Date: Wednesday 10th August 2016
Company: Just myself
Distance: 7.5km, Ascent: 365m
Time: 2Hrs 55Mins
I set off from home at 05:15 looking forward to getting back onto the Cuillin ridge for the first time in several years. The MWIS forecast had advised of 60% cloud-free Munros and "rain unlikely". However, by the time I reached Achnashellach, en-route to Skye, I was already encountering rain. By the time I reached Skye, the rain was persistent and heavy and the cloud level was down to circa 100m. Damn, this was not a day for the ridge after all. Not unsurprisingly, I had a few choice words to say about MWIS.
On reaching the Sligachan Hotel, I stopped for a short while to see if the rain would stop. Fat chance! At the time of writing this report some thirty hours later, the rain has still not stopped even for a minute.
Plan A was abandoned, as was plan B, C, D, etc. I decided to ascend a Sub2000ft Marilyn from Glen Brittle en-route to spending a number of nights based at the Glen Brittle Memorial Hut. I decided to start the walk from the Public Right of Way track between Glen Brittle and Eynort.
Click here to see a map of the route undertaken
After getting suited and booted inside the car, to avoid getting immediately soaked to the skin, I set off along the track towards Eynort.
Waymarker at start of walk:
Looking back towards the start:
It was my intention to walk circa 800m and then ascend the hill via a wide firebreak marked on the map. However, on continuing on a short distance beyond the firebreak, I noticed a cairn potentially marking the start of a route up the hill.
Cairn marking start of track through forest:
From the cairn, I followed a faint track up through the trees. The ground was sodden and the grass was high. The terrain here was however good compared with what was yet to come.
Heading up between the trees:
Continuing up through the trees:
On reaching a faint track running perpendicular to the one I was on, I decided to take it as it was heading towards the firebreak that I had originally intended ascending.
Heading uphill beyond the forest:
After crossing the burn, I stuck to the left bank of the burn for circa 0.5km before crossing over to the right bank.
Limited views towards Beinn a' Bhraghad:
Limited views looking back:
As I had left my rucksack and DSLR in the car, to avoid them getting soaked, the photos I did take were with my iPhone. However, once my iPhone started getting wet, I stashed it away in my jacket pocket until reaching the trig point.
At the Beinn a' Bhraghad trig point:
The trig point is apparently 2m lower than the featureless summit. I therefore bagged the trig point and headed further into the mist to find the summit. On reaching the high-point, Viewranger confirmed that this was indeed the summit.
At the summit of Beinn a' Bhraghad:
Before heading back down, I visited several other potential high points just in case any were higher.
Heading back down through the mist:
During the descent, my song of the day was definitely, "Why does it always rain on me (...on Skye)". I have visited Skye on numerous occasions and on almost every occasion I have had rain.
Sticking to the right of the gully in descent:
Looking back towards Beinn a' Bhraghad:
It was a relief to get back to the car and to get out of my wet clothes.