text: Walk Report - Marsco • Walkhighlands
  by BlackPanther » Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:48 pm
  It's a cold, cold winter day... Mountains of snow everywhere, temperatures plunging down to minus double digits. Not that I'm not used to it (where I come from winters with -20*C aren't anything unusual), but the Arctic-like weather makes me think about nice, warm summer holidays
  Last summer we went to Isle of Skye for a week. It has already become our annual habit; we were camping in Sligachan, waking up every morning to the wonderful view of red and black Cuillins. Though weather wasn't up to our expectations (rain, clouds, wind, anything but snow ), we managed to "squeeze out" a couple of relatively good days, on one of which we climbed Marsco.
  The mountain tempted us every time we looked at it. It is a nicely-shaped hill when seen from Sligachan campsite:
  From the campsite we took a well-maintained path, which starts by the old bridge. The views were splendid, with Sgurr nan Gillean to the right and almost perfect shape of Glamaig to the left. After about 4km we reached the bottom of Marsco so we could look at it from a slightly different perspective:
  The hill viewed from the path for Loch Coruisk
  There is a boggy path that branches left from the main one and follows Allt na Measarroch up to a very picturesque gorge and eventually to the bealach between Marsco and Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach. Then it turns right along the old fence.
  As soon as we emerged from the glen, the tops of surrounding hills came to view, along with the panorama of Loch Ainort.
  The climbing route followed the old fence; we walked along in the shadow of craggy walls of Coire nan Laogh.
  The lost boot...
  The final push to the ridge was very steep, but the views when we reached it were well worth the effort... To the south, the dark, knife-sharp edges of Blaven and Garb-bheinn, to the south-west - Loch Coruisk, and to the west - the Black Cuillins themselves, their tops cutting through white clouds...
  Blaven and Garb-bheinn
  The main ridge looked easy now, when seen from below:
  The ridge to the summit of Marsco
  The summit turned out to be narrow, with very steep slopes on either side. The view was probably the finest I've seen so far from any Skye hill:
  Towards Loch Coruisk
  The Cuillin ridge again
  We retreated the same way we came, taking great care while descending on a wet, slippery grass slope. Despite the modest height, Marsco is a good fat-burning exercise I loved the experience and I will certainly tackle more Skye hills. Of course, as soon as the spring comes again. Meow!
  Last edited by BlackPanther on Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  Re: Marsco
  by dooterbang » Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:57 pm
  Nice informative report Blackpanther, and some fab photos
  Im heading to Skye on Saturday for a week (if i can get there!) and may do this walk (amongst many), thanks for the info
  by Caberfeidh » Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:09 pm
  dooterbang wrote: Loch Coruisk
  isleofskye 435.JPG (52.08 KiB) Viewed 29 times
  That baint Loch Coruisk, that be Loch Ainort that be.
  You can see my croft from there.
  by BlackPanther » Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:24 pm
  You can see my croft from there.[/quote]
  You're not picky, darling, not at all. You noticed what I didn't: that I posted the wrong picture in my report. Easily enough done when you have over 400 pics from one walk...
  I corrected it now. . Thanks.
  by malky_c » Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:54 pm
  Marsco looks good - will have to do it in my next trip to Skye
  The Red Cuillin have pretty good views of the Black Cuillin, so I'll be looking forward to that.
  Funnily enough, I remember another report from a few months back that also had a photo of that welly in it
  by magicdin » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:54 pm
  Single boot - Skye - not far from Caberfeidh's croft - Hmmm Suspicious or what
  by Graeme D » Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:55 pm
  magicdin wrote: Single boot - Skye - not far from Caberfeidh's croft - Hmmm Suspicious or what
  The poor bugger probably never knew what hit him!
  by gammy leg walker » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:44 pm
  Are you suggesting caberfeidh has a pot of soup brewing,surely not.
  by ColinScum » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:34 pm
  looks awesome! can't wait to get up there myself in April
  ColinScum
  by malky_c » Fri Dec 16, 2011 1:54 am
  Thought I'd missed this report, then saw that I'd already made a comment
  Then realised it was from 2010! Oops - still not been up it. Great photos
  by Cuillin » Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:21 pm
  Don't worry malky, it's well worth a second read!
  Great report of Marsco which has really whetted my appetite, although being a glutton for punishment, I fancy combining it with the nearby Beinn Dearg Mhor.