Cuillin Ridge Traverse
Guided Cuillin Ridge Traverse – Come join us!
The Black Cuillin Ridge Traverse on the Isle of Skye is the most demanding ridge scramble in the whole of the UK.
In fact it is, and has been a test piece for mountaineers venturing to larger peaks for years. The Cuillin Ridge is about 13km in length, (20km including the approach and descent) and once on the ridge proper, never drops you below the 725m contour line.
Peaks:
The Cuillin Ridge traverse has over twenty peaks of 914m and above, eleven of which have the iconic status of being a Munro. The hardest and definitely most technical of which is the Inaccessible Pinnacle. Check out our Inaccessible Pinnacle day for further information and booking details.
Our guided Cuillin Ridge Traverses bags all 11 of the Munro summits.
From south to north the Munro summits are:
Sgurr nan Eag » 924 metres
Sgur Dubh Mor » 944 metres
Sgurr Alasdair » 992 metres
Sgr Mhicchoinnich » 948 metres
Sgurr Dearg – The Inaccessible Pinnacle » 986 metres
Sgurr na Banachdaich » 965 metres
Sgur a’ Mhadaidh » 918 metres
Sgurr a’ Ghreadaidh » 973 metres
Bruach na Frithe » 958 metres
Am Bastier » 934 metres
Sgurr nan Gillean » 964 metres
Maximum effort!
The Guided Cuillin Ridge Traverse involves maximum effort, a high level of stamina and definitely not for the faint hearted. As you’ll be predominantly walking (although with a rope) on tight rope edges, in possibly rain, wind and drizzle. To have every chance of success, we require you to have experience in hill walking and scrambling. And consider yourself to fall into our silver and preferably gold category of fitness. Click here to find out more. *
The Cuillin Ridge involves lots and lots of scrambling terrain at grade 2/3. Some rock climbing if taking in the Inaccessible Pinnacle, and involve multiple abseils along the ridge.
The days are broken down into two very long days. So day one will be around 12/13 hours about 11km. And day two will be around 9/10 hours, about 9 km.
What to bring:
As well as two long days, you will be expected to carry your own rucksack including bivouac equipment. We can help with this when booking has been made. Your rucksack should not weigh more than 9/10 kgs. This is a full weight, and will reduce once water and food has been consumed.
We will only run a Guided Cuillin Ridge Traverse with an overnight bivouac, with teams that know each other. We would prefer if you have both scrambled/shared some mountaineering adventures together.
When?
The best dates to attempt a Guided Cuillin Ridge Traverse are between the months of May through to September. May is, and has been pretty reliable for the past few seasons, and generally has zero midges! That said the Cuillins can hold snow, and can snow in June/July. Although this is rare.
Experience needed:
As mentioned you should be physically fit and ready for a massive challenge. This is probably as big as it gets in the UK and is fine, fine training for the Alpine environment. We suggest this to our clients, or our 4 day Guided Cuillin Munro course before embarking on their Alps trip.
You will need to have experience in scrambling terrain and let us know what you have done in the past. Therefore the partner you have chosen to complete this with you, must be the same and hopefully been on some if not the same adventures as yourself in the past. Above all you must be confident, fit (have we said that before?!) and up to the challenge. This is not to be taken lightly and we see lots of parties fail on the ridge due to inexperience, and underestimating this awesome ridge.
If you’re at all unsure we’d be more than happy to chat with you about you’re concerns/questions.
Kit list:
A full and extensive kit list will be supplied once the person or party has confirmed the booking. We go above and beyond when it comes to help and advice, and spend a lot of time advising potential clients on recommended kit/what to bring. As well as what not to bring…
How to book:
Send an enquiry through with your preferred dates here: Contact. And tell us your preferred date for your Guided Cuillin Ridge Traverse.
And we aim to get back to you within the same day. Once we agree a date that suits, then a deposit will be taken. Full payment is made one calendar month before your course commences.
Prices and Dates:
Costs: £640 – (1:1) Per person £700 (1:2) Split between two persons Maximum ratio: 1:2 per guide
The prices include guiding and instructing along the Cuillin Ridge. We can also help with equipment hire if needs be. But if you’re thinking of the Cuillin Ridge Traverse, you should ideally already own a harness, helmet and probably a belay device.
What’s not included: Accommodation, which you’ll need to pre book for the first and last nights. Food, personal equipment – helmet and harness as explained above. We are fully insured but we advise your own personal insurance.
To hopefully ensure a successful crossing of the Cuillin Ridge, the best two days out of three will be used. The spare day will be a rest day, unless otherwise arranged with us.
- Cuillin Ridge Traverses – privately guided on dates that are flexible to your schedule.
- Price includes 3 days – Includes weather window
- Maximum of 1:2 per guide. And we only guide teams that know each other.
Dates wise, you decide when you can/prefer to go and we’ll arrange the Guide/s accordingly. Please be aware that although the Cuillin Ridge Traverse can be done in wind and rain, there is a limit. If the weather doesn’t play ball, we’ll try our best to be flexible and come up with an alternative plan.
Useful Links:
Alpkit’s top 10 tips – Here
Preparing for the Cuillin Ridge – Here
Danny MacAskill’s amazing bike traverse! – Here