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Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Help with trip planning - Cuillin


Postby hubris » Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:22 pm

I'm in the planning stages of a multi-day walk in the area of Cuillin. My thought is to strike out from the area of the Silgachan Lodge and head southwest to the Fairy Pools, and then head southeast to Loch Coruisk. From there, head north on the route documented on this site as Sgurr na Stri to return to Silgachan.

My background: I've walked up several 4,000-footers in New England, and am an experienced wild camper/backpacker (in the northeast US, at least).

- Plan is for late June. Would I be well enough away from winter conditions by then?
- Would this route require more than grade 1 scrambling?
- We've got 3 days allotted. That should be plenty for the route, right?

Happy to hear any advice or suggestions.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby prog99 » Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:27 pm

Winter will be well gone by then. Others may wish to comment on any scrambling on your route, it all blurs into one for me after a while.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby BigTed » Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:18 pm

Pretty much any crossing of the main ridge will be more than grade 1 scrambling. Sgurr Nan Gillean down to Gars Bhein. The Cuillin Ridge is the roughest most technical in the UK.

Some of the peaks have relatively easy routes up but these tend to be up and back down by the same route. On the ridge route finding can be tricky. Even in good visibility.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby BigTed » Wed Mar 16, 2022 12:15 am

I have done the ridge traverse but I wasn't really concentrating on how easy or hard the descents off the ridge at the various passes were. There is a previous topic on the easiest route from Glen Brittle to Coruisk here. Seems it may not be too bad technically but easy to get onto harder ground if you can't find the easiest line.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70315
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby hubris » Wed Mar 16, 2022 2:23 am

I think then that we are better off skipping the Fairy Pools and just using the Sgurr na Stri route to get us down close to Coruisk, and then taking the path the leads off west toward Coruisk before having to climb the peak (see image)

I'd love any ideas for making the return trip more interesting than retracing our steps. Will it be challenging to find a decent spot to pitch a tent, perhaps in the area west of Meall na Cuilce in the image? Or is it acceptable to camp on the south shore of the Loch? (I'm accustomed to rules keeping wild campsites 1/4 mile from bodies of water and 100 yards from any trail).
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby jmarkb » Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:17 am

hubris wrote:I'd love any ideas for making the return trip more interesting than retracing our steps. Will it be challenging to find a decent spot to pitch a tent, perhaps in the area west of Meall na Cuilce in the image? Or is it acceptable to camp on the south shore of the Loch? (I'm accustomed to rules keeping wild campsites 1/4 mile from bodies of water and 100 yards from any trail).


There are good spots to camp near the Coruisk Memorial Hut (though there are probably several alternatives along the shore of Loch Coruisk too) - and there are no such restrictions in Scotland.

An alternative return route is tricky - if you have discounted crossing the ridge, the only other options are a loop via Camasunary, but that involves some exposed scrambling above the sea (the Bad Step), or round the south end of the Cuillin to Glen Brittle, but getting back to Sligachan would make for a very long day.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby Giant Stoneater » Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:26 am

A excellent book on Skye's Cuillin is
Skye's Cuillin Ridge Traverse by Adrian Trendall which goes into some finer detail.
He also has a Facebook page All Things Cuillin which if you need to order the book can get him on Messenger, also Cicerone Press.
Photo from book.
P3160098.JPG
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby gaffr » Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:31 am

A not exactly perfect image of Eric crossing the Bad Step area on our way for a stay near Coruisk in 1965.
Bad Step on the way to Coruisk.jpg
The so called bad step in 1965.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby Mal Grey » Wed Mar 16, 2022 11:16 am

I think Bealach na Glaic Moire is arguably the easiest crossing BUT, it does apparently involve difficult route finding and the route is not as obvious as the dotted line shows. You can also see a dotted line on Google Maps in aerial view mode, and if you put it in 3D you can see how the traverse line on the core a Mhaidaidh side should work. Saying that I have not done this route.
I tend to think your alternative plan would be better. It would probably allow you a bit more time to explore Coruisk too. Have a good google of "The Bad Step" to see if you think you'd be happy with it with packs on. Its short, but can be intimidating, especially in bad weather.
It probably makes more sense just to return the way you came. I'd therefore suggest a simple "walk in, camp at Coruisk, spend day exploring the most magnificent mountain basin that is Coruisk, back to same camp, walk out" trip. This will be wonderful.
If the weather is good, you could have the option of camping near the summit of Sgurr na Stri for one of the nights, to get the most amazing mountain view in the UK - there are a few small and limited spots to camp before the summit as I understand it.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby Caberfeidh » Wed Mar 16, 2022 12:51 pm

Hiking in from Sligachan via Glen Sligachan, then over the shoulder of Sgurr na Stri and down to Loch Coruisk is an impressive route with fine views. Walking out via the coastal route is also an interesting variant. The so-called "Bad Step" is not at all bad, I prefer to call it the Interesting Step. I took a friend over it, he was a bit nervous as he had never been that way and had heard that it was difficult and scarey. I got around this by not telling him we were on it, and only a few minutes afterwards when he asked how far to the Bad step, I told him he had already been over it. When you come to the river at Camasunary, do not try to wade across as it can be very deep. Walk up the river until it is narrow enough to jump over. There is an open shelter along at the other end of Camasunary bay, where another river enters the sea. Ignore the two white buildings, neither are open to the public. From there you can either go up over the hill to Kilmarie where there is a public road, and you may be able to hitch a lift, or alternatively you can carry on along the clifftop trail to Elgol, out near the end of the peninsula. Again, travel back out may have to be by hitching. The weather is extremely variable - it could be a heatwave or a freezing downpour with gales. Snow is unlikely in June but does happen. Some friends of mine were bivvying on the ridge whilst attempting a traverse in midsummer. They awoke to a couple of inches of snow and a precarious withdrawal from their attempt! Rain is more likely to happen, also midgies. There are plenty of places to pitch a wee tent. If you do go to Elgol, go the shop for cake and coffee; the proprietor, Hermione, is a wonderful baker. You may want to take more than three days if the weather is good.

Ard Dorch shore June R.jpg
Looking towards Coruisk from Elgol.


Coruisk.JPG
Loch Coruisk. Glen Brittle is on the other side of those high mountain walls, so not somewhere you can easily cut across.


December 09 Sgurr na Stri from Elgol.JPG
Sgurr na Stri (centre) from Elgol


Bad Step.JPG
On the Interesting Step. Not bad at all.


Skye waterfall.JPG
The kind of weather you can encounter


Glen Sligachan September 2009.jpg
Glen Sligachan from Sligachan Hotel, alternative weather.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby hubris » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:55 pm

You all are wonderful and helpful. Thank you very much prog99, jmarkb, BigTed, Giant Stoneater, gaffr, Mal Grey and Caberfeidh!

:clap:
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby gaffr » Thu Mar 17, 2022 11:56 am

Had a wee look at my various maps this morning. On the old 1:25,000 map that I have had since the seventies...the one that has the Cuillin on one side and on reverse side the Torridon Hills.
On the Skye map no path up to from Coruisk and down from Bealach na Glaic Moire although there is shown the path up to the Waterpipe gully.
The latest 1;25,000 map has a path shown from Coruisk up and over the Bealach and weaves a way down to connect to the old Waterpipe one. Not ever used this path.
Oddly the Harvey map with the two scales although very strong on showing the several cols on the ridge does not indicate much in the way of paths to these cols.
On the Coruisk side of the range I have been by way S.E. Ridge of Sgurr a'Ghreadaidh and down almost directly to the Hostel area without too much of a problem.
Of course up and down from the Banachdich col when we were based at Loch Coruisk.
After the Dubhs Ridge down via the Garbh-Choire.
.....and to reach a camp on Gars-bheinn by an easy route from Loch na Cuilce
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby hubris » Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:22 pm

We had a wonderful time hiking from Sligachan Old Bridge to Loch Coruisk, around Sgur na Stri through Camasunary and then back up to Old Bridge. Thank you all for your help with planning.

We gave the Bad Step a go, but it was a bit much for my daughter and I. We ended up going up and over it.
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Re: Help with trip planning - Cuillin

Postby Sunset tripper » Wed Jul 06, 2022 12:08 am

Nice trip - great pics. :D
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