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Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations


Postby Albair » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:44 pm

Hi...I'm taking my family to Skye in August...and I'm itching to go walking in the Cullin's. Sounds like there are plenty of great routes...only thing is my daughter is keen to come with me....she is 11...but very sporty.

Can any of you recommend a route that we could do together that gives me a taste of the mountains but nothing too strenuous that she would struggle with?

I'm new to the forum...so thanks in advance for any advice you could send my way.

Cheers!
Al Baird
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby basscadet » Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:53 pm

I would take her up to the corries - Coire a Ghrunnda (from the campsite) has a little easy scramble to get to and is fun, Coire lagan is arguably the finest too.. If you want to get to the top of something you should maybe take her up Sgurr na stri - I know its a long walk in, but maybe a wild camp at the top would make the whole thing more exciting for her, although don't envy the carrying stuff for two! :lol:
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby BobMcBob » Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:19 pm

I was around that age when I climbed Sgurr Dearg (but not the Inn Pinn..) with my Dad. I was reasonably fit for a kid that age (lots of cycling, walked 2 miles to school and back every day) and didn't find it strenuous at all. It's not a difficult walk to the top but there are a couple of scary bits that stuck in my memory - in a good way. Been back recently and they're neither as scary or as dangerous as my young mind thought they were :D

The two corries basscadet mentions are both excellent walks too. Coire a Ghrunnda in particular for me is probably the definition of "awe-inspiring".
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:56 pm

My daughter climbed Bla Bheinn aged 8, Sgurr na Banachdich aged 9, Bruach na Frithe aged 10 and Bla Bheinn by the south ridge aged 12. She's never been particularly athletic but managed and enjoyed the climbs. Monitor the weather carefully and pick a good day. It's an unforgettable experience to be on top of a Cuillin mountain and you can always turn back if any of you feel uncomfortable.
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby EllyM » Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:16 pm

I went up Bla Bheinn aged about 11 or 12, but my sister, who is 4 years younger, was left at about 900m (along with our mum and the dog - we didn't just abandon her!). Like another poster we did it on a very, very nice day - I'm not sure dad would have taken me in poor weather as it would have been no fun for either of us. As long as she is reasonably fit and not too feart of heights, I think Bla Bheinn is a very nice one at that age - it felt pretty adventurous to me!
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby Sgurr » Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:26 pm

Sgurr na Stri is a great wee hill, and you don't have to do a huge walk-in to get to it. You can get a boat from Elgol http://www.bellajane.co.uk/, and provided it hasn't rained a lot in the preceding days which would make the stepping stones problematic, it would be a great adventure. We saw bottle-nosed dolphins en-route. You need to ask for the earlier climbers' boat to make sure you have a long enough day, unless you think you can do it between 10.30 and 4.30 as they go over slowly telling stories about the other islands after that. Once on top, you can see the whole Cuillin range spread out.
Image

Here is me suddenly wondering if I am up to the stepping stones, after huge rainfall two days earlier. There are two stretches like this. I'd post a link to the whole trip, but it is on another site, and the admin doesn't like such redirections
Image
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby Albair » Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:06 pm

Thanks for all the advice folks...really helpful...

I've just seen the reports of tourists descending en mass to Skye this year...so I'll do my best to pick some of the quieter routes.

I'll let you know how we get on when I return.

Best
Al

:clap:
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby joshquigg » Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:20 pm

Just stay away from the hot spots and you''ll find it's quiet. Most folk only want to walk 10-20 minutes from the car.
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby Albair » Mon Sep 04, 2017 2:02 pm

I was initially put off by all the talk of too many tourists and midges on the Isle of Skye but actually neither really materialised during the week we spent there.

I felt like a proper geek when I printed out all the route maps of the walks that had been recommended by the fab folks on this great website.

When we arrived at Skye I laid them all out and pondered which one to do the next day.

Having looked at the duration and reading about the route highlights I plumbed for Sgurr na Banachdich as I thought it would be a good first Munro challenge for my 12 year old daughter, and also it sounded interesting and offered a good vantage point at the top to take in the Cullins for the first time.

We arrived at Glenbrittle Youth Hostel at 9 in the morning...just as the rain stopped. I thought this was a good omen but as we progressed up the waterfalls the weather got worse and it tipped it down. We got soaked.

My dream of a glorious view from the top was promising to be dashed by poor visibility. We pushed on regardless, without the slightest winge or moan from my daugter even though she was wet through.

We arrived at the top and couldn't believe it had only taken us an hour and a half...we were hungry for more despite the weather.

There was no view from the top due to the mist and rain. Only the roar of water far down below offered our imaginations the view we could have had. We were disappointed, but spurred on the go higher.

We decided to take Sgurr Dearg.

What a tease in the mist this one proved to be. As we scrambled over scree and boulders to what we thought could be the summit, past rough stone built shelters made by mountain top campers, another top become visible through the mist as we approached.

I must have sounded like a stuck record...'I bet that's the summit Izzy. Come on, I bet that's the last one. It would be a shame to turn back now!'

This happened 6 times in the end! To her credit, every time she agreed to carry on.

But eventually we got to the top. It felt like a proper peak as well. Nice and pointy at the top. Visibility was so bad with mist and rain that we had no perspective on the view. It was so bad, we didn't even get a glimpse of the Pinnacle supposedly just up ahead.

We were wet through and against my expectations we had done our second Munro (kind of, if you discount the In Pinn!)

I was chuffed and really proud of my daughter...we descended in the mist the way we came.

It rained all the way back to the car. Up and down took us 6 hours in total.

Unbelievably we never saw another soul on the walk all day...not sure whether we just got lucky and had the walk all to ourselves...or the weather had put other people off.

It was a great day despite the weather. It took 4 days to dry our boots out!

We both made a vow we would return another year and hopefully we'll get a real clear view from the top of the mountains we have now created in our minds.

Thanks to everyone who offered their advice and also congratulations on what I think is a bloody fab website and the online resources you have all built here.

Skye, you are truly one of the most beautiful places on earth...even better than we expected despite the rain on our walk. So much to see and do on the Isle.

So we'll be back...along with better weather and clear views hopefully!
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Re: Isle of Skye, Cullin walk recommendations

Postby Sgurr » Mon Sep 04, 2017 2:56 pm

Well done Izzy. A great achievement in the rain for an 11 year old. Skye isn't called the Misty Isle for nothing, but hopefully you could plan a pre midgy walk in May or early June another year, when there is just a chance that you might get less rain


http://www.holiday-weather.com/isle_of_skye/averages/
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