The Cuillin Ridge

Photo Above: The full length of the Cuillin Ridge as viewed from Glen Talisker which lies to the west. The peak at the far right (south) end is Ghars-bheinn and that on the left is Sgurr nan Gillian. Note the snow patches which still remained in May when this photo was taken.

These notes are intended to assist the walker and climber of considerable mountain experience who wishes to undertake the Cuillin Ridge. They are brief and not designed to be comprehensive in any way.

Ultimately mountaineering is a dangerous sport and claims many casualties each year. One of the guiding principals of British climbing and mountaineering is that it is the individual climber is responsible for his or her own safety. If you cannot accept this then this site and probably climbing in general is unlikely to suit you. May we refer you to this very interesting site instead!

The Cuillin Ridge is the traverse of the main summits of the Black Cuillin Mountains in Skye, one of the Western Isles in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Although the climbing technicalities are not great, the route is extremely long and exposed and calls for competent soloing at Diff (and occasionally Severe) standard in boots or running shoes on occasionally wet and sometimes dubious rock, combined with good stamina. It is important that you are competent in belaying and moving together "alpine style" ie shortening the rope and hitching it over flakes and nubbins on the move. There are only certain points at which it is easy to quit the Ridge and most of these leave you a considerable distance from a road which carries little traffic. Navigation is particulary complex. Compasses can be affected by the magnetic rock (hold it well away from the rock when taking a bearing, and take your bearing several times in different places). Mist when it descends (which can be often) is very disorientating and can linger for days. Even parties which know the ridge well are hard put to navigate in these conditions. The Cuillin Ridge is not really a rock climb at all - it is much better to think of it as a long and arduous alpine route of reasonable technicality that requires both stamina and experience for a successful attempt.

The Summer Traverse of the Cuillin Ridge

Having said all that, the Summer Traverse of the Ridge is a superb and very satisfying expedition. It is generally undertaken from south to north in summer so that the major difficulties are climbed and your day ends at a pub! There are two main approaches, either in a day which should take a competent party soloing nearly all difficulties around 12 to 14 hours from the Glen Brittle Campsite to the Sligachan Hotel, with around 7 or 8 hours being required for the Ridge itself (ie from the summit of Gars-bheinn in the south to the summit of Sgurr nan Gillean in the north).

Photo: Looking north from the southern-most peak of Gars-bheinn - a daunting sight! The high 'double peak' is Sgurr Alasdair (on the left) and Sgurr Thearlaich (on the right). Sgurr nan Gillean, the final summit, is the far off cone-shaped peak before the obvious gap of Glen Sligachan.

Approximate times that a party who needs to rope up for the harder sections might expect from Gars-bheinn are:

The current summer record stands at an amazing 2hrs 59mins 22secs and is held by Finlay Wild.

An alternative approach is to take two or three days and carry bivi kit and food (or stash them in advance). Whichever way you choose it is essential to carry plenty of water as there is no supply on the Ridge. 2 litres per person per day plus extra for cooking if bivouaccing should suffice. However, by descending with care from the ridge, it is possible to reach water in the corries - so take a 10 litre waterbag, (plus 2m of clear plastic siphon tubing and a mug) to fill for your bivis.

Of these two approaches the former is definitely the best, provided you are fit enough, as you can carry a minimal sack containing little more than a rope, water and sandwiches.

The best time of year for the traverse is generally May and June when stable periods of high pressure can last for weeks and the infamous midges have not yet emerged from their burrows! Long days are an asset too. If going early, check that all the snow has gone. However, if planning the multiday bivi route, lingering snow patches are an advantage as you can melt snow for water (but may need a second gas cylinder).

Photo: Nearing the TD Gap, with the Isle of Rhum in the background.

In summer, the major technical difficulties when approaching from the south are:

There are many other places where it would not be unusual to feel the need of a rope.

38m of 7.5mm or 8mm will suffice, but only if you are happy leading Very Difficults and Severes on a single half rope. Official advice would be that whatever rope you carry should be tested to single rope standard and this is certainly what a guide would use, but this adds weight: it remains a matter of individual choice based on assessing the risk. Aside from the rope, 4  or 5 wires, a couple of cams (a Camalot 2 or equivalent is useful for the TD Gap), 6 x 120cm slings and 4 x 60cm slings set up as 'alpine' quickdraws, along with some 'ab tat' is quite enough gear. 

Photo: Abseiling into the TD Gap.

Photo: Climbing the Original Route out of the TD Gap. Once given Difficult, this awkward pitch is now graded Severe and is often bypassed.

Photo: Scrambling up below the Inaccessible Pinnacle, with a party abseiling off.

Photo: Biviing on the Ridge - midge nets essential!

Photo: A Diff section on Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh. Many parties would rope up for this pitch.

Photo:  Am Bhastier and the Bhasteir Tooth. Naismith's Route goes up cracks hidden round to the right.

The Winter Traverse of the Cuillin Ridge

In winter the major difficulty is in finding good conditions. Close proximity to the sea means that although good conditions are present most years, they seldom last long, and though they do form quickly, they generally melt very shortly thereafter. Heavy snowfall followed by a stable area of high pressure bodes well. In which case act at once, take instant leave (or in extremis, quit your job), motor northwards overnight like a fiend (remembering the speed cameras) and take a bivi bag, 4 season sleeping bag, stove and food for two to three days, as well as a reasonable amount of Winter Climbing Equipment (mainly slings - think lightweight!). It is probably best to take a pair of light 50m ropes unless you know the Ridge extremely well, in which case one might suffice. However if you get the ab wrong off Am Bhastier you will definitely need 100m of rope and King's Chimney could cause problems too.

Photo Above: Setting off from the Sligachan for the Bhastier Coirre at the start of a two day traverse of the Cuillin Ridge in Winter. Pinnacle Ridge takes the left hand skyline of Sgurr nan Gillean which is the left-hand peak and makes a great start to a winter traverse.

The Winter Traverse is generally made from north to south as the major difficulties can be bypassed by abseil, though this still leaves a desperate short pitch out of the TD Gap (Grade IV (6) according to the SMC guide). Starting from the north means that Pinnacle Ridge (IV) can be used to reach Sgurr nan Gillean if the conditions are good. There are many good bivi sites along the ridge and water is not a problem in winter. A major difficulty though can be getting a lift back up Glen Brittle to the Sligachan!

The current record for the winter traverse is 4 hours and 57 minutes by Uisdean Hawthorn - however most parties should plan on at least one bivi!

Looking south from Am Bhastier – a long way to go!

Packing up after after a bivi near Bidean Druim nan Ramh (Photo – Mike Osborne).

Photo : The Cuillin Ridge in winter, looking north from Sgurr Mhic Choinnich towards An Stac and the Innaccessible Pinnacle.

Photo: Heading towards Sgurr Mhiccoinnich after descending An Stac.

Photo: The end in sight with just Gars-bheinn to go.

Guidebooks & Maps

The best guidebooks and maps to the Cuillin Ridge are :

There are good accounts of the Ridge traverse in summer in:

There are good accounts of the Ridge traverse in winter in:

Accomodation for attempting the Cuillin Ridge traverse:

Other Information:

The Clach Glas Traverse - a mini alternative to the Cuillin Ridge

If you are uncertain as to whether you are quite up to the Cuillin Ridge, you can of course just pick out sections of it at a time and many parties do this as part of their training for the full traverse. However, if you don't wish to spoil the "on sight" (as they say in some branches of our weird and wonderful sport) a good alternative exists in the shape of the Clach Glas Ridge which lies to the east of Loch Coriusk. It is best started via an easy scramble up the East Ridge of Sgurr Nan Each from where the way over Clach Glas to the summit of Bla Bheinn is hard to miss in good weather. Climbing of up to Severe will be encountered if difficulties are taken direct but there are no abseils so it is possible to just take a rope and a few slings for the more difficult sections and dispense with harnesses. Despite being much shorter than the main ridge, this mini version should not be underestimated, especially if the clag is down and the rock wet.

If you can cope with the Clach Glas Ridge you shouldn't have any problems on the Cuillin Ridge beyond keeping going for about ten times as long!

Left: The Clach Glas traverse with Sgurr Nan Each on the right, Clach Glas in the centre, and the twin summits of Bla Bheinn on the left.

Below: Speck in the landscape. Sally Baxendale heads up towards the summit of Clach Glas.