The Dubh Slabs – a grand day out. Dubhs Ridge, Skye Today we had an early start and left Glenbrittle at 6:30 am to catch the early morning morning boat into Loch Coruisk. From here on in follow the great swath of slabs for nearly 1 km taking the line of least resistance (or direct!) Sgurr Dubh Mor is a dramatic rock peak situated just off the main Cuillin Ridge and usually reached by baggers via tricky and hard to find scramble from the rest of the range. Up the Dubh slabs of course and onto the ridge. The famous Dubh’s slabs are on the initial section to Sgurr Dubh Beag. Climb the cleft onto the top of these slabs and move around to the left edge of the lower ridge. From the summit a short walk west along the ridge finds a few in-situ lower off points (best take some tat just in case!) Keep to the left (south) side of the Loch marching across bog and glacial moonscape until below the toe of the ridge ~1.5km from the jetty. Arran early May 2019. The next buttress section presents the obligatory crux and comprises a ledge system and exposed step above a big drop, but the holds are positive and the difficulties are short lived. AquaXplore ran us in to Coruisk at high speed with just enough time to admire the basking seals. "Best skye trip yet. It is important that a good level of trust is built between visitors and locals. The remoteness of Loch Courisk means that just getting to the base of the route is a mission in itself, requiring a 14 mile round trip from Elgol via Camasunary along rocky coast path. Above the slabs the climbing is similar to many sections of the main ridge. Day 3: Advanced Scrambling, such as Pinnacle Ridge / Dubh Slabs, etc . More Less Crag Info. Accommodation should be your first priority before arranging guided days. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Loch Coruisk is a place of inspiration. UK Scrambles is dedicated to introducing people to the activity of scrambling. With acres of perfect slabs in a stunning island location, the Dubh Ridge isn't only one of the longest rock climbs in the UK, but also has to be among the most enjoyable at any grade. This route is graded as a Moderate climbing route. 4 – (NG 46448 20370) From the Bealach continue along the ridge, which gradually builds in difficulty before some very exposed (grade 3) scrambling leads to the majestic summit of Sgurr Dubh Mor. £700 per person. These cookies do not store any personal information. The Dubhs Ridge (Dubh Slabs), Isle of Skye Terrain. Learn more about working with UK Scrambles here. Sam regularly publishes route blogs on his website Wainright Climbing here. The slabs were 1st climbed around the 1880’s which is phenomenal and an ascent by 2 past presidents of the SMC inspired a much quoted piece of verse: Said Maylard to Solly one day in Glen Brittle, “All serious climbing, I vote, is a bore; Just for once, I Dubh Beag you’ll agree to do little, Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Our booking process will include suggestions on good practices during your visit. Graham Wyllie high on the Dubh Slabs with Lochs Coruisk and Scavaig far below and Elgol on the peninsular close to his head. "Thank you Joanie for this terrific cottage, a … Day 4- Finish with a classic, we’ll aim to do a bigger route, something like the Dubh slabs. Immaculate rock, wilderness setting, slabs, knife edge crests, down climbing, route finding and great summits all combine to make this an unforgettable day out. Scrambles on The Isle of Skye: The Cuillin: Cuillin Ridge traverse, Pinnacle Ridge, The Spur, Dubh Slabs. By most standards this is a long day out. Location: Loch Coruisk/Dubh Slabs Date: 28 May 2009 Time: 2100 No of Team Members Involved: 1 Total Team Hours: 5. It offers many different routes from a casual stroll up to the loch itself, a longer walk right round Loch Coruisk or anything up to a climb from the edge of Loch up the famous Dubh slabs. Putting all our skills together and end on a high note. Sam regularly publishes route blogs on his website, This route was created by Sam Wainwright and donated to the. p: (00) +44 (0)1471 822 116 Right: Sticky approach shoes are perfect for the Dubh Ridge. I had watched Robin lead off up a strenuous corner start, then hesitate, placing one piece of gear, then another piece, then another, as the crack line vanished into a delicate series of balancing moves through a vertical section to regain the main wall above. Pyroclastic rocks in the Eastern Red Hills district crop out at Creagan Dubh (P 1, 0.5km 2), NW of Beinn Dearg Mhor, and in the Kilchrist area (P 2, 2km 2), south of Beinn Dearg Bheag. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. B: Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn C: Sgurr Dubh Mor D: The Dubh Slabs (an excellent scramble with an abseil off its first summit, Sgurr Dubh Beag) E: Sgurr na Banachdich F: Sgurr a Ghreadaidh G: Sgurr a Mhadaidh H: Bidean Druim nam Ramh I: Druim nam Ramh J: An Caisteal K: Sgurr na Bhairnich L: Bruach na Frithe (the only top with a Trig Point) I could not praise the fun and quality of a Dubh Ridge day out enough-everyone who loves Skye mountaineering should try and do this ridge at least once. 2 – (NG 47716 20763) The base of the Dubhs can be seen towering overhead, with entry onto the route guarded by some very steep slabs split by an obvious grassy cleft on its far left hand side. Equipment: 60m rope plus some tat to back up the abseil. Greater Cuillin traverse, Pinnacle ridge, Dubh Slabs etc. A breathtaking skyline which commands your attention. Immaculate rock, wilderness setting, slabs, knife edge crests, down climbing, route finding and great summits all combine to make this an unforgettable day out. m: (00) +44 (0)7769 221 500, Skye Guides, 3 Luib, This route was created by Sam Wainwright and donated to the UK Scrambles website through our contributor program. Routes and days can be changeable to suit the weather and your ability. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Bla Bheinn on the right and Clach Glas, centre taken at sunrise from the summit of Sgurr nan Gillean. Want a website thank ranks in Google Search. Elaine enjoyed her 'girlie' day out to Fairy Glen and Stein." Skye Basecamp is in the heart of  Broadford & will be home to our guides over the summer months. Where; Dubh Slabs from Loch Coruisk to Glen Brittle Who; Andy, ProfRob MKG How far; 11.5km/1100m How long; 11 hours Route Well the best laid plans didn't stand a chance given the fickle weather on Skye. You might head to Clach Glas Blabheinn Travese, a classic Skye scramble along a fantastic airy ridge with a couple of harder pitches of rock climbing, or you may end up doing a climb of the Dubh Slabs and abseil from Sgurr Dubh Beag and walk down. With Sgurr Dubh Mor, hard scrambling is involved (walk grade 5) Public Transport. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! You can also check out good value accommodation nearby in Elgol on Booking.com here. 3 – (NG 46573 20423) The superb friction of the Skye Gabbro means its quite likely that the thought of needing a rope hadn’t even crossed your mind so far. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 1 – (NG 48702 19660) Follow the path around cragy outcrops towards the river and up into the Courisk basin. Last week I was working for Skye Guides in absolutely glorious weather, which meant lots of time to scramble around these spectacular mountains, enjoying the sunshine and even getting this seasons first taste of wild swimming. Once back at the shores of Loch Courisk, tighten your laces and get running! Isle of Skye, IV49 9AN. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We have two self catering cottages in the small village of Luib 7 miles north of Broadford and all rooms at our bunkhouse, Skye Basecamp, will have either en suite facilities or a private bathroom allocated to your room and the self catering kitchen will be operational. Putting all our skills together and end on a high note. We were hoping for better things and were not disappointed. What may be the same unroofed building is shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1986). The Fellowship of the Ridge. With: hb sb ab; From Glen Brittle round Sron na Ciche & up the slabs to Loch Coir a'Ghrunnda then up to ridge NW of Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn. From here out and back to Sgurr Dubh Mor. Descent to Loch then back down slabs to Glen Brittle. Stunning. Ian Baines: 27/05/2006: With: ib sb ab; Helen Baines Routes and days can be changeable to suit the weather and your ability. The Creagan Dubh and Creag Strollamus exposures do not show the development of the trap topography typical of the north Skye lavas, possibly as a result of hydrothermal and metamorphic alteration processes (see Section of Chapter 12). If you have a route you could contribute. There is also plenty of places to camp, just watch out for the midges.. However descending from the summit of Sgurr Dubh Beag and onwards along the ridge is very steep and exposed and is best abseiled (although it can be downclimbed at S/HS). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. “I live for everything outdoors and to me a bad day in the hills still beats a good day in the office.”. Standing at the outflow of Loch Coruisk and looking out towards Eigg (I think Rum is off to the right an Soay just out of shot) The walk day. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Greater risk of sunstroke than frostbite. Information from RCAHMS (AKK), 14 November 1996. Scrambling is the blurred middle line between hiking and climbing, considered by many to be far more enjoyable than either of them. Where to go from Coruisk? Skye Guides is taking bookings for guiding in December (Tier 1 only)  & deposits for bookings in 2021. From the summit descend the south west ridge (grade 2) towards the Bealeach below the huge rock tower of Caisteal a’ Garbh-coire (NG 45433 20276) and turn east down into An Garbh-choire. The pyroclastic rocks in the Creagan Dubh area lie unconformably above subaerially-erupted basic lavas (see Section of Chapter 3). Inspire others to try a new scrambling route, become a contributor. Day 4. Make a 25m abseil down to a ledge before a short scramble regains easier ground. Robert took my recommendation from last year to bag his last Skye Munro by the classic Dubh Ridge. Day 1: introductory Skye ridge scrambling, such as traverse of Sgurr a’ Ghreadhaidh & Sgurr a Mhaidadh. The main route is the Dubh Slabs (about 2.5km long) moderate. A continuous line from sea level to summit, its 900m elevation is quite simply unmatched in the UK. right on the ridge crest. Our hoped for go at the main Cuillin Ridge was ditched due the lack of two of decent together in the window that Andy, our guide had given us. On the Approach, Sgurr Dubh Mor and the Cuillin Ridge look like something out of the lord of the rings, Mordor Perhaps. 5 – (NG 45726 20549) An awkward descent from the summit followed by further scrambling westwards gains the final top of Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn. The situation is subject to changes in advice by the Scottish government and we are offering a full refund or an opportunity to postpone if your booking is affected by Covid – 19. This generosity enables us to publish a whole range of scrambling routes to help you enjoy the outdoors. Alternatives are possible to avoid the abseil. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Dubh Slabs, Isle of Skye The Dubh Slabs lie in one of the most picturesque settings you can imagine – above the shores of the remote Loch Coruisk, surrounded by a … The Inaccessible Pinnacle . With: hb sb ab; From Glen Brittle round Sron na Ciche & up the slabs to Loch Coir a'Ghrunnda then up to ridge NW of Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn. From here out and back to Sgurr Dubh Mor. Descent to Loch then back down slabs to Glen Brittle. Stunning. Ian Baines: 27/05/2006: With: ib sb ab; Helen Baines ‘Doing the Dubhs‘ is a paraphrase born from the Isle of Skye that translates roughly as ‘having one of the best days possible in UK hills’. Sgurr Dubh Mor – Ilse of Skye. The Dubh slabs The Black Cuillin contain 12 of Scotland’s 283 Munros (a mountain with a summit height of more than 3,000 ft) and these are acknowledged as the hardest to attain and linking them is even tougher, with many narrow ridges to scramble and concentration required on every step. It should be noted the descent down the Choire is very rough and can be quite time consuming with tired legs! Location: Dubh Slabs, Sgurr Dubh Mor Date: 31 May 2007 Time: 1900 No of Team Members Involved: 2 Total Team Hours: 8. This website contains route information submitted by real people like you, accounting the facts and personal tales of their experiences. If time is pressing and the ferry departure time is looming a bit to close for comfort, it is possible to escape north into Coir a’ Chaoruinn and down to Courisk. Please contact us directly by e-mail to mike@skyeguides.co.uk to discuss your situation. £700 per person. A much better option is to catch the early morning boat into Courisk from the harbor at Elgol on the Bella Jane (http://www.bellajane.co.uk/). By accessing any page on ukscrambles.com you agree that you have read, understand, and will fully comply with the following pages: Terms | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Affiliate Disclosure. After a day in the rain yesterday I was out with Alan, Nigel and Cole again today. If you have a route you could contribute, submit it to us today. The main route ends on Sgurr Dubh Beag -20 m abseil. The Dubh slabs was next on the agenda – reportedly the longest climb in the UK (1km of 30 degree sticky gabbro slabs, grade 2 scramble). At Kilchrist basic lavas are intercalated with various pyroclastic rocks (B.R. Day 2: Intermediate Scrambling, such as round of Coire Lagan, usually with In Pinn ascent as well. Day 4- Finish with a classic, we’ll aim to do a bigger route, something like the Dubh slabs. "Will inspire countless summer and winter adventures…". I could not praise the fun and quality of a Dubh Ridge day out enough-everyone who loves Skye mountaineering should try and do this ridge at least once. A family party had taken the boat into Coruisk to return to Glenbrittle via the Dubh Slabs. Climbing on Skye. The Dubh ridge was dry, the main ridge was in view and the rain held off until we had finished scrambling for the day; brilliant! On the other side the Dubhs Ridge leads directly from Loch Coruisk to the summit - this is the longest rock-climb in Britain and a total classic for those with the skills. Situated in the wilds of Loch Courisk on the far side of the Skye Ridge, this amazing outing is claimed to be one of the longest routes in the UK boasting nearly 1 km of climbing. Last Monday Dave travelled up from Fort William to accompany me on a wander around the ridge, we did the Dubh… The early trip in is on a fast Rib and always provides an adventurous start to the day and plonks you into one of my favourite mountain spots in the UK. My buddies on the trip to Skye had awoken in the drizzle and pretty much all headed up the Dubh Slabs, to then climb the Cuillin Ridge. Sgurr nan Eag involves moderate scrambling; Sgurr Dubh Mor (which can be omitted) is a hard scramble. Ratio: 2 clients to 1 instructor. A single unroofed building is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1881, sheet xlix). Be the first to rate this post. No votes so far! A stunning Skye Meet at Coruisk, Sept 2019. A hill walker had set off from Kilmarie to walk in to Loch Coruisk, climb Sgurr Dubh Mor via the Dubh Slabs route and return to Kilmarie. The slabs require some logistical consideration – as the only access to the base of the slabs is either by walking in from Elgol (at least 4 hours one-way) or by boat from Elgol to Coruisk. From this angle the staggering scale of the route is apparent. Integrity. As we rounded the shoulder of Sgurr na Stri sharp peaks sprang into view, prominent among them the curved profile of the Dubh Slabs, topped by the jagged Munro summit of Sgurr Dubh Mor. Bell 1984a). It has a boat ride, unrivaled wilderness and some of the finest friction slab climbing anywhere. They underestimated the seriousness of the route and the time it would take. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The best map for this route is the Ordnance Survey Landranger 32 South Skye & Cuillin Hills Map, available on Amazon here. Tactics The climbing is graded ‘Moderate’. Accommodation providers are encouraging longer stays in single venues to minimise chances of the virus spreading. Our priority is very much to safeguard the health of our guests, staff and the local population of Skye. Situated in the wilds of Loch Courisk on the far side of the Skye Ridge, this amazing outing is claimed to be one of the longest routes in the UK boasting nearly 1 km of climbing. They operate early morning and late return ferries perfect for a long day on the Dubhs. all the way to the summit of Sgurr Dubh Beag. Its not long until the last ferry! Scotland and Skye have, touch wood, contained the virus and the focus is very much on keeping it this way. The trip will be run by Neil personally. Loch Coruisk is a popular tourist destination for walking, climbing and hiking. If Sgurr Dubh Mor is omitted, moderate scrambling is needed for the entry to Coire Ghrunnda and for the ascent of Sgurr nan Eag (also much scree). Industrial quantities of seafood and first class hospitality from Joanie and Alistair. The best guidebook for this route is found in the SMC Skye Scrambles Book, which is available via Amazon on Paperback here. Stunning clear views if a touch chilly on the summits - those glorious ridges from the north, the way ahead via the sweep left then right… into the distance. Bla Bheinn: Clach Glas to Bla Bheinn traverse. Pictures only do so much, you need to be there to be able to … ‘Doing the Dubhs‘ is a paraphrase born from the Isle of Skye that translates roughly as ‘having one of the best days possible in UK hills’. Scrambling Classic Scramble - The Dubh Ridge . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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