March 2012 (2)
  • February 2012 (3)
  • November 2011 (2)
  • August 2011 (1)
  • July 2011 (2)
  • April 2011 (1)

Copyright © James Stone 2014-2023

Manage Cookie Consent
I use cookies to optimize this website.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}