Clach Glas - Bla Bheinn Record?

-
Bla Bheinn, Clach Glas and Sgurr nan Each

The Clach Glas - Bla Bheinn traverse is regarded as a classic mountaineering outing in its own right, despite being a much smaller brother to the main Cuillin traverse. Being geologically part of the Black Cuillin, the terrain feels very similar - fantastic rough scrambling with lots of interest.

On Sunday 7/7/13 the weather cleared to give a beautiful sunny day on Skye. I decided to have a go at the Clach Glas - Bla Bheinn record, having seen a round recorded on the Scottish Hill Runners 'Long Distance Records' page where Alastair Matthewson recorded a time of 1hr 57mins 20secs in 1998. I'm sure others must have done fast times on the traverse as its such an obvious objective. I knew the scrambling section of the traverse reasonably having been up there about a month ago, but Sgurr nan Each was new to me.

In keeping with the previously recorded round I started and finished at the bridge over the Allt na Dunaiche (GR 561217), next to the Bla Bheinn car park by Loch Slapin. After a fast run in on the path I headed off right and up to the scrambly summit of Sgurr nan Each (720m), then onwards to Clach Glas "The Matterhorn of Skye" (786m), and then via the grassy Putting Green and the short 'Difficult' graded climbing to summit Bla Bheinn (928m). After an all too short glimpse at the main ridge, it was a quick descent back to the starting point, in a time of 1hr 31mins and 53secs. A dip in the Allt na Dunaiche near its mouth was extremely refreshing.
Ascending Bla Bheinn (Pic: Misha Somerville)

Splits:

Bridge   start
Sgurr nan Each   0.34.46
Clach Glas   0.51.15
Bla Bheinn   1.08.25
Bridge   1.31.53

Another great adventure on Skye!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cairngorm 4000ers Record

-
Image
There were two factors that both worried and excited me in equal measure as I set out to attempt the Cairngorm 4000ers record. The first was the weather: it was fairly blustery and a familiar wall of cloud hugged the plateau around Braeriach, as it often does. Cairngorm itself was clear and despite a few very light showers I hoped the cloud would blow off before I got across the Lairig Ghru. The other factor was that I didn’t know exactly what Ally Beaven’s 2017 record was, having been unorganised and then suffered in the morning from the frustrating technological calamity known as “the internet is broken”. So I set off with Paul Raistrick’s split times and the knowledge that Ally had broken this 2007 record by several minutes, exact quantity unknown! I last ran the route in April 2017 when there was a fair bit of spring snow still around. This made several parts slow going, and some sections of whiteout navigation from Cairn Toul onwards had augmented this. Still, I felt pretty p...
Read more

NEW Cuillin Ridge Traverse record

-
Image
On Saturday 12 th October 2013 I had one of the most memorable runs of my life to give a new Cuillin Ridge Traverse record of 2hrs 59mins 22 seconds. This traverse, in perfect running conditions, was my fourth this year. As before, the definition followed was that of previous records and took in the 11 Munro summits, plus the Sgurr Thearlaich and Bidein Druim nan Ramh tops, and the four main ‘climbing’ sections (the TD Gap; Kings Chimney on Sgurr Mhic Choinnich; the Inaccessible Pinnacle; and Naismith’s Route on the Bhasteir Tooth). I started on Gars-bheinn at 12 noon and finished on Sgurr nan Gillean at 2.59.22pm. On Gars-bheinn a few minutes before setting off... (pic: R.Wild) Last week I was chatting with friends and psych reached boiling point as we realised that conditions for the weekend were looking good. Very good. My dad, Roger Wild, was more than happy to accompany me for an attempt during this October weather window so we headed up to Glen Brittle on Frid...
Read more

Welsh 3000ers Record

-
Image
For me a good challenge involves pushing myself in the mountains. For it to be really engaging it would need to involve at least some technical ground - rough tracks, scree runs, a wee bit of scrambling. It would be about speed but also stamina, a route that would push me hard. Racing is good, but an ‘against the clock’ solo adventure is often better. You’re still racing your biggest rival and harshest critic. As an example, when I first started reccying the Cuillin Ridge Traverse in 2012 I had no idea if the record was even possible for me. I’d have guessed my chances were below fifty-fifty. The unknown factor is key to the allure: daring to try, trying in the face of possible failure. Records have a magic about them too - a lifetime of experience, often days of planning, hours of exact physical and mental execution summarised to just a time. A time to strive for; to beat. And of course, the older the record the bigger the draw. With time grows a mystique: both enticing and cautionar...
Read more