Syke Cuillin Integrale

[Ring ouzel]

First post, so apologies if it goes pear-shaped...

Brief note to inform folk that I completed my own version of Skye Cuillin Integrale on 30 May: Black Cuillin, Sgurr na Stri, Blaven, Clach Glas, Garbh-beinn and the Red Cuillin. 20 hours round trip from Sligachan. Solo and unsupported. Missed Belig, Sgurr nan Each (far top) and the two bumps before Gillean because I was concerned about lack of daylight (I only had a little torch...) and I fancied a pint. However I did manage a swim in Loch Coruisk, so maybe it should be the Cuillin biathlon?! Went anticlockwise in order to get the climbing out of the way early, but this makes for a few awkward decents and/or back-tracks. Fabulous day out. Tee shirt and shorts for the entire day. Recommended.

Not sure about protocol for identifying oneself, but I'm an old git with a beard, who for his sins is membership secretary for Dark Peak. Also apologies if I have got any of the gaelic spellings incorrect.

[ydt]

First post, so apologies if it goes pear-shaped...

Brief note to inform folk that I completed my own version of Skye Cuillin Integrale on 30 May: Black Cuillin, Sgurr na Stri, Blaven, Clach Glas, Garbh-beinn and the Red Cuillin. 20 hours round trip from Sligachan. Solo and unsupported. Missed Belig, Sgurr nan Each (far top) and the two bumps before Gillean because I was concerned about lack of daylight (I only had a little torch...) and I fancied a pint. However I did manage a swim in Loch Coruisk, so maybe it should be the Cuillin biathlon?! Went anticlockwise in order to get the climbing out of the way early, but this makes for a few awkward decents and/or back-tracks. Fabulous day out. Tee shirt and shorts for the entire day. Recommended.

Not sure about protocol for identifying oneself, but I'm an old git with a beard, who for his sins is membership secretary for Dark Peak. Also apologies if I have got any of the gaelic spellings incorrect.

Ring ouzel, Are you aware of the "Cuillin Round" which was started by Rob Woodall? It has been reported in the Fellrunner some years ago. It includes Belig as well as "the two bumps before Gillean" and a bit more. The most scenic of all 24 hour challenges.
Yiannis

[molehill]

I saw a Ring Ouzel on the Rhinogs last year, and possibly one on the Arrans a couple of weeks ago. Just by the way.

[Ring ouzel]

Hi Yiannis,

Yes I agree it is certainly the most scenic of rounds. I was aware of the previous rounds and would have attempted to emulate them had I not mislaid my main torch. Scottish summer nights are not long, but they are still dark!

To stir things up a bit, if one includes Belig, should one not also include Sgurr Thuilm? From recollection, this was not included in previous rounds, despite incurring a similar detour and being higher...

Are you aware of any other mad fools who have gone round clockwise?

One of my flock has successfully nested on the popular end of Stanage, so not many ascents of the Tippler thus far this year.

R.O.

[compo]

Sounds like a great day (and night?) out in the mountains. I would be interested in thoughts on the climbing sections.

When I did the ridge I climbed down (and up) the TD gap, King's Chimney, both sides of the Inn Pin and finished with the impressively exposed Naismith's Route on the Basteir Tooth. I acrried rockboots for a couple of these (TD gap descent and ascent, Inn Pin descent and Naismith's).

What approach do people take on these extended Cuillin rounds?

[ydt]

Ring ouzel,
When Rob Woodall started the Cuilling round he did not include Sgurr Thuilm, I guess he was not sure how long it would take him to get round with the limited support he had.
When I did it afterwards I reccied Sgurr Thuilm but decided not to risk missing 24 hours so left it out. Instead I added Sgurr a Bhasteir. Belig is more of an independent hill than Sg Thuilm and adds to the size of the smaller Red Cuilling section.
As far as I know it is only Rob and I who have done that Cuillin round, both clockwise, starting and finishing at the Coruisk Memorial Hut. From there it is natural to go Clockwise and do the hard bit before you get tired.

Compo,
No serious climbs are included in the round. Sgurr Sgumain is included and that leaves out the TD gap as the next one is Sg Alasdair.
The In Pin is climbed from the "easy" south side and then back the same way.
When we come to the Basteir Tooth we descend a couple of hundred feet down Bealach nan Lice and go up the easier scramble rather than Naismith's Route.

Rob and I took different routes down from Blaven. Rob went along the S ridge and then S of Loch na Creitheach. I went down an amazing gully between the 928m and the 926m tops. Part way down I got out of it, where there were some massive drops and then crossed Strath na Creitheach N of Loch na Creitheach.

There are some keen climber friends of mine who would love to do the round. It is a matter of finding the time to spend a week in Skye. I hope we do before I am too old to get round again.
Yiannis

[alwaysinjured]

Ring ouzel,
When Rob Woodall started the Cuilling round he did not include Sgurr Thuilm, I guess he was not sure how long it would take him to get round with the limited support he had.
When I did it afterwards I reccied Sgurr Thuilm but decided not to risk missing 24 hours so left it out. Instead I added Sgurr a Bhasteir. Belig is more of an independent hill than Sg Thuilm and adds to the size of the smaller Red Cuilling section.
As far as I know it is only Rob and I who have done that Cuillin round, both clockwise, starting and finishing at the Coruisk Memorial Hut. From there it is natural to go Clockwise and do the hard bit before you get tired.

Compo,
No serious climbs are included in the round. Sgurr Sgumain is included and that leaves out the TD gap as the next one is Sg Alasdair.
The In Pin is climbed from the "easy" south side and then back the same way.
When we come to the Basteir Tooth we descend a couple of hundred feet down Bealach nan Lice and go up the easier scramble rather than Naismith's Route.

Rob and I took different routes down from Blaven. Rob went along the S ridge and then S of Loch na Creitheach. I went down an amazing gully between the 928m and the 926m tops. Part way down I got out of it, where there were some massive drops and then crossed Strath na Creitheach N of Loch na Creitheach.

There are some keen climber friends of mine who would love to do the round. It is a matter of finding the time to spend a week in Skye. I hope we do before I am too old to get round again.
Yiannis

Yianni..
In order to achieve the time, how would you describe the pace across the black cuillin?

Is it a brisk walk? - a trot?

- must admit the concept of running even trotting there, scares the life out of me!....so except for (maybe) some of the south end as far as sgurr nan E, and maybe from the descent of Bruach na F..it is hard to me to see where people can run without risking a serious accident

how much of the route did you find you were trotting?

[Ring ouzel]

Coruisk is certainly a better starting point than Sligacahan, but I think an even better one is Loch Ainort. From there you can do Belig first, then continue over Clach Glas, Blaven and the Black Cuillin before tackling the Red Cuillin. That had been my initial plan, but the loch side was very, very midgy when I turned up on my push bike (having cycled up from Jura) and I couldn't face hanging about there until 2am!

I took just over 7 h for the Black Cuillin traverse and I did not run at all.

[Full Moon Addict]

like your style ring ouzel - cycling from jura and then doing that. all this talk is wetting my appetite. how about it compo?

[ydt]

There are quite a few runnable bits on the main ridge (level/downhill rocky and scree) but a lot of it is scrambling and climbing. The long trek from the end of the ridge (Sgurr nan Uamha) to Glamaig and all the way past Belig is more or less normal fell terrain with a mixture of paths, grass and some bouldery streches. The same applies to the section between Blaven and Coruisk. On average, this round has a lot less running in it than the BG. Because of that it takes nearly as long to do although it is a lot shorter in distance. And when you finish you are less fatigued than when doing other rounds.
Rob and I did it from Coruisk because we were staying there for a few days, otherwise Coruisk is a long way to get to. Sligachan is also a good starting point.
If you can do the main ridge with all the hills included in the round (not just Munros) in 7 or 8 hours, you are doing very well. You could then get round in less than 20 hours if you can keep going.
Yiannis
PS: I can supply details