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  • ISLE OF SKYE – CUILLIN RIDGE TRAVERSE - £750–£810

    The most rugged and extensive high mountain ridge in the British Isles

    Cuillin Ridge Guide

Cuillin Ridge Guide

The Isle of Skye has a very special magic all of its own. The views from the main Black Cuillin ridge are truly magnificent and enhanced by the sea of the Inner Hebrides. Our Skye guides know these mountains like the back of their hands.

Cuillin Ridge Traverse Outline

On a good day it is not unusual to see the whole of the Hebrides (The Long Island) laid out on the western horizon from Barra to Lewis, whilst to the south east the unmistakable hump of Ben Nevis might also be visible. This is without question the most rugged and extensive high mountain ridge in the British Isles and would provide a logical continuation from the Fort William based ridge scrambling weeks for fit people with a knowledge and experience of rock climbing and simple rope work and abseiling. Our Cuillin Ridge guides have extensive knowledge of the Skye Cuillin Ridge, and will help you to achieve a full ridge traverse.

Read Full Details
Skye Cuillin Ridge Guide

Customer Reviews

  • 5 star rating Excellent guidance on the Cuillin - even in terrible weather! Dave and I completed three days of scrambling and climbing on the Cuillin in place of a Traverse (impossible due to weather). Despite the rain and wind, I was totally at ease guided by Dave and enjoyed ticking off various amazing climbs and peaks on the ridge which more than made the best of the rough forecast. I cannot recommend WCMG enough and cannot wait to be back again in... read moreDave and I completed three days of scrambling and climbing on the Cuillin in place of a Traverse (impossible due to weather). Despite the rain and wind, I was totally at ease guided by Dave and enjoyed ticking off various amazing climbs and peaks on the ridge which more than made the best of the rough forecast. I cannot recommend WCMG enough and cannot wait to be back again in better weather!
    Oh, and my phone wasn't working on this trip but Dave took loads of great photographs for me - excellent for the instagram!
    read less

    Q1944CLkatem 30 Oct 2020

    5 star rating Great day on Sgurr Dearg and the In Pinn We booked with WCMG to do a one day guided ascent of Sgurr Dearg and the Inaccessible Pinnacle on the Isle of Skye. The two of us are novice climbers but our guide Dave was fantastic and got us safely up the mountain while teaching us a lot about scrambling and climbing. The actual climb up the In Pinn was exhilarating and completely safe with Dave taking care of all... read moreWe booked with WCMG to do a one day guided ascent of Sgurr Dearg and the Inaccessible Pinnacle on the Isle of Skye. The two of us are novice climbers but our guide Dave was fantastic and got us safely up the mountain while teaching us a lot about scrambling and climbing. The actual climb up the In Pinn was exhilarating and completely safe with Dave taking care of all the ropes for us. Dave was a fun guy to spend a day with and while being a very serious and experienced climber is also a great laugh! We had a great day out and will definitely book another mountain adventure with WCMG again soon. read less

    7jhd0w 18 Oct 2020

    5 star rating Great scrambling guidance. Great guided scrambling. 3 days on the Cuillins and climbed all the munros on the ridge.
    Very friendly instructor Ken, and very knowledgeable.
    The path is very winding so I'd reccomend a guide for even experienced mountaineers, if a) want to get them done quick without hassle, b) if the weather and visibility is poor.

    marcofT4113KA 17 Oct 2020
  • 5 star rating Perfect day on Skye with WHMG! Dave and I took on the Clach Glas ridge on Skye. Dave put me at ease on difficult unfamiliar terrain and we completed the route taking in some of the best mountain scenery in Scotland! My first time on a guided trip and not the last- can’t recommend WHMG enough!

    DanielA454 16 Oct 2020

    5 star rating Cuillin Ridge Traverse Booked a Cuillin ridge Traverse with West Coast Mountain guides. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great, but Dave my guide for the 3 days was outstanding. We manage to complete some of the classic ridges (Pinnacle Ridge and Clach Glas) as well another Munro! Dave was excellent to work with and I would highly recommend him. I will definitely be back for the full traverse!

    johnfK9258DD 13 Oct 2020

    5 star rating The Cuillin Munros I am just back from doing the Cuillin Munros with Ken and Ollie and had a fantastic experience. The communication was excellent from Ken particularly as it was such a short notice booking and the guiding was thoroughly professional and competent and put everyone at ease on the tougher Munros. Great guys and would use again.

    MountainArena 04 Oct 2020
  • 5 star rating Tackling the Cuillin Ridge Munros over 3-Days When your take on the most technically challenging Munros you rely on expert Mountaineering Guides and I cannot recommend Ken and Dave highly enough. Both inspired confidence with their knowledge and professionalism and made the challenge an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Despite a set-back due to the weather on the scheduled first day, the programme was compressed into the next 3-days and the guys successfully guided the group safely and... read moreWhen your take on the most technically challenging Munros you rely on expert Mountaineering Guides and I cannot recommend Ken and Dave highly enough. Both inspired confidence with their knowledge and professionalism and made the challenge an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Despite a set-back due to the weather on the scheduled first day, the programme was compressed into the next 3-days and the guys successfully guided the group safely and at a comfortable pace to complete all 11 Cuillin Munros. Ken and Dave are both expert mountaineers with first-class technical knowledge and combined with their vast local knowledge made the whole course a truly memorable course. Highly Recommended 5-Star+. read less

    Alan W 30 Sep 2020

    5 star rating Cuillin Ridge Traverse Another super trip for Scottish mountaineering with West Coast. This time Skye in summer weather. Great time with the super capable and chirpy Jack Morris. First class knowledge of the ridge and great companion, enabling us to complete the Traverse in under 2 days in good style. Thanks!

    Holmfirth H 24 Sep 2020

    5 star rating Epic Cuillin Ridge Traverse Pete guided me brilliantly on an epic traverse of the Cuillin Ridge in September 2020. He very quickly assessed my ability (or lack thereof!) and knew exactly when he needed to rope me up, when a belay was required, and when I was competent enough to go it alone. An excellent guide whose services I would be more than happy to use again.

    793stephanp 23 Sep 2020
  • 5 star rating Cuillin Munros We had a great 4 days with Ben tackling some of the Cuillin Munros. We had only had 2 days rope training in advance, but Ben improved our skills and confidence to such an extent that 6 Munros were achieved with the In Pinn on the last day a never to be forgotten experience. Ben was extremely knowledgeable both in terms of rope skills and the difficult route finding in... read moreWe had a great 4 days with Ben tackling some of the Cuillin Munros. We had only had 2 days rope training in advance, but Ben improved our skills and confidence to such an extent that 6 Munros were achieved with the In Pinn on the last day a never to be forgotten experience. Ben was extremely knowledgeable both in terms of rope skills and the difficult route finding in the Cuillins to find the easiest route, which is what we needed. He assessed our capabilities and pushed us just the right amount out of our comfort zone so that we got the maximum out of the 4 days.
    The booking process with West Coast Mountain Guides is easy and information is available as needed.
    I can thoroughly recommend them to anyone looking for some days out in the mountains no matter what their skill level.
    read less

    Roy W 23 Sep 2020

    5 star rating Climbing the Cuillin Munros Ken & Mike were excellent guides on our Cuillin adventure. We were lucky with some excellent weather most days but throughout I felt safe with Ken and Mike. The Cuillins are not for the faint-hearted - our group found Sgurr nan Gillean west ridge more challenging than the Inn Pinn. The other main challenges for me were some of the down climbing and the steep scree slopes. Great patience from... read moreKen & Mike were excellent guides on our Cuillin adventure. We were lucky with some excellent weather most days but throughout I felt safe with Ken and Mike. The Cuillins are not for the faint-hearted - our group found Sgurr nan Gillean west ridge more challenging than the Inn Pinn. The other main challenges for me were some of the down climbing and the steep scree slopes. Great patience from Ken & Mike got us all up and down the full set of Munros. Much more hard scrambling and basic climbing than I'd realised. A challenge but enjoyable and satisfying to complete. read less

    E1771DCandrewm 21 Sep 2020

    5 star rating Excellent guided days in the Cuillins My friends and I have had two trips to Skye with West Coast Mountain Guides guiding us on the Cuillins. Both outings were excellent. The booking and organizing process was well organised, informative and seamless. Our guides were excellent, on our days with them we felt we were looked after by really skilled professionals. They were always good humored and very encouraging to some of us (me!) that needed... read moreMy friends and I have had two trips to Skye with West Coast Mountain Guides guiding us on the Cuillins. Both outings were excellent. The booking and organizing process was well organised, informative and seamless. Our guides were excellent, on our days with them we felt we were looked after by really skilled professionals. They were always good humored and very encouraging to some of us (me!) that needed it. Highly recommended will definitely book up with them again. read less

    kulrajb 16 Sep 2020

Please Leave Your Precious Feedback:

Cuillin Ridge Traverse with Dave Fowler

page
Thursday, August 6, 2020
★★★★★
“ An outstanding piece of guiding from Dave Fowler, during my Cuilln Ridge Traverse. His knowledge and skills were exemplary and at all times I felt safe and supported, but never cosseted. I'd fully recommend Westcoast guides to anyone and cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism , humour and skill Dave demonstrated throughout tough two days. My engagement with the company was first rate and at all times felt highly organised. I can't recommend the entire team enough. Thanks to everyone for a truly memorable experience”
- Eddie Docherty

Name
Review Title
Rating
Review

Isle of Skye – Cuillin Ridge Traverse Overall rating: ★★★★★ 5 based on 8 reviews.
5 1
Anonymous
Full Description

Course Overview

As a mountain range the Black Cuillin of Skye is a unique challenge to mountaineers in the British Isles. The whole ridge is around 13 km in length plus 7 km approach and descent and never descends below 726 metres. In its length there are some twenty peaks of 914m (3,000ft) of which eleven achieve ‘Munro’ status. Traversing the ridge in a single outing involves around 3,000 metres of ascent
Unrelenting effort, considerable exposure and technical scrambling (sometimes without a rope), plus abseiling and simple rock climbing are the order of the day. Because of this the traverse is not recommended to people who only consider themselves to be moderately fit ‘hill walkers’.
To achieve success on a traverse attempt, ALL of those taking part should be both fit and capable of sustaining two hard days which involve 11kms (13 hours) on the first day and 9 kms (9 hours) on the second day.

Overnight kit needs to be carried as well as a sleeping bag, waterproofs and gloves, hat and spare clothing, food and water and a rope. A typical traverse rucsac should weigh no more than 9 kgs (20lb). This reduces as water (2 litres) and food is consumed and we can provide advice on kit on booking.

Note: A traverse of the main ridge over two days with a bivouac is only attempted with individuals or pairs who know each other, on a private guiding basis in order to achieve the greatest chance of success.

Doing the ridge in one day is a significant undertaking and presents a challenge which is unique in the UK. The amount of stamina and fitness and agility required is massive.

Course Details

Costs: £750 (1:1) £810 (1:2)
Prices include guiding and instruction. You will also need to take accommodation (before and after the traverse), food, personal equipment (including hiring of a helmet and harness) and insurance costs into consideration.

To maximise the chances of success, the best two days within a three-day window will be used. The spare day will be a rest day unless otherwise arranged. Should conditions not be suitable for a traverse, your booking will become three separate days of private guiding, during which you may tackle some of the classic scrambles on Skye, such as the Clach Glas-Blaven Traverse, Pinnacle Ridge on Sgurr nan Gillean, The Dubh Ridge or sections of the main Cuillin Ridge. Rock climbing at one of the sea-cliff crags is also an option, as quite often, better weather can be found outwith the Black Cuillins.

Ratio: 1:1 or 1:2

Dates

Choose your own dates. The traverse is two days, with ideal conditions generally found between the beginning of May and the end of September.

Dates & Prices

2 Day Full Cuillin Ridge Traverse 1:1 £750 / 1:2 £810

  • Cuillin Ridge Traverses are arranged on a private guiding basis, so on dates that suit you
  • The price includes 3 days put aside for a suitable weather window
  • We will only guide teams of 2 who know each other, otherwise it needs to be on a 1:1 basis
  • 1:2 price is the total price, so £375 each for the two days
Kit Requirements

Overnight Bivi Kit

Bivi Bag –Ideally a lightweight Gore-Tex or other breathable fabric bivi bag

Sleeping Bag –This should be a light-weight 2 or 3 season bag.

Sleeping Mat –Either a closed cell foam mat (karrimat) or a small Thermarest style mat.

Meals –For breakfast and dinners, dehydrated packets, available from most outdoor shops are ideal. Avoid already hydrated meals as these are heavy. You will also need two days worth of lunch and snacks (energy bars/dried fruit). Your guide will bring a stove and gas, which you may need to carry.

Spoon & mug –Both lightweight as possible.

Regular scrambling kit

Socks –Go for a medium to thick pair of synthetic or wool/synthetic blend socks.

Thermal/Base Layers –A thermal or wicking top is far better than cotton.

Fleeces –At least one fleece layer for your upper body. If you get cold easily perhaps add a fleece gilet/vest to your layering. Having an extra fleece top or synthetic layer in a waterproof liner at the bottom of your rucksack is useful if cool conditions are likely to be encountered.

Windshirt or lightweight softshell jacket –Ideal for dry conditions.

Walking trousers –Polycotton, polyester or softshell is ideal.

Warm Hat & Gloves –A warm hat can still be very useful even in summer.  For Skye, leather work or gardening gloves, which are cheap and durable are ideal. Remember that even in the height of summer, with a bit of rain and wind, it will still be quite chilly.

Waterproof jacket and over trousers ( Outer shell clothing) –The trousers should have at least a knee length zip enabling them to be fitted over boots.  Lightweight waterproofs are ok.

Rucsac –A medium volume sac (40 -50 litres) is best for traverse with an overnight bivi. Use a strong plastic rucsac liner to keep the contents dry. External Rucsack covers have a habit of blowing away and don’t work as well as an internal liner.  Everything needs to fit inside your sac.

Gaiters or Stop-tous –Not really necessary on the Skye Cuillins.

Head Torch –Even in summer it’s good practise to carry a small headtorch.

First Aid kit –A small personal pack including medication for blisters. Suncream and sunglasses if good forecast.

Compass/Map –(OS or BMC/Harveys)
Harvey maps produce the best map for Skye. The map should be weather-proofed in a clear plastic map case or covered with clear sticky back plastic.

Whistle/Watch

Waterbottle –1 to 2 litres, maybe more during hot weather. For traverses, one bladder and one solid bottle is useful.

Trekking Poles -These are optional, but useful particularly in descent. To keep weight down, consider taking only one, that can be either compressed or collapsed to fit inside your pack when not in use.

Boots –For scrambling, boots which have good lateral stiffness, such as B1 rated boots, are useful.

Helmet –Please bring one along if you can. We have DMM helmets available.

Harness –Please make sure the harness fits over all clothing and can be put on over boots and crampons. Adjustable leg-loops are preferable for ease of fitting.

Belay device, two HMS Carabiners  –We can provide you with these if you don’t have your own.

Programme Outline

There are a number of ways to start a Cuillin Ridge Traverse, including catching a powerboat from Elgol to then be dropped off at the foot of Gars-bheinn.  The more traditional way starts from Glenbrittle and gains the ridge near Sgurr nan Eag.  We are more than happy to discuss various options, but whichever way you choose, an early start is highly recommended.

Once established on the ridge, conditions, fitness levels and determination will influence where you bivi for the night.  There are a number of suitable sites in the central section of the ridge, many with access to fresh water springs.

Where you spend the night will determine the start time and length of the final day, so it’s generally advised to have a bigger first day, leaving hopefully a shorter final day.

Booking Enquiry Form

Please fill out the form below if you have any questions or would like to book.
We’ll be in touch soon!

Private Guiding

If the dates or contents of a course are not exactly what you are after, we also offer private guiding, which makes up a large part of our working year. Private guiding can be arranged on dates to suit you, and we can tailor the course or guiding to match you needs and aspirations. There are no limits for the number of participants on privately guided day, so whether you are an individual after 1:1 guiding or tuition, or a group or club looking to develop their collective skills or reach a particular summit, please get in touch.

Find out more about Private Guiding
Ken Applegate Mountaineering Instructor and Mountain Guide

The iconic In Pinn, encountered on the Cuillin Ridge Traverse
Cuillin Ridge Guide
Skye Cuillin Munros Course
Guide Inn Pinn
Grippy rock on the Clach Glas - Blaven Traverse
Final day of guiding on a Skye Munros Course
Pinnacle Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean, Skye
Cuillin Ridge Guide
Skye Guide Inn Pinn
Skye Cuillin Ridge Guide
Guiding the In Pinn on the Black Cuillins
Skye Guides
Guiding the In Pinn
Setting off up the In Pinn on Skye
Skye Cuillin Munros Course
Sgurr nan Gillean and Am Bastier, Cuillins
Spring snow on the Black Cuillins of Skye
Trusting the friction on the Skye Cuillin Ridge

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Contact us if you would like more information or have any questions

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West Coast Mountain Guides Ltd. is here to help anyone interested in visiting mountain regions do so with both confidence and enjoyment. E:[email protected]

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West Coast Mountain Guides
E:[email protected]

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