Cuillin Ridge (VD), Skye

19.7.15

Cuillin Ridge (VD), Skye

Eight people armed with Gortex jackets, approach shoes, climbing ropes and bivouac gear and a hopelessly small weather window plan to traverse the Cuillin Ridge in less than 48 hours. It didn’t really work out. However an ascent of the Cioch West (Severe) and a hike up Marsco along with some seriously character building scrambling made for a memorable outing.

To warm up our first day was spent climbing near Glen Brittle on the well known crag Sron na Ciche - Cioch Nose (VD, 200m) and Cioch West (Severe, 215m). The perfect option for a group outing, the climbing was easy, the rock super grippy, and the situations and views amazing. Integrity (VS) was right there to be climbed but had water running down much of it. One for next time...

Walking in to Sron na Ciche- Looking a bit damp

Carl sorting the kit before the descent

Gareth topping out.

Abbing down the slabs of the Cioch

The weather forecast had given us our possible window for the Cuilin Ridge. Three of us set off in order to stash the bivouac equipment halfway along the ridge in preparation for our night under the stars. The weather was terrible. We weren’t put off however we knew sun was on its way ( or so we thought)….

Gareth stashes the bivvy gear

Up before dawn we were slightly perturbed by the sound of rain hammering against the hostel windows. Still it had to pass and no doubt we’d be high on the ridge in morning sunshine before long. This optimism stayed with us until we were trudging through sleet, lost somewhere near the ridge, soaked through, and with motivation slowly ebbing away. We found a decent gully which led us back down. We took it…

Scrambling in dire weather

Further dire weather

Following the rather disappointing Cuillin Ridge debacle a sunny days hiking was in order (yes the sun had come at last – too late unfortunately as the timing and logistics made a second attempt at the Ridge unworkable). Marsco is a grueling climb to get to the summit of – once there however a perfect view of the Cuillin Ridge and Bla Bheinn can be taken in…..

Marsco on the walk in

Bla Bheinn in all its glory

Hiking over the summit plateau

One thing remained before we slogged back to London – picking up the bivvy gear. This was somewhat less stressful than our previous excursion as the ridge was now bathed in sunshine…

Getting the gear

Well stashed kit

Loch Brittle on the walk out - frustratingly perfect conditions