A group of us are planning (hoping!) to traverse the Cuillin ridge in September.

Can anyone recommend a qualified guide/guiding company?

Plenty of results on t’interweb but 1st hand experience would be fantastic

Mike Lates comes highly recommended from a number of people I know. I think you’d be hard pushed to find a guide with a more intricate knowledge of the ridge.

I can also recommend Ben Wallace (Inspire Mountaineering) too, great guy to be around and fantastic climber. I think Mike asked Ben to do some guiding for him on the ridge last year.

Also (I’m not being an arse here, promise!), but you do know that the ridge traverse isn’t really a walk?

No offence taken!

We’re expecting climbing, ropes, bivvying, hanging on for grim death etc!

Di Gilbert Mountaineering is worth a shout.

She’s a no nonsense kinda gal who I have a lot of time for. Not afraid to call a spade a spade. And guided a fair bit (even on Everest once iirc).

And as Peterfile says its a proper traverse. It’s doable in a (looooong) day if you know what you’re doing. But im sure most guides will tell you its best split into two days. It’s exposed and my one attempt at it we were rained off about 7pm due to leaking bivi bags… 😳

If you don’t have a copy, buy this book:

http://www.gordonstainforth.co.uk/eyehill/cuillin.php

It’s the best guide out there and has detailed instructions for following the ridge. We used is very successfully.

NB I know you’re also hiring a human guide…

4am start from the Slig when we did it in a one-er,many,many years ago (1998). As above, a high bivvy with a(hidden) water dump is the best and most enjoyable way,and dare I say it, the safest as you will be concentrating a hell of a lot. Also I don’t think you will have enough light by Sept for a continuous traverse.

I was a 6am start from Glen Brittle, 9am at Gars Bheinn, sth end of ridge. Around 9:30 to Sgurr Na Gillean at nth end of ridge. At the time I was fairly fit and happy soloing V diffs up and down.

Unless OPs party are all happy with exposed scrambling up and down I’d suggest doing the ridge over two days. A guide would help with finding the best route as we made the odd mistake but the party still moves at the pace of the slowest member on the many scrambly bits.

As for guides, try Martin Morran: http://www.moran-mountain.co.uk/

He has held the record for running the ridge, although it’s since been shattered by about 15mins and now stands at approx 3h 15m for the complete traverse!

Thanks all!

I’ve spoken with Mike, who seemed extremely helpful

We’re planning to do it over 2 days- sounds far more enjoyable than breaking ourselves to do it in one.

Luckily we’re all around the same standard re scrambling/climbing etc so no worries there

Looking forward to it 🙂