Skye Guides provide guiding and instruction for mountaineering and outdoor pursuits on the Isle of Skye. We specialise in providing high quality outings for individuals or small groups with bespoke itineraries every time. This makes the best use of our wonderful island for the diverse range of people who visit every year.
Our summer services can be broadly divided into two brackets…
The Black Cuillin peaks and ridges are the main attraction for climbers and walkers. Details of what to expect in the Cuillin and how we operate are explained in detail below. Many clients use our services to reach the beautiful mountain scenery and sample the delights of Cuillin scrambling. Others have specific peaks or challenges that Skye Guides can help them achieve.
Rock Climbing grows in popularity every season. Many clients use Skye Guides to enjoy a single day on one of the hundreds of crags around the island for an exciting day out. Many others use our expertise to fast-track them into the sport with safety and confidence. Classic routes such as the Cioch, King Cobra, Great Prow, Grey Panther and Vulcan Wall are popular with visiting climbers needing a partner. See our Rock Climbing page for more ideas and details.
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Courses (click to view course pages)
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Popular Outings and Objectives
• Sgurr Alasdair The highest point on the Isle of Skye
• The Inaccessible Pinnacle Requiring ropes and a strong nerve.
• Sgurr nan Gillean Regarded by many as the most beautiful of all the Cuillin peaks
• The Cioch Where Sean Connery famously had a sword fight in
the film Highlander
• Introduction to scrambling on the Cuillin Ridge: A great way to see the views and learn how to stay safe
• Introduction to Rock Climbing: Skye Guides specialises in teaching rock climbing at all levels
• A Classic Cuillin Scramble such as: Coire Ghreadaidh Skyline, Pinnacle Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean, Clach Glas & Blaven, Round of Coire Lagan, The Dubh Ridge.
The Black Cuillin
The Black Cuillin Mountains
The mighty Black Cuillin are the major attraction on Skye for climbers, scramblers and walkers who cannot help being in awe of the only truly alpine mountain cirque in Britain. The remnants of a once great volcano form a chain of some 36 peaks along a narrow 12 km ridge. The mountains are rocky peaks rising straight out of the sea with little vegetation above 300m. Above this height exploration involves following discontinuous trails through boulders, screes, slabs and narrow ridges to most peaks.
The Cuillin represents the boundary at which British hill walkers become mountaineers but this is not the enormous change envisaged by many. Hands are used regularly but good balance and footwork are more important than rock climbing skills. The views are second to none but the scrambling itself is also highly satisfying.
There are a lot of conflicting opinions on what scrambling in the Black Cuillin entails because each and every person perceives the terrain and exposed situations differently. There is also a world of difference between wet and dry rock. In fine weather the rock is so rough that confidence grows rapidly and the whole range can seem like an enormous playground. By contrast the rocks become greasy in the wet and can reduce even the most able of climbers to a crawling gibbering wreck. This leads to the fortunate reporting the experience as a joy and the unfortunate describing it as unpleasant and nerve-wracking.
Our Job at Skye Guides and How We Operate
Our job is to make every client’s experience as safe, positive and enjoyable as possible. This is achieved by careful route selection and simple instruction in how to deal with different situations. We use a combination of teaching, rope-work and psychology to build up confidence rapidly. Without this many clients would (and some still do) try crawling on all fours for many hours. Our style of guiding is far more than simply showing the right way.
Small group sizes allow close supervision and individual instruction. Clients generally have a healthy respect for what they may face and the majority gain in confidence rapidly once the basics of balance and avoiding loose rock are grasped. Feet, not hands, are the key to good confident movement. There are 3 Munro peaks, all with superb views, attainable by walking up less serious routes that are suitable for higher group numbers. Larger groups with serious Cuillin ambitions are accommodated by using more than one guide.
Ropes are carried on all Black Cuillin outings as a matter of course because it allows the guide to keep the client safe and build their confidence. This is often the first encounter with ropes for many clients and should not be feared but welcomed. The rope held by the guide is kept under control to prevent a small slip from developing into a damaging fall.
A pace is set at which the whole party can keep going steadily for long stretches based on the slowest member of the group. The importance of psychologically keeping all members positive at the early stages when nerves are jangling is a major reason for this. The slowest person often changes between normal walking approaches and the scrambling sections along the ridges with slower clients often having better balance.
In addition to knowing the terrain intimately our guides know which routes to take in different weather conditions. In cloud and mist a Skye Guide can greatly enhance your chances of reaching the summits but we do not offer any guarantees. The route is never fixed and allowance always has to be made for conditions of weather and climbers. A common scenario is to ascend one peak then decide which direction to head along the Ridge depending on weather, time and fitness.
In adverse weather conditions a suitable alternative peak or activity related to walking or climbing will be offered. There are many routes in the Black Cuillin that are sheltered from strong winds where the original objective peak would be too exposed. See FAQ below for examples.
Skye Guides specialises in providing low ratio guiding. We aim to maximise the chances of achieving ambitions in a single trip. The policy is firmly rooted in our climbing background and a huge respect for this dangerous environment. Safely achieving the maximum possible from all of the effort that goes into scaling a mountain is what we aim for. Party members should be of a similar level of ability and physical fitness in order to remain as a coherent and fluent party. The maximum ratio for most outings is 1:4.
We have a strong interest in teaching the skills used in the Cuillin to enable clients to enjoy exploring them on their own. Many clients are very experienced hill walkers already equipped with a high percentage of the skills needed. Simple rope skills are added to the armoury along with ideas on how to safely navigate and negotiate obstacles. Booking a day or 2 at the start of a visit to Skye to allow you to enjoy exploring these fantastic mountains yourself.
FAQ
I am particularly nervous about scrambling but really want to achieve my objective. Will Skye Guides help me?
Some clients are aware that they will struggle in the Cuillin physically and mentally. We are quite happy to guide patiently with very close supervision in these circumstances but require clients to be open and up front with us so that dangerous situations are avoided.
What happens if the weather is bad on the day of my booking?
Our terms and conditions state that an alternative activity will be offered if the objective peak or climb is not possible. In most cases this activity will be one of the less serious peaks on the Cuillin Ridge (The Inaccessible Pinnacle throws up this scenario most often).
There are days when any outing in the mountains is ill-advised and our most common alternative is to do some climbing related activity at one of the many coastal cliffs. This can seem a bit extreme for some clients but familiarisation with the tools and techniques used is always of benefit in the Black Cuillin as well as being great fun. Our expertise in rope-work has seen complete beginners doing 200 foot abseils down Kilt Rock, Tyrollean Traverses to a sea-stack at Elgol and even a 70 year old falling in love with rock climbing for the first time in her life. These are the extreme examples and the activities are always pitched at an appropriate level. These same possibilities are also used regularly to give weary legs a rest between mountain days and the settings are invariably beautiful.
Some clients opt for a guided tour of the island often with a mix of short walks to fantastic viewpoints and we particularly try to visit corners well off the normal tourist trail. Spotting wildlife is never a guaranteed but we know of many places where whales, basking sharks and eagles are common place. Ultimately our guides will endeavour to make the day of your booking as enjoyable and interesting as possible. We are enthusiastic about our wonderful island and always aim to give the best guiding service that we can.
Postponement
At busy times of the year such as May and June postponement for bad weather is often impossible to offer as the guides are working very busy schedules. A suitable activity will be offered as described above. At quieter times of the year postponement to a better day can be possible. Please see our terms & conditions for how this operates. If you need to postpone a whole trip and are making a claim on your travel insurance we will provide a receipt and other documentation required.
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