ROUTE: The classic Dubh Slabs route from a wild camp at Loch Coruisk.
MEMBERS OF PARTY: With Marion
CONDITIONS: Overcast, warm, gentle breeze, dry rock.
DURATION: Around 10 hours tent to tent. (Boat in from Elgol Day 1, out Day 3).
SKILLS PRACTISED: Scrambling, moving together, multi-pitch roped climbing with body belays, abseil.
MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENT: The rock is everything on this route! The perfect gabbro on the slabs, contrasting with the less grippy basalt dykes and faults. The peridotite boulders in the Garbh Coire on the descent are remarkable (and unmissable) since they make the going much slower!
KEY LEARNING POINTS/CONTRIBUTION TO EXPERIENCE: I would echo the route's usual description as a must-do experience for any mountaineer - despite it having been cycled down by Danny McAskill in recent years. The ascent is a great way to get comfortable with non-technical scrambling and climbing in big situations. The abseil adds spice and challenge. The descent through An Garbh Coire was character-building - it seemed interminable.
Area :
Skye - The Cuillin (Summer)
The Cuillin mountains of Skye are justifiably admired as having the most alpine-like atmosphere of all the ranges of the British Isles, and perched elegantly above the sea they have an especial charm. The traverse of the main ridge is of course a highly prized expedition, but the flanks of the Cuillin contain a very large number of crags of excellent gabbro, offering long multi-pitch climbs throughout the grade range.
