Skye's Cuillin Ridge Traverse. Adrian Trendall
has the bonus of only requiring a small weather window to offer a chance of success. To succeed, you will need to solo everything except the technical climbs and abseils. If the forecast is good, then be prepared for queues at the T-D Gap as other people will have seen the forecast. Either leave very, very early so as to arrive at the gap before anyone else or, if you are confident of a speedy traverse then leave later so as to be behind the early starters and arrive to a crowd free gap. The only other blockage is likely to be the In Pinn. But if you are moving fast you can still get there before the munro baggers arrive mid to late morning.
CREST: Cuillin Ridge Expedition Style Traverse
The multi-day (usually two-day) approach can be a satisfying way to do the ridge and spend an extended period of time up high. This is for mountain lovers rather than teams that just want the ridge tick. It’s also great for keen photographers with the chance of a great sunset and sunrise. What better way is there to chill out after a long mountain day than eating and drinking endless brews while looking out to Hebridean islands and the ridge traversed and that still to come?
There is less urgency with this approach, and no need for such an excruciatingly early start. Time should be less pressing so there is some leeway to cope with delays at notorious bottlenecks like the T-D Gap or In Pinn. Water is not as scarce as the naysayers would have you believe so you don’t have to carry debilitating amounts.
If you do decide to bivi, then make sure it’s going to be comfortable. An uncomfortable night may well ruin your chances of finishing the ridge. Make sure all your gear is up to the job and try to pick a comfortable site. Remove any obvious rocks that will dig into you. If it’s windy, then use one of the many stone shelters or consider descending on the lee side of the ridge a short distance. However, remember if there are midges about then a breeze is beneficial.
A good rest combined with rehydrating and a decent meal are the key for success on day two. Set up things as soon as possible, rehydrate and eat then relax. A good bivi will enhance the whole traverse.
Typical stone-walled bivi site. Note midge net being worn
The downsides include having to carry much heavier/bulkier packs, which reduce the enjoyment factor, as well as the need for a longer weather window and the greater chance that the forecasters may have got things wrong. A lot of people who opt for CREST could have managed TRIAD with its correspondingly much lighter loads. Much of the challenge of TRIAD is psychological.
Both CREST and TRIAD are open to various options
Some teams walk into Gars-bheinn and bivi. The next day you can stash the bivi gear and move fast and light. This means you get to experience a high bivi, get the approach and 900m ascent out of the way and your legs have the night to recover. Arriving by the last boat from Elgol could make for an excellent evening. Slowly wander up Gars-bheinn, cook dinner and fill your water bottles as high as possible, then continue to the summit and start the ridge. Stop at one of the stone circles, brew up and rehydrate before enjoying the evening.
The major downside of the above is having to retrieve your gear. Ideally, friends or relatives would be coerced into getting your gear back. Potentially, support teams could meet you on the ridge at various places such as the In Pinn. or An Dorus with bivi gear, food, water and so on.
Your team could place bivi gear, food and water in certain places for you but this means you are absolutely committed to getting to where they are hidden. Also, it potentially wastes two days placing and retrieving the gear but it does make for nice light packs. If you pre-place gear then be certain that you can recognise the hiding place especially with the possibility that you may be arriving in the dark or in poor weather conditions. Remember to go back to remove any bottles or rubbish left in caches. Abandoned water bottles are becoming an increasing problem on the ridge.
On a tactical level, there are lots of choices that can be made on the hoof depending on how time, tiredness and the weather are doing. The Cuillin Ridge Light tactic would have you always taking the easiest option. Most (but not all) of these easier options are shown as green alternative routes in the Topo Booklet, enabling you to mix and match to suit your ability and experience:
T-D Gap or bypass it and do Sgurr Alasdair’s south-west ridge
King’s Chimney or Collie’s Ledge
An Stac or bypass it
The In Pinn can be bypassed if queues make a long wait necessary
Bidein can be bypassed on its northern flank
Naismith’s or Lota Corrie Route or bypass Am Basteir entirely to the north
Descend from Sgurr nan Gillean by the W ridge, SE ridge or Pinnacle Ridge.
Escape routes
If things are not going too well, there are plenty of escape routes. In fact, despite seeming remote, the Cuillin is very escapable and thus the commitment lower than one might expect for a route of its size. Section route maps in the Topo Booklet have escape routes marked on (ER).
Escape routes include:
Bealach a’ Garbh-choire
Bealach Coir’ an Lochan
Bealach Mhic Coinnich
Bealach Coire an Lagan
South-west ridge of Sgurr Dearg
Bealach Coire na Banachdich
Western shoulder of Sgurr na Banachdich down to Coire an Eich
Eag Dubh
An Dorus
Bealach na Glaic Moire
Bealach Harta
Down into Coir’ a’ Tairneilear via the gully below the An Caisteal abseil
North-west ridge of Bruach na Frithe
Bealach nan Lice
Bealach a’ Bhasteir
Bivi sites and water sources
There is much evidence of where people have spent nights high on the ridge and it is interesting to wonder what future archaeologists will make of the stone circles. Below are some of the ridge’s bivi sites:
Gars-bheinn and along the ridge to the north-west has various bivi sites.
Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn and Bealach Coir’ an Lochain have lots of bivi sites that are close to the spring about 100m below the T-D Gap and easily identified by the vibrant green moss surrounding it.
The top of the Great Stone Chute has been used for bivis.
Sgurr Sgumain bivi cave is especially useful if conditions turn nasty.
The north ridge of Sgurr Thearlaich has a couple of good sites with stunning views up to An Stac and the In Pinn.
Sgurr Dearg has lots of flat areas and, if conditions turn bad, there is the In Pinn bivi cave.
Bealach Coire na Banachdich is another good site due to the proximity of water at about 700m. The best bivi sites are south of the bealach with stone circles built.
The col between Sgurr Thormaid and Sgurr a’ Ghreadaidh has good bivi sites.
On Sgurr a’ Mhadaidh, there are several bivi sites just up from An Dorus. There is the possibility of descending for water on the Glen Brittle side but it is a fair descent.
Bealach na Glaic Moire has stone circles, some grass and water usually not too far below, but you might need a mug or straw to access it.
Bealach nan Lice has stone circles and a spring 100m below the bealach. It’s visible from above due to the vibrant green moss surrounding it.