Looking back along the route from the top of Sâileag.
After our success with the corbett yesterday Sue, S and I decided to try our luck with a bigger challenge.
With the Met Office and MWIS forecasting storms to sweep in by Sunday afternoon we saw a small weather window, Saturday and Sunday morning.
The forecast looked good for today so we decided on the Brother's Ridge. This staggeringly beautiful route took in 3 Munros and a few smaller peaks too.
The day started well with a relentless slog up a steep heather slope. A few bursts of rain swept in as we were ascending but we carried on determined to at least reach the summit of the first Munro (Sàileag) a short way up the ridge from the Bealach (Saddle). As we finally reached the bealach the cloud cleared and we were greater with staggering views into Glen Affric.
With the Met Office and MWIS forecasting storms to sweep in by Sunday afternoon we saw a small weather window, Saturday and Sunday morning.
The forecast looked good for today so we decided on the Brother's Ridge. This staggeringly beautiful route took in 3 Munros and a few smaller peaks too.
The day started well with a relentless slog up a steep heather slope. A few bursts of rain swept in as we were ascending but we carried on determined to at least reach the summit of the first Munro (Sàileag) a short way up the ridge from the Bealach (Saddle). As we finally reached the bealach the cloud cleared and we were greater with staggering views into Glen Affric.
S and I on the summit of Sàileag.
Heading East along the ridge was staggering. we quickly summited our first Munro (Sàileag, 956), from then on there was no turning back. The weather was with us and a lack of wind made for an incredible ridge. Sue and I shared breaking the trail while S got used to using crampons on snow covered ridges.
A short while later found us in the second bealach of the day. I managed to face plant the snow when I fell in the largest wind snow sculpture ever, standing at the bottom of it I couldn't touch the top with my walking pole!
After that excitement it was time to start slogging up the next section of ridge. S asked to break trail for a bit, and Sue and I were more than happy to let her. Some time later found us on the summit plateau of Sgùrr a' Blealaich Dheirg (1030m) however the actually summit lies 100m along the north ridge. getting there was quite an undertaking. Sue overcame her fears of knife edge ridges and made it along while S broke trail and I came along with Sue. A daunting but worth it summit.
After that excitement it was time to start slogging up the next section of ridge. S asked to break trail for a bit, and Sue and I were more than happy to let her. Some time later found us on the summit plateau of Sgùrr a' Blealaich Dheirg (1030m) however the actually summit lies 100m along the north ridge. getting there was quite an undertaking. Sue overcame her fears of knife edge ridges and made it along while S broke trail and I came along with Sue. A daunting but worth it summit.
Looking south back to the summit plateau of Aonach Meadhoin from the high point of 1036m.
On our decent to the next bealach we met other people! a pair of walkers with a very nippy dog. Worryingly they were traipsing up the mountain without crampons! We then began the assent of our last Munro of the day, Aonach Meadhoin (1001m). The assent was a long but spectacular ridge right up the the summit plateau. Simply stunning. Here we met a solitary walker who had had a mammoth day but the sounds of it, but he was still faster than us descending the mountains.
We traipsed off the munro and started up Sgùrr an Fhuarail which at 987m was a minor inconvenience that lay between us and our Sue's car at the Cluanie Inn. However it proved an interesting little mountain full of holes for us to fall in on the summit. We defended its SE ridge to a minor 854m top before heading quickly down hill and slogging through boggy moorland and the car.
The whole day was fantastic. Dark closed in around us as we dropped below the snow line but with a predicted 6-8h time it was expected. In the end the whole route took us 8h, and it was glorious!
The whole day was fantastic. Dark closed in around us as we dropped below the snow line but with a predicted 6-8h time it was expected. In the end the whole route took us 8h, and it was glorious!