Bruach na Frithe

7 June 2009 - a nice day with cloud and a wee bit of wind
Start: OS Explorer 411, MRT Bdg, Sligachan GR485298

Set off: 1110
Return: 1710
Duration: 6hrs. Distance: 12km
Total Height Climbed: 938m

Note hill walking can be dangerous and this route involves scrambling and crest walking, these details are for info only.

I did this walk, my first Munro on Skye, with my sister Arabella, her friend Eilidh and her dad Jim, my bestest friend and Auntie, Jo, and of course, my dad Steve came too! Here we are at the start ready for it with Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Bastier and Sgurr a Bhastier in the background. We walked up the road from the MRT hut and picked up the track to Allt Dearg House before turning right onto the (signposted) path. This path meanders up the side of the burn and brings you out onto Bealach a Mhaim after around 3.5km. It's a fairly steady plod up here although Arabella had a bit of a headache and didn't seem to be enjoying it until dad gave her a Mars Bar just before the 2nd photo here on the right. Looking up towards Bruach na Frithe showed what we had to climb which was not encouraging and we set off again with Arabella slightly happier now she'd had some choccie! We plodded on up and a guy who was fell running came down by us - crazy! We broke right onto the NW ridge of Bruach na Frithe and climbed the first steepish section before stopping for lunch and I did my best "I'm never fed look" to scrounge as much food as I could here! Most were suckers for those eyes I'll tell ya, especially them Wotsits - thanks Eilidh! You can see me eyeing them up in the above right photo - click it to see it bigger!
After this we followed the ridge for a short section then kept to the path on the right which kept well away from any difficulties and we meandered along and zig zagged up gradually. The view left is looking across to Sgurr a Mhadaidh. It was fairly loose in sections but nothing too bad and I did have to be man handled up a couple of bits but other than that, it was fairly straight forward and we eventually came out onto the top and my 5th Munro! It was Arabella's first and the first one Eilidh had climbed herself (ie not in a child carrier) so well done girls and great to raise that money! We stopped on top for more drinks and nibbles and again I tried to get as much as I could from everyone I could find! Here are the customary on top photos:

From left to right; me chilling out, the NW ridge where we came up, me and the girls and me spying some lunch.
Once we were fully refreshed we started back via Coire a Bhasteir, the route took us down the east ridge of Bruach na Frithe to the bottom of the Basteir Tooth and then we dropped steeply into Coire a Bhasteir where it levelled out and we worked our way out above the Basteir Gorge and down to pick up the path along the north side of Allt Dearg Beag which we followed all the way back to The Slig. Eilidh was very keen to have a swim in just about every pool we came across but we didn't have any towels etc so that was a no no! I also declined and I must say my wee legs were well untruly worn out when we got back especially as we'd done the 3 of The 5 Sisters 4 days earlier! Well done everybody for getting to the top!