Cuillin in the sky

Having missed out on a Scottish trip last year, I was determined to make up for it this year. I targetted some particular mountains that I had not climbed before, but i also wanted to climb Bla Bheinn again as it was the only one of the Skye Cuillin that I had not had a view from the top (due to thick cloud). I had camped near the bottom of the mountain and the previous evening I had watched low cloud roll in from the north and start to cover the neighbouring hills. The next morning the cloud was down like a thick blanket, but there were the odd break or two further south - so I decided to go for it. I climbed up the easy first section and was soon walking in thick mist and I contiinued on up to the lip by the lochan, and turned right onto the steeper section. As i climbed higher the mist started to thin, the light became brighter - and then I could see the sun. I broke through the top of the mist layer and found myself above a fabulous inversion looking down on a white wooly blanket of cloud. I saw truly astonishing sights on the rest of the climb (more of that later) before finally topping out. The view across to the main Cuillin Ridge only appears at the last moment as you approach the summit, but nothing prepared me for this. I was confronted by a sea of cloud with only the main Cuillin Ridge standing above it, and further round ony Clach Glas and Garbh Bheinn were high enough to poke through. It almost looked like I could walk across. It was a truly beautiful and awe inspiring sight, and amazingly I had the entire thing to myself! A day to remember...

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