Quinag - Sail Ghorm

Climbed by year and month

Climbed by year and month

I was standing on a small col between bumps on Sail Ghorm's southern ridge and I was feeling very pleased I had not tried to include this one when I was here a couple of weeks ago.

As I was getting ready to walk I spotted the lady in the 2nd car to arrive was still sat in the car. She kept looking up to Quinag which wasn't, it has to be admitted, looking great. Cloud hung around it with the attitude of a sulking teenager. Crossing the car park I wondered if she was scared of going up to into the cloud. It was forecast to clear mid to late-morning... She had her window open a bit so I stopped and asked if she was alright. She was, but was waiting for the cloud to clear. After a bit of discussion she gathered her rucksack and walked with me up to Bealach Cornaidh.

We parted, she to hang around to see if the cloud cleared enough for her. Me to head on upwards into the mist.

There's a moment where you look down on a high bealach from a hard won vantage point and sigh for all the effort you've put in so far, only to see you need to lose some of that height to drop down to a col and then climb back up.

Sail Ghorm's southern ridge is undulating by about a 100metres or so, very rocky, and with the path often terraced along the east side. The other side of the first bump has a wee surprise step down. This caught Skye off guard and she dropped a little too uncontrolled for comfort. Until I got back to this step I had that nagging feeling that says it's going to be fun getting her back up it. The rest of the ridge was uneventful.

The view from Sail Ghorm's summit was hindered by it's rounded top. I continued forward a little and as the ground sloped down I could see down to Kylesku Bridge and a little beyond. The morning mist still hadn't cleared much.

As we eventually left the summit and was about to get back onto the ridge again, the mist broke up and cleared.

The rocky step. well, that was interesting. Skye rocked up to it, and jumped it in one go. From a standing start. Then looked down on me as if to say 'are you coming up or what!'. Just like Jessie. I reckon she just graduated basic training.