Previous

Colin's Munros

Next

Sgurr nan Eag, Sgurr Dubh Mor & Sgurr Sgumain
17th August 2004 & 4th November 2008

Route 17/08/04: Ascent 1350m = 4500'; 9 miles; 8 hrs.
Route 4/11/08: Ascent 1270m = 4175'; 7⅔ miles; 9 hrs.


Coire Lagan from above Glen Brittle camp site. Caisteal a' Garbh-choire from Loch Coir a' Ghrunnda Gars-bheinn from Sgurr nan Eag Sgurr Dubh Mor from Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn Gars-bheinn from Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn Sgurr Alasdair from Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn. Sgurr Alasdair with Bad Step in foreground Sgurr Mhic Choinnich from Sgurr Sgumain showing Collie's Ledge Sgurr Dearg showing path up from An Stac Screes

Access: The very useful bus used to reach Glen Brittle no longer runs.
Map: By far the best map to use for the Cuillin is the 1:12500 scale Harvey's Superwalker map, "Skye: The Cuillin". The Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map suffers in clarity from too much heavy shading for cliffs.
Route: There are several route choices to make regarding ascent to and descent from the main ridge. Some of them illustrated by the two versions below, including comments on some poor choices I made! The GPX file above gives the best route up Sgurr nan Eag and chooses a descent from Bealach Coir a' Ghrunnda to Loch Coir a' Ghrunnda. There is an alternative descent from Bealach Coir a' Ghrunnda west down the Sgumain Stone Shoot to the southern of the two paths crossing Coire Lagan. Further detail and useful GPX files are given here for a similar walk.
As the ridge is consistently above 800m, it is easily possible to add in Sgurr Sgumain and/or Sgurr Alasdair to an ascent of Sgurr nan Eag and the “two Dubhs”. There are sufficiently many different paths to avoid most difficulties. However, I could see no safe way passed the Mauvais Pas between Sgurr Sgumain and Sgurr Alasdair and was consequently unable to add both of these summits to the walk in the time available.
Many of the valley paths are now properly built and maintained. Currently (May 2017), the upper path below Sron na Ciche is the better constructed. The times below predate this construction phase when the paths in Coir' a' Ghrunnda were rather slow. When dry, most ridge paths are easy to follow by observing where the rock face is scratched by crampons, where the rocks are whiter, and where rocks have been broken into smaller pieces. In cloud or damp conditions, time can often be wasted looking for a safe route. As elsewhere in the Cuillins, it is rock underfoot all the way, and so hard on joints.
References in the last column below are to J. Wilson Parker's "Scrambles in Skye", Cicerone Press, 1983.
Weather 17/8/04: Excellent.

1000 Bus to P at Glen Brittle Camp Site.    2   00.0 milesNG40892065 
1145 Upper path ESE under SW flank of Sron na Ciche to
Coir' a' Ghrunnda and thence to Loch Coir' a' Ghrunnda.
6976903.25 milesNG45052020#5
1205 Ascend E to col on ridge N of Caisteal a'Garbh-choire,
creeping under large boulder on ridge. (It is just as
easy and shorter to join the ridge further south.)
797790 —NG45432031#5, 3S
1235 Take path S on E side of Caisteal a'Garbh-choire,
then cross to ascend path on W flank of ridge S to
M Sgurr nan Eag. Avoid difficulties
by keeping west & following scratches on rock.
9249503.9 milesNG4570519536#23, 2W
1315
-1330
Return down NNW ridge to Caisteal a' Garbh-choire,
and by-pass it on E side to ridge boulder over path at
col N of the Caisteal.
7959654.45 milesNG45432031#24, 3S
1345 Easy scramble N to T Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn 93811054.6 milesNG4552120462#26, 3S
1400 Take E ridge down to col.
Avoid difficulties by keeping to crest or to its right.
875 4.7 milesNG45672052#28, 3S
1410
-1415
Ascend E, skirting difficulties by going further east
as necessary zigzagging to M Sgurr Dubh Mor
94411654.77 milesNG4575820547#29, 4S
  Return initially S down face, then W back to col. 875 4.85 milesNG45672052#29, 4S
1435
-1440
Re-ascend W back to
T Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn
93812224.95 milesNG4552120462#28, 3S
  Easy descent of NW ridge to
Bealach Coir' an Lochan NG454206
850 4.77 milesNG45292060#27, 3S
  Contour anti-clockwise on path just under cliffs of
Sgurr Alasdair, then ascend to
the col NE of Sgurr Sgumain
91812855.35 milesNG44952073 
1515 300 yds SW to T Sgurr Sgumain 94713155.45 milesNG4484620674#40, 2W
 — NE to Mauvais Pas: too difficult & exposed
to ascend without protection.
(The usual chimney is lower and much further east.)
950 — — —#38, RIV
1540 Return SW to T Sgurr Sgumain 94713155.45 milesNG4484620674#40, 2W
  S for 200 yds to Bealach Coir' a' Ghrunnda 841 5.55 milesNG44822049#39
1610 Easy descent SE to Loch Coir' a' Ghrunnda,
latterly beside stream to its NW corner.
700 5.75 milesNG45092032#7, 2W
1710 Descend path SSW to corner where it turns WNW. 33013406.55 milesNG44531928#5
1745 WNW to path split at ford above camp site 140 8.3 milesNG42052035#4
1805 W to parking at Glen Brittle Camp Site    213409.05 milesNG40892065 


Weather 4/11/08: Dry. 8°C at car. Mist down on all tops & ridges. So time spent searching for route in mist on NW ridge of Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn.

0750 P at Glen Brittle Camp Site.    2   00.0 milesNG40892065No Orange
0810 Head E on path to path split at ford 1401400.75 milesNG42052035 
0830 Follow left path E passed Loch an Fhir-bhallaich 1701701.45 milesNG43092055 
0835 Bear right at path split after lochan 3203201.6 milesNG43372062 
  Path E to cliff below The Cioch 5005002.2 milesNG44272037 
0950 E up gully (Sgumain Stone Chute) to
Bealach Coir a' Ghrunnda – some very large
boulders & scree; mostly straightforward.
8418402.55 milesNG44822049 
1010
-1035
Ridge N to T Sgurr Sgumain 9479452.67 milesNG4484620674Orange
1040 Head N down from col 10m E of top; then
contour 300m E to col with Sgurr Alasdair
918 2.75 milesNG44952073 
  Descend SE then contour clockwise on path under
cliffs of Sgurr Alasdair E to Bealach Coir' an Lochan.
Path is unclear below TD gap, so wasted time in mist.
855 3.0 milesNG45292060 
1120 Easy ridge SE up to T Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn 93810303.15 milesNG4552120462Orange
  Path E down crest of ridge to col.
(I used the left flank of the ridge and had problems.)
875 3.25 milesNG45672052 
1205 Ascend E skirting difficulties by taking path to right
as necessary to M Sgurr Dubh Mor
94410853.33 milesNG4575820547Orange
1220 Return SW down face, then W back to col 875 3.4 milesNG45672052 
1235 W to T Sgurr Dubh na Da Bheinn 93811403.5 milesNG4552120462Orange
1305 SW/S to ridge boulder N of Caisteal 803 3.65 milesNG45432031 
1310 Path S on E side of Caisteal a'Garbh-choire
to Bealach a'Garbh-choire
795 3.75 milesNG45432018 
1335 S on W flank of ridge to NW end of summit ridge 90012503.95 milesNG45481986 
1345
-1355
SE to M Sgurr nan Eag 92412704.2 milesNG4570519536Orange
1520
-1535
Descend SW flank of hill (nasty scree) direct to
valley path at Allt Coir' a' Ghrunnda
(It is pleasanter to return via L. Coir' a' Ghrunnda)
340 5.0 milesNG44771935 
1605 Path NW to Allt Coire Lagan 210 6.1 milesNG43211989 
1625 Path WNW to join path from Coire Lagan 140 6.85 milesNG42052035 
1645 Path W to P at Glen Brittle Camp Site    212707.65 milesNG40892065No Orange


Previous Top Next