Am Basteir
10 September 2007
I still had two mountains to climb on Skye for another completion of
the Munros on the Island and due to bad weather I was unable to climb
them the previous week so this was a day visit to the Island to try
and summit Am Basteir.
I set off from the car park at the Sligachan Hotel on the main road
north from the mainland to Portree. I walked along the path that
crossed the Allt Dearg Mor and Allt Dearg Beag by footbridges. This
is the path used to access the 'tourist route' to Sgurr nan Gillean.
Higher up the path spit, one being the 'tourist route' and the other
led to Sgurr nan Gillean's Pinnacle Ridge.
I followed the Pinnacle Ridge route and met a father and son who were
intending climbing the Ridge. The father had last climbed this route
forty years ago. At the foot of the Pinnacle Ridge and above the
Bhasteir Gorge I cut across to Coire a'Bhasteir following traces of a
path. Once in the Coire a scree path led to Bealach a'Basteir where
it was rather cool and windy.
The next section of this walk needed my full concentration to avoid
where possible any basalt rock and to select the ideal route.
Initially this was relatively easy but then the ridge became a bit
narrower. I was aware there was a couple in front of me with a
collie dog.
On approaching the gap in the ridge I could hear the couple who were
obviously using a rope to cross this obstacle. The friendly collie
dog approached me which was a bit off putting as it was at head height
and obviously wanted some attention. At this point I descended to the
south over some loose stones, which were a bit of a concern, and down
a couple of ledges to a stone filled gully. I climbed this gully and
rejoined the route to Am Basteir. It was then only a short walk to
the summit cairn with a wee scramble near the summit. Here I met the
couple I saw earlier. One guy was from Dundee and was on his
penultimate Munro and the other chap, who owned the collie dog, was
his guide.
The summit was cloud covered despite the fact that it had occasionally
lifted clear of the summit as I ascended the mountain. I sat and ate
my lunch at the summit cairn and the cloud tried to lift and gave me
glimpses of the Bhasteir Tooth, Sgurr a'Fionn Choire and Sgurr nan
Gillean.
I later left the summit and returned to the bealach by the ascent
route. I found the descent harder because the gully had lots of loose
stones. I eventually reached the bealach and had views into Lota
Corrie, Loch Scavaig and the Southern Cuillin Ridge. I then followed
the route I had taken in the morning back to the Sligachan Hotel after
a successful although tough day.
Time taken - 5.25 hours.
Distance - 11 kilometres.
Height climbed - 880 metres.
Photographs taken on this walk can be seen at:
http://www.caledoniahilltreks.com/gallery07/am_basteir_sept07/index.htm
Lindsay
www.caledoniahilltreks.com