A friend has recently completed the Cuillin Ridge and is looking of new challenges.
What suggestions do people have?
The greater traverse? Presume they did S to N, so N to S?
It would probably help to know:
1) If they are looking for scrambling or rock climbing or stuff with also snow... and ice/glaciers?
c) Was it a summer or winter traverse of the Cuillin ridge? If it was winter they'd probably be set for all sorts of serious alpine objectives as that's a pretty long, hard a committing expedition in UK terms.
viii) What is their range? UK only? Or including Europe? Or worldwide?
g6i) Are they looking for something that is a real step up in terms of difficulty or something else about the same or slightly harder?
Good points;
it was a summer ascent, and the ideal would be more trips at about that level or slightly harder.
So scrambling or easier climbing, on rock, in the UK or Europe.
thx
It's hard to find other routes in UK that will really compare. In general they're either looking at doing more technical multi-pitch routes with much less mileage or longer mountain days with less sustained scrambling and climbing. If they want the former, something like South Ridge Direct on Arran could be a good option. For the latter, there are probably too many options to iterate, but try putting together some big link ups focused around one of the classic scrambling ridges (Liathach, An Teallach, etc).
If they want to spend more time on Skye they could try the Clach-Glas Traverse, or other variations on the Cuillin Ridge such as starting via the Dubhs ridge after a boat ride over Loch Coruisk. Or simply try the Cuillin Ridge but in a different style. If they did S-N, try N-S. If you took 2 days, try it in a day. If they did it in a day, try chilling out at an overnight bivi.
Overseas, the Traverse of the Perrons springs to mind.
Don Quixote looks a fair bit harder, but also very good. Pinnacle Ridge is surely a joke?
How purely did they stick to the ridge? Go back and do it again properly??
Do it in winter, full conditions.
I did the Cuillin ridge in a day earlier this year. The only thing I have done that is similar was in winter in Slovakia (Tatras). Some enormous relatively easy but committed ridge lines that go for miles between mountain huts. Worth looking into.
Other than that I used my fitness this summer to ride the West Highland Way over two days and run a mountain marathon (and fitness is mostly what the Cuillin Ridge is all about).
Depends on which Pinnacle Ridge of course. Pinnacle Ridge (Summer) (D) is a nice way onto the main ridge. Maybe as a prelude to a N-S traverse?
zinalrothorn traverse is an obvious next challenge. all the difficulties are on rock and lots of scrambling
Well certainly the grade may not be appropriate but "looking for new challenges" to me suggests to an upping of the ante for someday who's prepared for a very long day (or two with a bivi) on rock.
The Perrons traverse is a nice day out but the route finding is easy, bolts on the hard bit and the commitment level is much lower.
The Ben Nevis ridges in a day.
I suspect that it is very hard to come up with high quality, logical and aesthetic challenges in the same sort of style as the Cuillin Ridge. It may be a sort of one off product of a fairly unique range of hills.
I'd suggest he has a look at the Exmoor Coast Traverse. I became interested in that after the Cuillin ridge and it was great.
All the best
Matt
Achir ridge on the Isle of Arran is good. Not a step up on a summer traverse of the Cuillin ridge but good all the same.
Frankly, if you’ve done the Cuillin ridge the logical next challenge in the same vein in the UK is to do the Cuillin ridge again.
jcm
Have you read Dan Bailey’s “Scotland’s Mountain Ridges”? Plenty of inspiration there.
Everest or a one arm pull-up on a first joint edge
Nothing better than that in the UK.
Read Don Quixote. Different type of challenge but similar level.
Time to retire.
"“When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer."
Maybe try to do it backwards? Not like N-to-S instead of S-to-N backwards, I mean turn a 180° and walk backwards.
you could go up and down alternating ridges on the buchaille.
or the aonach eagach in to any number of scrambles / easy climbs on bidean / the buchaille.
When I did the aonach eagach I then drove to the the buchaille and did a scramble to the summit and then back down curved. Must have done 2000+ meters of ascent that day. But if you are fit enough it would be possible and not too contrived to do it in on push via the devils stair case.
The 5 ridges of Ben Nevis in a day.
Castle Ridge - Ledge Route - Tower Ridge - Observatory Ridge - NE Buttress.
Enjoy
Hi - hope you're well,
I think for bigger challenges, it would be the Alps, Dolomites and the Picos. There are some great long days out to be had in the Costa Blanca, too, e.g. Espolón Central (4c) with The Edward's Finish (5a). There are some ridges there that I've heard are fun, but probably a step down from the Cuillin.
In the UK, I think you can have a lot of fun doing big link ups, e.g. Idwal slabs into Cneifion Arete into Glyder Fach and, if you're really fit, possibly descend via Bristly Ridge for a route on the East Face of Tryfan. Or Direct Route and Slow Ledge Route into Main Wall into Gambit Climb and on to a summit.
In the Lakes, there's the "Pico Harrison Integrale" and, personally, I think there are better link ups to be had on Scafell, Gable and then either over to Pillar, Gillercombe or Birkness Combe (possibly over two days with a bivi).... I've certainly daydreamed of some long VS linkups on those crags.
Just ideas! I'm not sure why there's some snottiness from some in the thread: surely exactly the sort of topic many rock climbers (as opposed to UKC forum lurkers) would happily daydream/speculate wildly about.
All best,
Chris
The pub
Thanks all for your suggestions - plenty of food for thought, an some excellent ideas i hadn't thought of.
Plenty of scope in Norway! The Ersfjord traverse near Tromso just one example: https://bergbjornmountaineering.com/climbing/guided-climbing/ersfjord-ridge...