The day before. The sun is blazing, a rare sight on Skye, the waterfalls are many and the Fairy Pools are beautifully crystal clear. I feel like a kid on summer vacation as we explore the pools in search of the best spot to rest. An almost surreal moment during our time in the Highlands.

So far it had been a week of hiking and wild camping. We slept in the clouds on top of Buachaille Etive Mòr, fully experienced the highland midgie, washed in the wild and successfully traversed Aonach Eagach, the narrowest ridge in the UK, linking two Munros.

After lots of fun and laughter we eventually find the perfect lagoon to relax, but I feel uneasy, like I shouldn’t be here, like I should be preparing. Towering above us are the Black Cuillins, and tomorrow we would commence our traverse of the legendary Cuillin Ridge.

Yes, we! I roped (pardon the pun) Carys into a two-day expedition of the most rugged and extensive high mountain ridge in the UK. This was to be her first mountaineering experience and we were about to attempt one of the longest Alpine-style rock-climbing routes in Europe.

The Cuillin Ridge traverse involves 31km and 8000m metres of almost continuous scrambling (up + down), climbing 22 peaks including 11 Munros, with sections of climbing, abseiling and jumping. We would also need to carry our own supplies and equipment for an overnight bivouac.

We had trained hard, done our research, invested in gear, however the odds were not in our favour. It’s estimated less than 20% of people succeed (hopefully my post can help improve that in some small way). A Scottish mountaineering guide would be key to our safety and success.

We arranged to meet Steven from @scottishrockandwater a few days before to climb Aonach Eagach. This made for a brilliant icebreaker and test-run before the Cuillin Ridge. We had the opportunity to ask questions and learn, and Steven could suss our physical and mental abilities.

The next day we took off and the video says the rest. It took us approximately 30 hours to complete the ridge including one of my biggest highlights, the overnight bivouac. My other big highlight was climbing the Inaccessible Pinnacle, notorious as the most difficult of the Munros.

After two long days of continuous scrambling along a narrow crest with concentration required on every step our heads were fried and our fingers were shredded, Carys more than I. It was not easy, I struggled with the heat and lack of water, but it was an incredible experience.

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TITLE : Howling At The Moon
COPYRIGHT : D Fine Us (Artlist)

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