Five sisters

As Lesley put it, the Five Sisters are a full-on West Coast experience. No compromise start from a high pass. The Sisters tower above sea-level Glen Shiel in a 3300 - foot sweep of steep rugged ground; so switch your cardio-vascular system to "Full" and haul yourself up a staircase-like path towards Sgurr na Spainteach (Spaniard's Peak). Spare a thought for the Spanish, scrambling for their lives up this very ground after the battle of 1719.

The high ridge runs mile after mile; you can peer down into Glen Shiel as though from an aircraft, and watch the stringy road and tiny cars below. The ridge is often narrow and entertaining, occasionally rocky and gnarly, up and down over peaks and tops. A total climb of 5200 feet today. The view is into Knoydart, Beinn Sgrithgeal,

THE FIVE SISTERS OF KINTAIL As Lesley put it, the Five Sisters are a full-on West Coast experience. No compromise start from a high pass. The Sisters tower above sea-level Glen Shiel in a 3300 - foot sweep of steep rugged ground; so switch your cardio-vascular system to "Full" and haul yourself up a staircase-like path towards Sgurr na Spainteach (Spaniard's Peak). Spare a thought for the Spanish, scrambling for their lives up this very ground after the battle of 1719. The high ridge runs mile after mile; you can peer down into Glen Shiel as though from an aircraft, and watch the stringy road and tiny cars below. The ridge is often narrow and entertaining, occasionally rocky and gnarly, up and down over peaks and tops. A total climb of 5200 feet today. The view is into Knoydart, Beinn Sgrithgeal,
	Sgurr na Sgigne, The Saddle, Skye; old friends all. Sometimes a gentle mist playfully envelops the mountains, swirling in the warm air. As the afternoon lengthened, the sun broke through high cloud and we saw all the Cuillin Ridge in silhouette, Strathcarron and Applecross bathed in sunshine, Loch Duich glowing blue more than half a mile beneath our feet.
Spainteach, Sgurr na Ciste Dubh, Sgurr na Carnach Sgurr Fuarhan and then the slightly lower but shapely and dramatic Sgurr nan Saighead with sheer rock faces and corners on its north side. After this, the Sisters had a finale for us. Our drop from the last col was 1200 feet of thigh-high heather and grass at an improbable angle, mixed with rock slabs and overlaps. The Indiana Jones theme continued across a bog to a suspension bridge which officially "no longer exists".Just like the movies, it had missing planks and hung at a drunken angle. Loosen rucksack and tread gently!
	The legend is that these attractive and challenging Sisters were 5 brides who were turned into shapely summits to await their lovers who never turned up. Judging from our day, the bridegrooms made a big mistake. Andrew Eccles with Lesley King and Gethin Bridge, 10th September 2005