It was a Monday 22nd September 11.15 am and time to sign on. The weather was good, brilliant in fact and I felt strong but frustrated at my inability to do battle with the mountains. News at One was pretty boring but the weather forecast sent me dizzy with excitement. There was a little yellow sun over the Island of Skye. But what about transport?

A 3.1 Litre Isuzu Trooper uses a fair bit of diesel on a 900 mile round trip and then there is the cost of the Skye Bridge. Some quick math’s convinced me that the way to go was by train. Could I do it in 3 days? I studied the map and decided it was feasible if the trains ran in my favor I made reservations to Kyle of Lochalsh the next day-Tuesday, returning on Thursday. Why train? Environmental issues unfortunately didn't come into it, I'm not that noble. The train was chosen for speed, relaxation, rest, economics and most importantly for the adventure of it all. Yes the whole trip was to be an adventure. Something that we often fail to capture when climbing in the UK.

Nottingham, Tuesday 7.33 am, all packed and mother on child minding duty, I boarded the train for Kyle. The train was great, just sitting there speeding across the surface of the planet. Manchester, Preston, Edinburgh, Inverness and some fast food from Mc Donalds for a fast trip. The ride to Kyle was magical as the sun lowered and the sky turned orange. My brain buzzed with the excitement of the morrow. The train arrived at Kyle at 8.30 pm and I jumped straight on a bus to Broadford. From there I had to get 12 miles down the road towards Elgol and then take a path over the hill to Camusunary, a bothy on the beach on the way to the Loch Coruisk hut.

I started walking. The night was superb, millions of stars dotted the black sky and the air was warm. It was either very late or very early when I disturbed the occupants of the bothy, two fishermen from Blackpool. I got my head down for an hour and at 2.45 am packed up and headed round the coast towards Coruisk. The emotion and intensity were overwhelming in such powerful surroundings on such an impressive night.. "The Bad Step", a moderate scramble over rocks above the sea, even in the dark, didn't seem as bad as I remembered from a cold wet Easter and I continued towards Coruisk and beyond. I lost the path several times on the bare coastal rock and beyond as it took a diagonal line across the lower slopes of Bienn Garb. I decided to head straight up since that was the direction that I needed to go in. The going was hard over steep rock and grass. Progress was slow and the 40 lb sack seemed to slow me to a crawl. Nevertheless at 6.55 am I was on top of the first peak. It was cold and breezy with damp clouds hitting the final 200 feet. But dawn was close.

7.00 am and I was off, hoping the morning sun would soak up the intermittent cloud which enveloped the ridge. For the mean time I was happy to enjoy the constantly changing specter as the clouds swallowed and then spat out the grey rocky ridge. At 9.30 am I abseiled into the TD gap behind two lads from Edinburgh. It was cold in the gap and I waited 10 minutes chatting to the second whilst the leader hauled his way up the polished rocks wearing a full sack. I declined a kind offer of a rope and elected to solo, hauling my sack up after me. The ridge stretched on and by about 10.00am I was on the summit Sgurr Alastair. The Kings Chimney on Sgurr Mhic Coinnich looked desperate but good holds allow a traverse out right below the overhanging rock thankfully avoiding all difficulties The In Pin came and went as I moved well and precisely over the rocks with only few minor route finding errors.

Some of the peaks looked enormous but absorbed in the scrambling I lost track of time and distance. Naismiths route on Am Bhasteir Tooth was steep, exposed and a serious solo with a big sack and low energy level, the overhang at the top providing a stirring sting in the tail. "But the climber pulled through just as all climbers do and stood on the top" as the song "All For the Want of a Nail" goes. I finished the last of the days water and headed down to where the paths descends off the ridge to Sligachan. Here I dumped the sack and headed for the last peak, Sgurr Nan Gillean. This is a cracker of a hill and a good scramble. I threaded the needle and arrived on the summit at 4.15 pm parched and knackered. What a day!

I took a steady plod down towards Slig and stopped at a small gorge to brew up and have a good rest. I reached the pub at about 7.45 pm and was disturbed to find that I had missed the last bus to Kyle. I stood in the gathering darkness attempting to thumb a lift. As people came out the pub I resorted to begging. A couple admitted they were going a couple of miles down the road to Sconser and I jumped at the chance. We got chatting and I suddenly realised we were at Broadford. They assured me that they had not come far out their way. I thanked them for their kindness they really had saved the day. Later I found where Sconser was and realised that Broadford was 17 miles further on. Another short lift from Broadford to Kyleakin and then a 55 pence bus ride over the bridge ensured that I made the chip shop and didn't have to suffer a Pot Noodle.

I bivied at the far end of the platform ready for the 7.30 train back to Inverness. Later, just short of Edinburgh, brake problems developed and we were told to wait for the next train. That arrived five minutes later and managed to get us into Edinburgh a little over an hour late. Being over an hour late has its compensations I was told. The compensation hasn't arrived yet but I'm hopeful. At Edinburgh they rescheduled my journey through Newcastle York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby and finally arriving in Nottingham at 9.15 pm.

Good trip? Bloody brilliant. Spontaneous, committing, calculated, adventure. What it should be all about.

As for public transport, an adventure in itself and something which will need to be more common place over the next few years together with the return of the club outings as the government follows a necessary course away from private transport.

Costs Train £75.00 less any compensation from Scotrail, McDonalds Inverness £3.50, Bus to Broadford £2.00, Pint of orange in Sligachan, didn't matter. Fish and Chips in Kyle £2.50. Ask around and some people have attempted the ridge several times. So £100.00 to almost insure success when the weather is good and you arrive rested seems pretty reasonable.

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