Am Basteir is a mountain

Mountain

Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...

 in the northern Cuillin

Cuillin

This article is about the Cuillin of Skye. See Rùm for the Cuillin of Rùm.The Cuillin are a range of rocky mountains located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The true Cuillin are also known as the Black Cuillin to distinguish them from the Red Hills across Glen Sligachan...

 range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. It is 934 metres (3064 feet) high and classed as a Munro

Munro

A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...

. It forms a narrow blade of rock, which bears comparison with the Inaccessible Pinnacle

Inaccessible Pinnacle

Sgurr Dearg is a mountain in the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is topped by the Inaccessible Pinnacle , a fin of rock measuring 150 feet along its longest edge...

.

The easiest route to the summit starts from Sligachan

Sligachan

Sligachan is a small settlement on Skye, Scotland. It is close to the Cuillin mountains and provides a good viewpoint for seeing the Black Cuillin mountains.-Amenities:...

 following a path along the left bank of the Allt Dearg Beag (small red burn) for 5 km (3.1 mi) to a small lochan in the Coire a' Bhasteir, then up a gruelling scree

Scree

Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...

 slope to the bealach on the main ridge. A scramble of approximately 200 metres along the east ridge will bring you to the summit although care should be taken near the top as there is a "bad step", a 3 metre high notch in the ridge to negotiate. This could be scrambled down until recently but a rockfall now means it must be avoided, downclimbed or abseiled

Abseiling

Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...

. The western side of Am Basteir is vertical, though it is possible for a walker coming from the direction of Bruach na Frìthe

Bruach na Frithe

Bruach na Frìthe is one of the principal summits on the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering...

to reach the top by skirting below Am Basteir to reach the bealach mentioned above.

At the foot of the western side there is large prominent rock, similar in shape to Am Basteir itself, known as the Basteir Tooth.