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Sgurr Alasdair via The Great Stone Chute from Glenbrittle

Start/Finish

Glenbrittle BMC Memorial Hut (next to Mountain Rescue) or car parking before Glenbrittle Campsite. Parking inside the campsite grounds is charged.

Distance/Time

10 km.      About 8 hours.

Peaks

Sgurr Alasdair, 992 m, NG 450 207. OS sheet 32 but see below.

Introduction

Only two Munro peaks lie off the main Cuillin Ridge: Sgurr Alasdair and Sgurr Dubh Mor. Sgurr Sgumain also lies off the main ridge but it is a subsidiary top of Sgurr Alasdair which is the highest peak on Skye. The two adjacent, triangular, jagged peaks are well seen from the Glenbrittle hut with Sgurr Alasdair on the left and Sgurr Sgumain on the right. The Great Stone Chute is a scree slope which stretches from the floor of Coire Lagan, by the lochan, all the way to the bealach between Sgurr Alasdair and Sgurr Thearlaich. The rock underfoot varies from fine scree to large chunks with some boulders. It is a very strenuous ascent and descent. OS sheet 32 covers the walk but some will prefer the Harvey map of the Cuillin. The SMT used to publish a very good map of the main Cuillin (not including the Blaven range) which had the contour map on one side (unfortunately without grid lines!) and a diagram map on the reverse similar in style to that used in the SMC Munros book. In clear weather, the diagram map is probably the most useful as the others can be over powering with all their contours. There are many guide books for Skye but the most popular and comprehensive seems to be the SMC Skye Scrambles and is well worth buying. Note that a compass is unreliable on the Cuillin so be extra prepared in bad weather to cope without one. A compass needle may spin. The views on this walk are absolutely stunning, not just of the Cuillin peaks but also of Coir a' Ghrunnda, which many regard as the most attractive corrie in the southern Cuillin, as well as the islands of Soay, Rum, Eigg and Canna, however this is not a walk for the inexperienced especially in bad weather. On the walk into Coire Lagan, there is a good view of the Cioch – a great chunk of rock which sticks out from the slabs of Sron na Ciche. A scene in the film “Highlander” featured a sword fight on the Cioch but it is only a place for experienced rock climbers. Sron na Ciche is one of the most popular climbing areas in the Cuillin with many famous routes.

Route

(1) From the Glenbrittle hut, follow the obvious well engineered path uphill which soon crosses the Allt Coire na Banachdich (bridge) then heads ESE past Loch an Fhir-bhallaich. Just before the end of the loch, fork left and ascend into Coire Lagan. Here the path is occasionally faint but the direction is fairly obvious. Reach the only large lochan sitting. Go around this and start up the Great Stone Chute in the top right hand corner of the corrie. There are three large cairns near here. The ascent is gentle at first on railway type gravel but very quickly steepens and becomes much more strenuous. The easiest routes seem to be at the sides – on the right lower down then over to the left higher up. The route is obvious and curves around to the right higher up. The higher section is not visible from the lochan in the corrie. Be careful not to stray too far left or right though as one could end up in a very steep gully or on a precarious rock band. Near the top, the chute narrows between the cliffs of Sgurr Thearlaich and Sgurr Alasdair. Some people take two hours, or longer, to ascend the chute. Once at the top, there is a small enclosed bivouac on the right. A path seems to lead down the other side but it ends in a sheer drop so don't go there. To the left of the bivouac site is a path which leads into a broken rocky ridge. The scrambling is easy but exposed in places so care is needed and it is not far to the small cairn which marks the summit of Sgurr Alasadir, 992 m.

(2) Return the same way, taking great care when descending the Great Stone Chute.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 23^rd May, 2012.

(b) Experience scramblers can continue to Sgurr Sgumain then down the much easier Sgumain Stone Chute. Very experienced scramblers can also ascend Sgurr Thearlaich and maybe even around Coire Lagan to Sgurr Mhic Choinnich, An Stac and the Inaccessible Pinnacle. Details of these extensions are in the Skye Scrambles book.