The Cuillin on the Isle of Skye is a tale of two mountain ranges. One is a delightful, rewarding hiking path perfect for seeing the arresting natural beauty of Scotland with a guide, whilst the other is one of the most challenging mountain climbs in the UK.
Even compared to Ben Nevis, the Cuillin provides a phenomenal variety of routes and challenges to suit most hikers and climbers with some degree of experience.
The Red Cuillin is a beautiful hike with some steep rocky areas that is often a goal for many hillwalkers, whilst the Black Cuillin has a total of 4000m of ascent and descent across 11 Munro summits and 22 summits overall, four rock climbs and a total of 12km of terrain that must be scrambled over.
As with any challenging climb, preparation is key when climbing the Black Cuillin Ridge, so here are some top tips for a successful ascent.
Avoid Bad Weather
Whilst a winter climb is possible for the Black Cuillin Ridge, due to the jagged, rocky terrain, wetter weather makes the climb far more difficult than it would be otherwise, and it is best to give yourself the best chance of a safe climb.
However, with that in mind, the weather on the island can be very unpredictable, so make sure you are prepared and comfortable to undertake a wet weather climb if you need to.
The basalt rock is especially slippery in the wet, which is what makes a winter climb particularly challenging for less experienced wet-weather climbers.
The best time of year to attempt the Black Cuillin Ridge is in late spring, as they offer the longest daylight time and the most stable weather.
Do Not Trust Your Compass
What makes the Black Cuillin Ridge so unique and difficult is that it requires careful navigation to avoid many of the mountain’s dead ends and stay on route. Effective map reading skills are essential, as is the use of a compass, but be careful when relying on the latter.
The mountain is made of gabbro rock, which has a high iron content. This can cause a compass to give faulty or incorrect readings, meaning that you need to take this into account.
One Day Or Two?
There are two different ways to approach the Black Cuillin Ridge; you can either pack light, start very early and complete the climb in a single day, or camp about three-quarters of the way along the route and complete it in two days.
Completing it in a day requires you to be a confident scrambler, as this is the point where a lot of people lose time, which can be the vital difference between completing the ascent or having to abandon it early.
A two-day run is easier due to having the right kit, but the extra weight will make some of the climbs more difficult, so there is a delicate balance between the two approaches.
Both are good, and first-time climbers might be best opting for a two-day route to give themselves time to get used to the unusual characteristics of the Cuillin.
Comments