too well, there are plenty of escape routes. In fact, despite seeming remote, the Cuillin is very escapable and thus the commitment lower than one might expect for a route of its size. Section route maps in the Topo Booklet have escape routes marked on (ER).
Escape routes include:
Bealach a’ Garbh-choire
Bealach Coir’ an Lochan
Bealach Mhic Coinnich
Bealach Coire an Lagan
South-west ridge of Sgurr Dearg
Bealach Coire na Banachdich
Western shoulder of Sgurr na Banachdich down to Coire an Eich
Eag Dubh
An Dorus
Bealach na Glaic Moire
Bealach Harta
Down into Coir’ a’ Tairneilear via the gully below the An Caisteal abseil
North-west ridge of Bruach na Frithe
Bealach nan Lice
Bealach a’ Bhasteir
Bivi sites and water sources
There is much evidence of where people have spent nights high on the ridge and it is interesting to wonder what future archaeologists will make of the stone circles. Below are some of the ridge’s bivi sites:
Gars-bheinn and along the ridge to the north-west has various bivi sites.
Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn and Bealach Coir’ an Lochain have lots of bivi sites that are close to the spring about 100m below the T-D Gap and easily identified by the vibrant green moss surrounding it.
The top of the Great Stone Chute has been used for bivis.
Sgurr Sgumain bivi cave is especially useful if conditions turn nasty.
The north ridge of Sgurr Thearlaich has a couple of good sites with stunning views up to An Stac and the In Pinn.
Sgurr Dearg has lots of flat areas and, if conditions turn bad, there is the In Pinn bivi cave.
Bealach Coire na Banachdich is another good site due to the proximity of water at about 700m. The best bivi sites are south of the bealach with stone circles built.
The col between Sgurr Thormaid and Sgurr a’ Ghreadaidh has good bivi sites.
On Sgurr a’ Mhadaidh, there are several bivi sites just up from An Dorus. There is the possibility of descending for water on the Glen Brittle side but it is a fair descent.
Bealach na Glaic Moire has stone circles, some grass and water usually not too far below, but you might need a mug or straw to access it.
Bealach nan Lice has stone circles and a spring 100m below the bealach. It’s visible from above due to the vibrant green moss surrounding it.
Deer enjoying the spring below the T-D Gap
Some years there will be large snow patches on the ridge as late as the end of May – and these can be a real bonus. A straw or drinking tube of some kind is useful for getting to water partially hidden below rocks.
A note on rubbish and hill etiquette
Always use your common sense when using the hills but due to increasing popularity, the Cuillin needs to be looked after for future generations.
Please take all rubbish away with you. If you carried a full water bottle or can up, then it’s a no brainer to take the empties down. If you pre place bottles of water then please make sure you retrieve them. Tissues and toilet paper are increasingly being discarded high in the hills and are unsightly and a biohazard. Take them home. Do some research about going to the toilet in the hills but remember, the Cuillin is a high mountain environment with a fragile, easily disturbed ecosystem.
Please do not build cairns, scratch arrows and directions on rocks or cause any unnecessary erosion or damage.
Gear
The cardinal rule in terms of gear is that light is right but not at the expense of safety. Remember, every extra gram has to be carried every single step of the way. Huge rucksacks or packs festooned with gear strapped to the outside suggest inexperience and a mentality of covering every possible eventuality. Extra gear can transform a single day attempt into a nightmare of exhaustion as you struggle in the dwindling daylight. If you take emergency bivi gear, for example, you are more than likely to end up using it.
Pack everything in your rucksack before you travel to Skye. Make sure it all fits and you can climb without being too impeded by it. Get out and practice with all the gear you will be using. The Cuillin traverse is no place to be trying out new gear which may, or may not, be up to the job.
Climbers on NE Ridge of Sgurr Mhic Choinnich with views to An Stac, In Pinn and the ridge beyond
Packing
Pack everything you will be taking before you go so there are no unpleasant surprises with weight or bulk. Try meticulously to save weight. Avoid duplication of items in both team members’ packs – for example, sunscreen, insect repellent, toothpaste, lighters, stoves etc. Keep things like your sleeping bag in a waterproof bag and avoid the fad of having lots of different little bags for every item. Neither sleeping nor bivi bags need to be in separate stuff sacs. Just bundle them into your rucksack and compress them with the rest of your gear. Consider using your bivi bag to put water sensitive items (like sleeping bags) in. Try to avoid anything that will be sticky or leak and make a mess. Make sure sunscreen and the like are in bombproof containers and only take a small amount rather than the large bottles they are sold in.
Rack
Some teams have such large racks of gear that locals often joke that some secret big wall has been discovered. A huge rack suggests you lack the confidence and/or skill to tackle the ridge. As the visionary alpinist Mark Twight said: ‘The size of our rack represented a huge judgement against our ability and confidence’. There are only three short, set piece climbs and all can be bypassed if conditions or mental attitude are not right. None are harder than Severe.
A rack is a very personal thing so it needs to be selected according to experience and advice. Refer to the box for what I would take – others might want much more or soloists may dispense with it altogether.
Recommended rack
Typical smallish rack of gear for an experienced climber traversing the ridge
Rocks on wire – sizes 3, 4, 6 , and possibly 8 , on a single wire gate karabiner
Rockcentrics
