Swipe to the right

On A Knife Edge: The Cuillin Ridge

20 March 2021
On A Knife Edge: The Cuillin Ridge

Words and Images: Adrian Trendall

Photographer and mountain guide Adrian Trendall has spent years scaling Skye’s Cuillin Ridge. He reflects on what keeps him coming back.


A few years ago, I bumped into two young lads high on Skye’s Cuillin Ridge. Their clothes were ripped to shreds, their boots were falling apart, and they had that thousand-yard stare which speaks of exposure to danger. Mentally and physically drained, they’d been on the ridge for three days. They were exhausted, but they had a steely determination and, with a bit of guidance from me, made it to the end, where the three of us sat on the final summit sipping Talisker from a hip flask, toasting their success.

Statistically, you’re more likely to make it to the top of Everest on your first attempt than you are to complete the Cuillin Ridge. Local guides estimate that perhaps fewer than 10 percent of the people trying the traverse for the first time succeed. On the world’s highest mountain, your chances of success these days are more like 60 percent. Everest versus the Cuillin Ridge - it’s not an often-cited comparison. It may not even be a valid comparison. But it does beg the question: “what’s so tough about the ridge?”

cuillin ridge map

The main challenge is the sheer length of it. It’s a seven-kilometre walk-in with 900m of ascent. The ridge itself involves 12km and 3,000m of ascent and descent. Then it’s a six-kilometre walk out, with 900m of descent. Throw in the variable nature of the maritime climate, poor visibility and rain, together with complex navigation and miles of scrambling and the statistics begin to make sense.

The Cuillin has been a major destination for climbers since Victorian times, but completing the ridge in a single trip was long thought impossible. In fact, it wasn’t until 1911 that Leslie Shadbolt, a Welshman, and Alistair McLaren, a Scot, succeeded. The pair had been climbing in Skye since 1906, but still much of the route remained unknown to them. Their time, 12 hours and 18 minutes from the first summit to the last, is one that many modern mountaineers would be proud of, and testament to their consummate skill as climbers.


The Call of the Cuillin


climbing cuillin

Fast forward to the present day, and Finlay Wild, who recently broke the record for the Charlie Ramsay Round, holds the record for the summer traverse, with a blisteringly fast time of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 22 seconds. Uisdean Hawthorn has traversed in winter conditions in 4 hours 57 minutes. Yet arguably more famous than either of those incredible feats are the exploits of Skye native Danny MacAskill. The mountain bike trials rider scaled sections of it with his bike in one of his smash-hit viral videos, and recently rode down the steep Dubh Slabs in another.

His riding is incredible, but there’s no doubt about the real star of these million-view masterpieces. Catch the Cuillin on a good day and the appeal is instantly obvious. Its jagged peaks, rising vertically out of a turquoise sea, probe the sky. It’s a Tolkienesque landscape, one so fantastical it’s hard to believe it’s not CGI.

The call of the Cuillin was enough to make me and my wife sell all our worldly goods at a car boot sale a few years ago, and move to Skye to set up our guiding and photography business. Over time, it’s cemented itself in my affections. Like an old friend, I’ve seen it in all sorts of conditions. At its most ethereally beautiful, shrouded in whisps of mist at dawn, and at its absolute worst, lashed by the brutal storms that can strike this part of Scotland at short notice.


The Challenge of the Climb


Winter Climbing Cuillin

The ridge traverse isn’t all hugely technical. Much of it is on the cusp between climbing and walking, which makes for a fast, exhilarating experience. But there is an edge to it. There are some seriously tricky pitches, and long sections where a slip could be fatal.

Completing the Cuillin traverse involves technical rock climbing pitches to ‘severe’ grade, miles of scrambling and a few abseils, so it runs the full gamut of mountaineering skills. Don’t underestimate the climbing - the grades may look easy on paper, but you’ll be carrying bivi gear for two long days.

The rock is mainly gabbro, which has the abrasive qualities of an angle grinder. It’s not uncommon to find climbers with shredded clothes, and even leather gloves and boots are often ripped to pieces. It’s a harsh environment.

Weather is key. On a wet day progress can slow to a halt, and navigation becomes a nightmare. But on a good day it can feel like you are travelling with the gods - high above clouds, the thin, rocky ridge pointing the way ahead. You feel the warmth of the sun on your face, and look across at mountain peaks emerging from a sea of cloud. A breeze picks up and the vista expands so you can see the mountains of the mainland, the Outer Hebrides, and fishing trawlers darting about on the sea far below.


Knowledge is Power


Cuillin Ridge

Educating yourself about the obstacles ahead is essential. Don’t be like the two Germans I met. Their rope was too short for one of the abseils, and they’d been waiting hours for someone to come along with a longer rope. Thankfully the story had a happy ending - using my rope, we all finished the route, and a couple of weeks later, a parcel arrived full of German beer and chocolate, as a thank you. Had I not turned up at the right time, however, things could quite easily have gone another way.

The ridge in winter is even more of a challenge, but the rewards are correspondingly higher. It’s worth waiting for perfect conditions but when you get it with perfect snow, it’s arguably the best mountaineering experience anywhere in the UK. Back in 2018, after having sworn never to even attempt it in winter due to its reputation as a sufferfest, I somehow found myself doing it twice in two weeks. My second traverse was in a day, but a very long one, being awake for 21 hours.

Whichever time of year you attempt it, my advice would always be to stack the odds in your favour. Get fit, do lots of scrambling, and hone your climbing skills. Research the ridge, and try and allow time so you can recce a couple of the more complex sections.

Is the ridge harder than Everest? The weather certainly makes it tricky, especially in winter. Catch the Cuillin on a bad day, and you’ll see why climbers in Nepal joke that “the Himalayas are good training for Scotland”. Of course, the altitude, logistical problems and costs obviously don’t compare to the world’s highest mountain, but the Cuillin is still a huge challenge, and in terms of accessibility and affordability, it wins hands down.

Best of all, it’s got a pub at the bottom, where a celebratory dram or two to toast your success is almost obligatory. Say what you like about Everest, it will never beat the atmosphere of the historic Sligachan Hotel, and Seumas’ Bar.


Trip Notes


Getting there

You can get a bus to Skye, but we’d recommend renting a car, for added flexibility. Drive over the bridge to Kyleakin or jump on one of the car ferry routes to the island.

Guiding

A guide is highly recommended. Contact Adrian Trendall at All Things Cuillin.

Accommodation

Stay at the Sligachan Hotel, a historic mountaineer’s lodge built in the 1830s. 


Essential Gear



You May Also Be Interested In...