Summit
Despite the copious opportunities to take in the surrounding mountainscapes, there’s a sense of anticipation as you reach the summit. A touch of light scrambling makes the summit itself a little sweeter, a touch more earned. When you reach the trig point, which conveniently has a wind break for those blustery days, you can pause to truly take in the surrounding landscape. We were lucky enough to catch it on a bluebird day, so could see all the way to Skye and even had hints of the mainland beyond! It’s a delight to take a moment, look back over all the ground you’ve covered and truly take in the rugged beauty of the Hebrides spread out beneath you.
Descent
As a group, we opted for a more gentle but sustained departure from the hill. Looking back down the route we’d come up it looked very manageable, especially for those of us with walking poles. However, with a slightly different outlook on Harris and a chance to overlook the scenic Loch Mhisteam, we opted to take a fresh route. This added some distance and time to our descent but made it far more enjoyable as we picked our way downwards. A little more bog down in the glen beneath as we picked our way between picturesque clear streams, and a mere 50 meter or so rise back onto the shoulder between Clisham and Tomnabhal, but then we were in fine standing for a leisurely wander back to the vehicle.
At the end, we felt tired, with those miles travelled and meters climbed coming back to take their toll, but seriously accomplished. Clisham seemed to look down approvingly behind us and we knew that we’d earned a bit of time in the shade to reflect on what we’d achieved.
After all, at the highest point of these islands, there’s no better spot to enjoy it from.