GUNUNG · Britania Raya

Sgùrr Alasdair

Sgùrr Alasdair (Gaelik Skotlandia: "puncak Alexander"); nama lama Sgùrr Biorach

Sgùrr Alasdair, puncak tertinggi Black Cuillin di Isle of Skye, Skotlandia.. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 992 m
Country: Britania Raya (GB)
Location / Range: Black Cuillin, Isle of Skye, Highland, Skotlandia
Mountain type: Puncak gabro sisa intrusi vulkanik purba, dibentuk gletser menjadi punggungan bergerigi
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 57.2066, -6.2241
Difficulty: Berat — sekitar 9 km pulang-pergi dengan beda tinggi hampir 990 m; jalur berakhir dengan Great Stone Chute yang penuh scree lepas dan scramble punggungan timur bertingkat Grade 2 yang terbuka. Bukan jalur jalan kaki biasa meski berstatus Munro
Best Season: Mei–September saat hari panjang dan batu relatif kering. Hindari saat hujan atau kabut rendah; musim dingin praktis menjadi pendakian alpine bersalju yang menuntut kapak es dan crampon
Permits & Rules: Tidak perlu izin. Titik awal umum adalah perkemahan Glenbrittle di ujung jalan Glen Brittle di barat daya Skye, dengan parkiran tepat sebelum perkemahan; jalur naik ke Coire Lagan lalu ke pangkal Great Stone Chute. Jalur bawah sudah diperbaiki menjadi jalan setapak berbatu tersusun (pitched path) hasil kerja perbaikan erosi.
Hazards: Great Stone Chute adalah gully scree yang sangat curam dan lepas — batu yang terlepas oleh pendaki di atas menjadi bahaya nyata bagi yang di bawah, sehingga rombongan sebaiknya tidak menyebar sejajar. Ruas puncak berupa scramble Grade 2 yang terbuka; kesalahan di sana berkonsekuensi serius. Dalam kabut, tepian batu di Cuillin terlihat serupa satu sama lain dan sangat mudah salah jalan — ditambah masalah klasik Cuillin: gabro dan batuan magnetik di punggungan membuat pembacaan kompas tidak bisa diandalkan. Cuaca Skye berubah cepat; jaket tahan air dan kemampuan navigasi non-kompas (peta, bentang alam, GPS) sangat dianjurkan.

Description

Sgùrr Alasdair, at 992 m, is the highest peak of the Black Cuillin and the high point of the Isle of Skye, and one of the most prominent mountains in the British Isles. Its Gaelic name means "Alexander's peak", after Alexander Nicolson, who made the first recorded ascent in 1873; before that locals called it Sgùrr Biorach. The rock is gabbro — coarse, superbly grippy stone that is why climbers love the Cuillin, though the same ridge is notorious for magnetic rock that makes a compass unreliable. The usual route starts from the Glenbrittle campsite: a pitched stone path into the corrie of Coire Lagan directly beneath the summit, then some 300 m up the Great Stone Chute, a steep, loose, pale scree gully — fine gravel low down, larger boulders higher as the walls close in. From the bealach at its top, the east ridge is finished with a Grade 2 scramble to a narrow summit. That is roughly 9 km, almost 990 m of ascent, and 5–6 hours. The best descent is the way you came; the Stone Chute is in fact easier downhill. From the top the view sweeps the serrated Cuillin ridge, Loch Coruisk, and southward to Rum and Eigg.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Glenbrittle — Coire Lagan — Great Stone Chute — punggungan timur

Berat — scree lepas sangat curam, ditutup scramble terbuka Grade 2

±5–6 jam pulang-pergi

The normal and by far the most used route to the high point of the Isle of Skye. Park just before the Glenbrittle campsite at the end of the Glen Brittle road; the walk starts through the campsite and up the prominent path towards the hills. The lower section, once an eroded swamp, is now an excellent pitched-stone footpath, and as height is gained the views open to Rum and later Eigg. Once in the corrie of Coire Lagan directly beneath the summit, the climb meets the Great Stone Chute: about 300 m of extremely steep, loose scree, pale gravel with an obvious line low down, larger boulders higher as the walls narrow. From the bealach at its head the east ridge is finished with an exposed Grade 2 scramble to the narrow 992 m summit. That is roughly 9 km with almost 990 m of ascent. The main hazard is rock dislodged by parties above — never walk directly below another group.

Source

Lanjutan punggungan ke Sgùrr Mhic Choinnich lewat Collie's Ledge

Sangat berat — medan panjat punggungan Cuillin, bukan jalur pejalan

Tambahan ±2–3 jam dari puncak Sgùrr Alasdair

For those at home on the ridge, Sgùrr Alasdair can be linked to Sgùrr Mhic Choinnich via Collie's Ledge, a narrow ledge crossing a steep face on the Black Cuillin ridge. This is no longer walkers' ground: exposure is high, the line is hard to read, and some parties rope up. It is often combined with other tops such as Sgùrr Thearlaich or Sgùrr nan Eag in one long day. The unreliable-compass problem from magnetic rock applies here too, so navigation has to rest on map, terrain recognition and GPS. If in doubt, or if the weather turns, going back down the Great Stone Chute is the right call.

Source

Turun kembali lewat Great Stone Chute

Berat — turunan scree panjang, sedikit lebih mudah daripada naik

±2–2,5 jam dari puncak ke Glenbrittle

The recommended descent is back exactly the way you came. The Great Stone Chute is kinder downhill: fine scree low down allows a controlled sliding stride, and many walkers report descending far faster than they climbed. Still take care — loose footing easily sends rock down onto parties below, and the long descent is hard on knees. In cloud, do not rely on a compass: gabbro and magnetic mineral in the Cuillin ridge make the needle untrustworthy, while the rocky edges around you look almost identical. Be certain you have identified the head of the gully before starting down, and leave enough light for the path back to the campsite.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Almost every account of Sgùrr Alasdair revolves around one thing: the Great Stone Chute. POV videos from Glenbrittle show the same pattern — a pitched stone path into the corrie of Coire Lagan, then some 300 m up a steep scree gully, loose gravel low down that slides underfoot with every step, larger boulders higher as the walls close in. Above the bealach the east ridge is finished with an exposed Grade 2 scramble to a narrow summit. Quoted times run 5–6 hours for about 9 km and nearly 990 m of climb. The most repeated warnings: rock dislodged by parties above, Cuillin edges that all look alike in cloud, and a compass you cannot trust on magnetic rock. Some footage continues to Sgùrr Mhic Choinnich via Collie's Ledge or along the Cuillin ridge — ground that is climbing territory, no longer a walker's route.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.