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 – sizes 3, 4, 5, each on a single wire gate karabiner
240cm sling x1 on a screwgate karabiner
120cm slings x3, each on each on a wiregate or screwgate karabiner
60cm sling x1 with two wiregates
Wiregate karabiners x2
Screwgate karabiner x1
Each person will need a screwgate and belay device and possibly prussik loops and a sling and screwgate. Consider taking a nut key to remove stubborn gear and some cord/tape to use for abseils; most abseils will have slings in place but you may opt to replace them and you also have the option of using the cord/tape should you get off route and need to retreat.
Gear that can double up is a bonus. Thus the Rockcentrics can be used for protection but also as short extenders and threads. Long slings can be shortened and used to extend runners, threaded round chockstones or placed on spikes.
Cams are heavy and not strictly necessary. Much of the climbing is very traditionally protected and climbs such as the In Pinn can be protected entirely with slings if you so choose. Long slings are better than short extenders which increase rope drag and also the risk of gear being lifted out.
Rope
The entire ridge can be done with a single 35m rope. A short rope means less weight and is much easier to manage both coiling and short roping. Many will take a longer rope and this does give you more options especially if things go wrong and you have to do longer than normal abseils. Taking a 35m rope rather than a 50cm or 60m rope is probably the easiest single way to save a lot of weight and bulk in your pack.
The rope needs to be thick enough to handle well for the short roping so super skinny ropes are not ideal and will soon get trashed on the super abrasive Cuillin rocks. Lots of guides use a 35m Beal Joker, which at 54g per metre is one of the lightest single ropes available. The Joker is ideal for the ridge but does require experience since it is very thin and may well be very slick in some belay devices.
Harness, helmet and head torches
All harnesses, helmets and head torches need to be as light as possible. There is no need for super comfy, padded harnesses with masses of gear loops. You won’t be falling off (hopefully) and hanging around and you will only have a minimalist rack.
Comfort is important especially for walking in because you don’t want to be continually taking the harness and off. Modern helmets are very comfortable and a good idea given the amount of loose rock and potentially other climbers knocking things down. If it’s comfortable you will be happy to keep it on rather than just wear it for the climbs and then using it as extra ballast in your pack.
Make sure you can fit a head torch to the helmet and put it on before it is dark enough to need it. One set of batteries will easily last for a traverse so ditch any spares and set off with just a brand new set in the torch.
Pack
The type of pack you take is largely down to personal preference and depends on whether you are going for a one or multi-day traverse. Simple, light and robust are characteristics to look for. Simple designs will have no unnecessary features that add weight and can snag on things. Some people will take a small pack otherwise you are tempted to take too much but I nearly always use a rucksack of around 45 litres. Being a bit larger means it is easy to get gear in and out without a struggle. This saves time and frustration especially when trying to cram the rope or rack back inside after a climb. Compatibility with a water bladder is a useful feature and enables you to keep hydrated while on the move.
Footwear
The old school of thought is that walking boots are de rigeur because they provide ankle support and more comfort on scree and the descents. If you are happy climbing to Severe with a pack on and have comfortable footwear then go for the boot option.
A whole industry has spun up manufacturing so called ‘approach shoes’, which combine the qualities of a trainer or fell running shoe with a climbing shoe. They are