View to Cuillin Ridge from the summit of Clac Glas (Classic scramble 9)
Descending from Sgurr nan Eag towards Caisteal a’ Garbh-choire. Easier lines exist on scree to the left (Section 1)
INTRODUCTION
The very special brand of ridge scrambling found here can have few equals in the whole world.
Gordon Stainforth, author of 'The Cuillin'
Skye’s Cuillin Ridge has been described as ‘the holy grail of British scrambling’ (British Mountaineering Council) and ‘the jewel in the crown of Scottish mountaineering’ (Jamie Andrew – a climber, motivational speaker and quadruple amputee).
A well-known climbing venue since the late 1890s, people soon began to wonder if a traverse of the ridge was possible in a single outing. It wasn’t until 10 June 1911 that Leslie Shadbolt and Alastair McLaren completed the first traverse of the Cuillin Ridge – and they did it in a day. Their time of 12 hours and 18 minutes from first to last summit is a time that many modern teams would be only too pleased with. Previously it had been thought impossible, that it would be ‘a feat of the gods’ and take perhaps three days or even longer.
Shadbolt referred to the traverse as ‘a great day’ and later recalled that ‘we thought we might try the traverse of all the peaks, an expedition about which there had been a good deal of speculation’. Those first traversers were well ahead of their day with the route not being repeated until 1920. The route taken has become known as The Great Traverse and over the years the record has fallen to a remarkable 2 hours 59 minutes and 22 seconds. This speedy traverse was set by Finlay Wild, a runner and climber of repute.
If you are reading this, then the Cuillin Ridge probably needs no introduction but the below statistics flesh out the nature of the beast.
| Section | Distance and ascent | Terrain | Time |
| Approach | 7km and 900m of ascent | Rough walking | 3 hours |
| Ridge | 12km and 3000m of ascent | Scrambling to grade 3, technical climbing to Severe and 3 abseils or down climbs | 10–15 hours |
| Walk out | 6km and 900m of descent | 300m of scrambling and rough walking | 3 hours |
Traversing the ridge can be a delectable experience as much of it is on the cusp between climbing and walking thus allowing for fast, exhilarating progress unimpeded by ropes or pitching. Much of the ridge is tinged with an air of seriousness where a slip could prove fatal, and the height gain alone puts it in the league of the North Face of the Eiger. But when you throw in the set piece technical climbs – such as the Inaccessible Pinnacle (In Pinn) and the Thearlaich Dubh Gap (T-D Gap) – several abseils and yet more scrambling, it adds up to a magical journey in sensational situations. The technical climbing grades might alarm walkers but shouldn’t set off too many alarms for competent climbers.
Climbers ascending to N Top of Bidein (Section 8)
It is no coincidence that the Cuillin Ridge is the first route in Ken Wilson’s uber tick-list, coffee table book, Classic Rock. A ridge of 900m mountains rising straight out of the vibrant Hebridean seas, it has attracted climbers and walkers for generations. The 11 Munros, miles of knife-edge scrambling and iconic climbs help explain its attraction as does the obvious linear nature of the challenge and the continuously interesting, high-quality scrambling and climbing.
Although a huge challenge, it is achievable by many climbers and here lies much of its appeal. The climbing may be long but it is never too hard or sustained. With preparation and practice, a helping of luck, a good level of fitness and the right mental attitude, the ridge is within the grasp of many climbers. For many, it is a dream route but with a little effort (well, quite a lot, actually) it is one that can become a reality. Although Alpine-like in length and quality, the ridge is surprisingly accessible and as such not too committing with many variations, bypasses and escape routes back to civilisation. Indeed, ease of escape helps to explain the high failure rate since it is all too easy to throw in the towel at the first sign of difficulty and be back in the pub in a few hours.
For many climbers, traversing the ridge may well be their one and only visit to Skye but many return again and again to delve into the complexities of the ridge. The ‘Tolkienesque’ landscape with sharp ridges and towering cliffs, mist shrouded peaks and extinct volcanos is unique. Some people strike lucky and succeed in their first attempt but, for the majority, it requires the conjunction of the right partner, good weather, physical fitness and mental strength to produce a winning formula. Cuillin experts reckon that perhaps only 10% of climbers succeed on their first attempt.
The Cuillin Ridge seems to be a never-ending source of interest. In 2019, if you typed ‘Cuillin Ridge’ into Google, you’d get 93,000 results; and if you searched UK Climbing’s forums, you’d find more than 350 separate threads on the subject as people try to find answers to their questions about logistics, rope length and gear lists. Despite such a wealth of available information, until now there hasn’t been a single universal source of information about the ridge. This guide collates the author’s years of experience and information from numerous different sources into a single easy-to-use volume, in order to help bring the challenge of traversing the ridge within reach of many climbers, scramblers and walkers.
Shadbolt wrote an account for the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal entitled The Cuillin Main Ridge and stated that ‘in common with…most people who have climbed in the Cuillins (sic), I have always looked with longing eyes at the great stretch of narrow ridge and speculated on the possibility of making a continuous climb along it from end to end in one day’. Not everyone can, or will want to do it in one day, but, like Shadbolt, you ‘can endeavour to translate the dreams of the winter fireside into the realms of accomplished action’.
A classy descent of Pinnacle Ridge to top a perfect ridge in a day
Preparation and training
Being well prepared is a key ingredient of a successful traverse. Good planning and preparation will increase your chances exponentially.
Partner
Partner selection is crucial and any incompatibility will only be exacerbated during the stress and strain of a traverse. Not only will you spend a very long day, or two, together but the pair of you should train together as a team, so compatibility is a prerequisite. Choose a partner with similar levels of fitness, determination and stamina to yourself – but don’t overlook things like shared interests and a similar sense of humour. An ability to get along well with each other is the second most important thing after safety.
Pick your partner with care, rather than coercing a reluctant boyfriend or girlfriend, for example. Remember your life can, quite literally, be on the line with your choice of partner.