Last June me, my girlfriend and three friends headed up to the North West to Skye to try for a full traverse of the Black Cuillin. Some of us had spent time scrambling in the Cuillin before so we had a good idea what to expect in terms of the imposing stature of the place and the difficulties we would find on route. We were aiming for a two day south to north traverse with a overnight bivvy somewhere in the north central area of the mountains. Despite having 8 days booked off work and it being the first week in June we never got a 48 hour weather window clear enough to give it crack. I can’t bring myself to watch Danny Macaskills ‘The Ridge’ where he apparently shows up along with a two week high pressure system!!
We picked off a few sections throughout the week and visited different parts of the Island walking and touring. This wasn’t without it’s difficulties given the weather and included getting really, really lost along the Trotternish ridge which you wouldn’t believe it possible to get lost on. Learnt a 101 (via a £35 taxi fare and aching legs) in the importance of checking your compass! As the team split up we had the feeling that we have unfinished business on the island. We’re planning a couple of long weekends this summer and dropping all and giving the traverse another go when conditions are right.
Kate and I decided to stay on with a friend of the family for the last few days, Maggie and her untameable but well natured Irish Water Spaniel ‘Woodruff’ at her lovely place in Ord on the western coast of the Skye’s south-east peninsular. My parents were also enjoying their retirement and holidaying at Maggie’s so was good to catch them for a day.
With one eye on the forecast Kate and I took the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig and had a brilliant days sport climbing at Black Rock just south of the ferry. The crag offers plenty of low to middle grade routes and overlooks a postcard perfect west coast bay. If you ever give them go watch out for the short stabby routes to the far left, some of the bolts were aged and spaced and don’t install much confidence. Generally the rock is in excellent condition with good friction and the lines give interesting climbing. The crag is in the SMC’s ‘Scottish Sports Climbs’ publication.
We left the crag exhausted but after a check of the BBC weather talked each other into stopping off at Glen Nevis for the night and giving Tower Ridge up the North Face of Ben Nevis a go on the Sunday. I love that climb and once again it didn’t disappoint.
57.00°N, 5.00°W 