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Cuillin Ridge tips wanted (Read 8790 times)

psychomansam

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Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 07, 2014, 07:34:29 pm
Thanks to Duncan, Will Hunt and some others whose comments I've read already from other threads. http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=8101.1775

Planning on giving this a go over 2 days this summer (hopefully that'll be one night away from the midges at least). Spent a year in Wales where I did a fair bit of higher scrambling, though that was a couple of years back now. Hoping to get in the odd scramble in the Lakes shortly beforehand and climb a couple of easier multi-pitches routes in boots as I usually do. Planning on heading up for a reasonable length trip and doing some practice scrambles/recces/kit drops with partner before giving the traverse ago. Any other tips or anecdotal warnings?

As an aside, my fitness should be fairly high by that point of the summer. I'm running a 30 odd mile trail/fell race the weekend before we're planning on heading up there. So theoretically I might be fit enough for a one-day shot. But I've got a shit head for heights when unroped and don't fancy the harder bits without a rope. And my partner's fitness is a bit of an unknown quantity.

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#1 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 07, 2014, 08:26:51 pm
Here's a few notes I made after our failed attempt a couple of years ago. It was early in the year so still cold, we did the classic trick of taking too much stuff and not stashing it to collect later, hence we were slow and gave up before the point of no return...

    Kit
    • You will take too much
    • don't take too much as you will fail
    • The Ravens may eat your food, they can open rucksac zips!
    • Approach shoes may be better than boots except on scree
    • Weight is everything
    • Thin trousers or thick running tights
    • Dont' take softshell trousers or jacket, too hot and heavy
    • Take cheap work gloves, gabbro shreds decent gloves quickly
    • You can climb and scramble with gloves on if necessary
    • 2lt carrier plus empty plastic bottle.

    Tactics
    • Camp at lake works well, do first section and walk in one afternoon, then stash bivi kit/tent
    • leave bivi kit at cave or near lake
    • Don't go in a 3, bivi spots are two max
    • Doesn't take long to go down to water from cave
    • Cook big pasta/rice meal at cave and leave stove
    • Don't be too comfy in the bivi, you'll sleep late. Be cold and you'll get up nice and early
    • Recover car and bivi kit from Glenbrittle, approx 6hrs
    • Taxi from Slig to Glenbrittle easy enough but not cheap
    • leave a tent and bike at the Slig and bike or taxi back to Glenbrittle in the morning
    • Don't under estimate the walk in, it's long and hard
    • Keep going
    • One rucksack between two, one carries rope and camelbak
    • Leader doesn't have large sack
    • Climbs are easy grades but very polished and not at all easy wearing walking boots, carrying a sack and every worst if some holds are wet and/or icy!

    Weather etc
    • If its cold you may take too much gear
    • If you take a lot of gear you may fail

    Food
    • Take plenty of savoury, you get sick of sweet stuff
    • Big rice/pasta meal for bivi
    • Energy gels might be a good idea

Muenchener

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#2 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 07, 2014, 09:44:51 pm
It's a fantastic outing, way better than anything I've done in the Alps in the Long Moderate Ridge Traverse genre.

As an aside, my fitness should be fairly high by that point of the summer. I'm running a 30 odd mile trail/fell race the weekend before we're planning on heading up there. So theoretically I might be fit enough for a one-day shot. But I've got a shit head for heights when unroped and don't fancy the harder bits without a rope. And my partner's fitness is a bit of an unknown quantity.
Fair enough. Sounds like you're aerobically way fitter than I was when I did it. I had done nothing but cragging and circuit training in the year prior, hadn't been near a mountain, and we did it in a day comfortably. 11 hours summit to summit iirc and 15 hours total trip Glen Brittle to Sligachan. (Although previous to that I had done a lot of hillwalking and orienteering, so I had some base fitness and was very good at navigating.)

We roped up for the TD Gap, the ab off the Inn Pinn and the Bhasteir Tooth.

Cruxes are the TD Gap - utterly heinous polished insecure steep crack, absolute joke at "v diff". And An Stac: pretty much the only loose bit of the whole thing, and steep scrambling in Do Not Fall situations. Wouldn't really be feasible to rope up for this either.

We were on the island for two weeks in June, so we had the luxuries of waiting for a good weather window and 20+ hours daylight.

I wore big boots. These days would do it in approach shoes. "Rack" was one half rope, one long sling and one screw krab each which we used as improvised sit harnesses for the abs and as "the rack" for the climbing bits with the rope tied round our waists. We carried too much food, half of which we couldn't eat because we ran out of water. My mate's girlfriend met us on top of Gillean with water supplies and saved our lives.

Quote
some practice scrambles/recces
If you're staying at Glen Brittle - generally a good idea, the sea breeze keeps the midges at bay compared to Sligachan which is Midge Hell - then walk round to Coruisk, do the Sgurr Dubh Mhor Slabs(*) and back down to Glen Brittle. And the Coire Lagan round starting with some kind of easy route link-up on Sron na Ciche.

These are both thoroughly worthwhile outings in their own right, and you recce important parts of the ridge (and you tick the Munros that don't lie directly on the ridge if you're interested in that sort of thing, thus saving time on Ridge Day)

* best easy rock route in the UK

dave

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#3 Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 07, 2014, 10:37:39 pm
I'd ditto what Obi said. I would add that if you're taking a rope for the TD gap, kings chimney etc and abbing off the In Pin then there's really nothing to be gained by not roping up for the rest. If you're carrying it you may as well feel the benefit. If you unrope then one of you has to carry the rope. However if you can move together effectively alpine style with chest coils then this doesn't slow you down, the rope is there for the odd dodgy step if you need it, you're not guarantee death if you slip, and the weight is spread across both of you. We have this weird thing in the UK where we think it's better to stay unropedn easy ground, as if it's a case of losing face if you stay roped, or someone will hand out a medal for heroics if you keep the rope in the bag.

Personally having been up there twice and done the first half of the ridge twice, both curtailed one way or another by weather, I reckon the key is flexibility. Doing it all in a day is a big day out and personally I reckon you'd have to be moving so fast you could hardly enjoy the situation, and would need perfect weather.  But if you're up there with a one day weather window then go for it. I reckon the best way would be over two days with either an ultralight or pre-stashed bivi. You can afford to go slower and enjoy it, and deal with less than ideal weather or the off bit of snow or wet rock. Having said that, if you carry too much then that kind of terrain is absolutely debilitating with a heavy sack. Lighter sack also means you can get away with lighter footwear.

The other thing that probably goes without saying is the less time up there you allow yourself the much lower your chances are. Weather is probay as big a cause of failure up there as anything else. Best time is late May early June.


The recommendation of the Dubhs Ridge is a good one, amazing route, we got the boat in and out from elgol, proper Bond style entrance, well worth the money.

psychomansam

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#4 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 07, 2014, 10:42:37 pm
Thanks for all this!!

dave

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#5 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 07, 2014, 10:47:09 pm
P.s. An Stac seems to have a rep for being loose, but I've found it fine both times, and is some of the best scrambling on there. Seems daft to pussy out and take the big long scree slog up the side.

Another tip if there's a queue on the in pinn then climb the far back side instead. Harder (grim if wet/snowy) but will save you lots of time, even pitching it.

Oldmanmatt

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#6 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 07, 2014, 10:49:22 pm
Mossi nets.


More Mossi nets.


Repellent.


Some extra repellent.


Then give up and try again in the Spring.


Seriously, I've been driven back off that ridge three times since I first went with my Dad at around 14 years old. Twice by blizzards, trying for the winter run and once by Bl£+# Fuc;^# bitching£&@ Mossi's the size of a 747.

No, really!


They carried off four sheep and a Landrover, I swear!



Oh yeah.

You'll need some Camomile lotion, for after the Mossi's have ignored your repellent and torn open the netting.

SA Chris

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#7 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 09:02:12 am
If you're staying at Glen Brittle - generally a good idea, the sea breeze keeps the midges at bay compared to Sligachan which is Midge Hell

I've had ruthless midgies at Glenbrittle btw, there's no guarantee it will be good.

My advice is; go climb the Cioch instead. Coich West - Arrow Route - Integrity is an amazing day out.

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#8 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 10:14:21 am
Adam Lincoln started a similar thread on UKH a few weeks back, worth checking too: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=589877

Have you done it yet Adam?

I've been up in the Cuillin on four or five trips, but never completed it despite two 'proper' attempts, one summer, one winter. Both curtailed by the clag coming in, its almost impossible to navigate up there in cloud. One trip with my Dad we never got the weather to try. Have had some magical days though, on my second trip my partner fell ill so I went soloing and had a great time - a visit to the Cioch and the Clach Glas-Blaven traverse (which often has better weather) are mega. If you get one half-decent day do the Coire Lagan round or Clach Glas instead of failing on the ridge.

You sound way fitter than I've ever been. Doing it in a day will be no problem if you get the weather, but expect parts to feel like a big slog.

My ideal way to do it would be this: rent cottage & take family to handle pick ups/ drop offs. Take two days in late May, get the little ferry from Elgol into Corusik and avoid the long walk in (if you had family with you you could have a night in the bothy too but this would likely stretch the weather window to breaking point). This would mean a fairly late start, so take it steady and semi-bivi for a few hours and enjoy a sunset and sunrise - Bruach an Frithe seems to have the best view, but its a good 2/3rds of the way along.

Logistics are a pain with one car, though it'd be nice cycling country on a road bike. There is a bus Broadford-Slig-Carbost, it might extend to Glen Brittle and Elgol occasionally.

Skye is massive and there is good climbing well away from the Cuillin and its cloud. Basically don't get too focussed on the full ridge unless the weather is great.

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#9 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 01:30:37 pm
To reiterate my previous post and as other have said, getting good weather is the crux and it's best to be flexible. I did three trips to Skye before getting on the ridge, but managed the traverse on-sight, first try when I finally got good connies. An 18 hour spell of clear weather is more common than a 36 hour one which makes a one-day crossing more likely to succeed.

The biggest danger to me seemed the risk of a loss of concentration when tired on the long sections of scrambling, more so even than soloing any of the identified climbing pitches. A light pack without bivi stuff makes this safer, again favouring the single day approach. 12 hours top-to-top didn't feel rushed, I didn't run a step. Plus I like doing things "In A Day"!

I stayed at the Bunkhouse at Sligachen, left my sleeping bag there, drove to Glen Brittle and left the car. Did the ridge south to north, so ended up back at my sleeping arrangements (and the Pub) with no need to get back to Glen Brittle late at night. You have to get up a little earlier than if you camp in GB. The Elgol-Corsuik approach sounds amazing but you'll need a good chunk of good weather for this.

As others have said, it's a wonderful place and there are many other options if the ridge isn't in.


Muenchener

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#10 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 01:55:44 pm
12 hours top-to-top didn't feel rushed, I didn't run a step.

Ditto.

However, that's assuming all members of the team have extensive mountaineering / scrambling / hillwalking experience and are comfortable on ground that is not particularly technical, but where mistakes have consequences. If - for example - you've done the Welsh Threes north to south, with Crib Goch at the end when you're tired, then the scrambling on the Cuillin Ridge is no big deal.

If anybody is not comfortable with that sort of thing then it would be a very different ballgame.

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#11 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 08:59:03 pm
Damn but I'd forgotten how much I love that ridge!

Must be one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet; real Middle Earth stuff.


Muenchener

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#12 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 09:15:02 pm
Must be one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet; real Middle Earth stuff.

+1

NW Scotland is the most beautiful place I have ever seen

Will Hunt

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#13 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 11:00:16 pm
Always good to dip into the personal memory banks and review Skye experiences. I don't wholly agree with some of the advice on the thread so will chip in my tuppence.
I've been to Skye three times and didn't really set the ridge as a goal on the first two occasions. It had been talked up too much - nobody will ever say to you "we did the Cuillin traverse and it was pish". Everyone has their own horror stories of running out of time and water and getting lost. In the end, with hindsight, we had a very smooth run. A little tired at the end but still relatively chipper.
First time on Skye we did the Dubh Ridge (hitch to Elgol, boat, ridge, over to Sgurr Alasdair, Glenbrittle, hitch to Slig) and that was knackering. It was also pretty scary as I'd never been in that big mountain environment before and it was all a bit alien feeling (think I'd been climbing for 2-3 years at that point). Soloing up the slabs felt easy but wild and the ridge was very intimidating. If you've been to the Alps or some other big range before then it won't feel as bad.
Second time it didn't really occur to us to try it, largely because the perception was still there that it was too hard. A couple of mates did it and found it fine which spurred us on to do it in the third year. I think the slow build up to the ridge helped as when I got to it I felt comfortable with the surrounds and with scrambling. You don't need so much fitness as an ability to smash through walk ins and long mountain days and not get fatigued. Somebody once said you should be at full marathon fitness which I thought was plainly ludicrous.

Kit:
Harness each (unless you favour the bowline!)
Half a set of wires
2/3 slings
Maybe 3/4 quickdraws
Rope - If you can source a 35m rope then I would recommend this. I had a 50m single that I was retiring and chopped it at 35m to give it a last hurrah on the ridge. In hindsight this may have been of huge benefit as the weight difference is significant when taking 15m off. A Skye guide had told us that 35m was sufficient (just) to lead everything on the route (though I think we stretched it on Naismith's). Crucially we never got to test this on the In Pinn ab as we jumped on someone else's rope. I think it would have been fine - even if your feet didn't get to the floor you'd have no more than a couple of metres to drop onto a very very large flat area (or downclimb of course)
Grub - Think we had 3 Jamaica cakes between us (basically Lembas Bread) and a sarnie each.
Water - Key! Think we had 3 litres of container space. Drank a litre on the way up the Ghrunnda and filled up at the burn. Contrary to everyone else's experience I had 2 litres left at the end! Don't count on this though. Its the one thing you want to make a weight concession on. One thing to perhaps do is to practice big mountain days with rationing water and controlling the amount you drink.
Guide - Definitely definitely definitely get the Rockfax guide to the Ridge. Folds up into your pocket so you can consult it with ease whenever you want (I referred to it almost constantly to check we were on the optimum route) and weighs nothing and gives by far the best traverse description. Worth its weight in gold.
Think that's about it. Personally I wouldn't bother with gloves (don't see the point, didn't use my hands for most of it). Also wouldn't bother with stashing kit as it will eat into two days of your holiday to place and recover (which might be good weather days when you should really be traversing); and for a young, reasonably fit party moving with reasonable pace it simply isn't necessary.

Make sure you spend the day before resting, prepping, eating everything you can lay your hands on, and drinking lots and lots of water. Tin of rice pud makes a good brekkie as its got nice carbs and sugar in it. Early start obv - the sunrise on a clear day is still probably the most beautiful vista I've seen anywhere (outlying islands with tiny yachts bobbing in isolated, hidden bays; the sea turning orange; the deafening silence).

Think that's about it.

dave

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#14 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 08, 2014, 11:30:03 pm
Stashing bivi gear or water needn't take up two days (although if you're going up there only allowing the bare minimum of time then odds are you won't get it done either) as depending where you're stashing it and how much there is it may be feasible to carry it all out on the second day, especially since most of the most technical ground that is a pain with a heavy bag is in the first half of the ridge. Plus a day up on the back half of the ridge stashing gear and recceing the route is hardly likely to be time wasted and should be a confidence boost (and could be a good day out in itself).

I think the thing to take away from this is there's more than one way to skin a cat

psychomansam

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#15 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 09, 2014, 07:28:05 am

I think the thing to take away from this is there's more than one way to skin a cat

Indeed, but I am appreciating all the comments. Will play it by ear and will enjoy some of the other routes/ridges first. Think we're bivying quite a bit so walking in the day before might make it more doable in a oner. We'll see how we're getting on speed-wise on the other stuff we do.

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#16 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
July 09, 2014, 07:32:46 am
I think Sod's law tends to prevail as a rule, on Skye more so than most places. Go to the hassle of stashing water and you won't succeed on the ridge. Don't and you'll get really thirsty. I did the first time and won't bother again. If you do stash, please don't hide it too well and clearly write a date on. The chances of you not returning are high and you should maximise the chances of it being used by others and not becoming litter.

psychomansam

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#17 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
August 07, 2014, 09:37:45 am
Any bouldering on Skye?

By which I mean easy bouldering within easy access of somewhere to fill an evening etc. I.e. worth chucking a mat in?

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#18 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
August 07, 2014, 11:09:57 am
Yes, lots. Not sure I'd bother with a mat personally though as they take up so much space in the car.

SA Chris

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#19 Re: Cuillin Ridge tips wanted
August 07, 2014, 11:46:26 am
Yeah quite a bit. There is the betaguide Gabbrofest guide to bouldering on the island, covers Coire Ghrunnda and Lagan (I think) fairly extensively, plus a few other places like Carn Liath (quite a hike!). Mentions some other possibilities, like Elgol and Talisker Bay (I think, can check) having some stuff too, but not actually bouldered there. Both are great spots though, but Elgol is a fair drive. If you have space put a pad in.

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