UKH

In the next two weeks I’m heading up to Skye for a wee bivi night on Am Basteir, before doing the tooth in the morning and possibly a huge section of the ridge.

We are going to head towards An Caisteal I think. No one here happens to have a GPS of their route going the opposite way to what most people do haha done a huge chunk of the Munro’s and tops already but just to keep us right.

Would you like a list of hand and foot holds too?   

It wouldn't help, as the route along the ridge ducks and dives around various obstacles a lot of the way.  2-5m variation can often make a big difference between having an easy scramble to hanging off the end of some skittery goat (false) path 100m+ above the deck.  Just pick a nice weather day and go explore with your eyes

Annotated with L and R, and H and F might be a handy addition?

Listen mate, your 1st post comes across as being both arrogant and ignorant, and the 2nd caps it. So don’t be surprised at the responses. No matter how huge your chunk of ticked Munros is, neither GPS, map or compass are going to help you on your proposed huge chunk of the ridge if the clouds come down, maybe not even in bright sunlight. Get a good guidebook and take it from there.

To put it a little more politely, I don't think a GPS route will be of much use.  There are a number of small variations, some simply being a little to the left or right others varying much more.   Now, which route can you do??  They won't be graded will they?  And what a silly fool you might be if you got stuck and had tell your rescuers I was following someone else's GPS route.

Do you really need someone else to keep you all right ?

I don’t mean other Munro’s - I mean Munro’s and tops on the Cuillin. I’ve just not done Am Basteir and went from there. 

I’m fully aware of the weather, like I stated, it was just for back up.

Again - I think my first post was put badly. I’m not just on here asking for someone else’s gps route and winging the ridge. I’ve done a lot of the ridge and I’m sure all will be good. It was simply just asking if someone had one for a back up. 

You've done a lot of the Ridge, but you just want backup?

I'm very confused. Those two things do not add up, in my little mind.

I suggest you either buy a map or hire a Guide, just for backup.

Correct haha I’m struggling to understand why that’s confused you? Do you know how long the ridge is? Out with Gillian, I’ve not done that section of the ridge, which I’m doing now.

so I was just asking an innocent question if anyone had a gps route, for back up. Which I might not use at all haha but the keyboard warriors coming out to try challenge it, rather than just not answering at all. 

Thanks for you help, babe.

The old rock fax downloadable guide is pretty good (if you can still get it). We used it for a 1 day traverse and it plugged the gaps for the bits I'd not been on well.

I can’t help thinking that some sort of gps route could well be useful given that you can’t use a compass up there. It’s been 40 years since I did the ridge, but when we did it, we went into mist at Alisdair and were in mist for the rest of the way. Navigation was tricky and we went off on side spurs a couple of times and had to backtrack including going wrong when only a few metres away from Naysmith’s route. 

I’ll have a wee look at that man. Thank you! 

Nothing worse than the mist. My brother-in-law now works up in Skye and he now wants to do the Cuillin, so I’ve been driving up as much as possible to hit sections of it with him and I think the last two times in April we attempted going up An Doras and hitting the ridge from there, both times we have been chased off by mist. So hopefully in July we have a clear traverse! 

I should hope so, considering I have done the entire route in one push from end to end.
 

What ever.

In one push? You’re my hero.

Yes I am.

I did it without a GPS or a mobile phone.

We did it with the description in Gordon's admirable book.

I’m guessing the description was something like bringing lashings of ginger beer, be careful on the steep bits before descending to the Hostel for tea and medals?

Sounds like you want the GPS as a psychological crutch. The following is far more important ;

being properly hill fit (lots of 12+ hour multiple munro hill days), and being happy pushing hard uphill.

Getting your nutrition and hydration on the go sorted.

Being good at climbing in your chosen ridge foot-wear. Ideally up to VS.  Also having days just soloing diffs and Severes on your local crags under your belt.

not carrying too much shit, if you are ready you won’t be taking more than four slings and half a dozen nuts max.

A little bit of route finding nous…

…then in good weather you won’t need the gps, the only benefit of GPS is in positively identifying the cols for escape routes in very low viz, as all the other posters have said it’s wouldn’t be useful for the actual scrambling. You can plug those GRs in yourself.

If having got all the above sorted, you won’t need more than the briefest of route descriptions. If you feel the need of a guidebook, a gps track and/or a guide your not ready.

Yours pre detailed guidebooks, pre haveys map, pre mobile, pre gps and pre guide / instructor commercialisation.