UKC

Hi, Apart from ticking off The Wainwrights and general climbing I've decided I need another challenge. A two day traverse of the Cuillin Ridge seems to fit the bill, which I would hopefully attempt next year.
I will then be 67 years old. I would like to hear from fellow sexagenarians who have done it and would appreciate any info and training tips.
Thanks.
David

In reply to pillar:
I heard last week, about a pair aged 64 and 70 who did it with a bivvy, during the great weather earlier this year, without any dramas
They are both active and out regularly.

In reply to pillar:

If you get good weather, do it in 3 days. More relazing, you don't need much more kit and the water is more convenient.

In reply to pillar:

And by the way, I am a sexagenarian.

Hi Thanks for replies. A three day outing sounds excellent. I just hope we can get decent weather.
David

In reply to pillar:

Can't say really, as I'm only a fifty-genarian , but I'm planning to have a crack next weekend, and am reet excited about it. It's been a long time between first being over-awed by the ridge, to getting to a place where I am relishing it.

I'll let you know how we get on.

In reply to pillar: have a nice lunch at Glen Brittle ,take a bivi sac ,small stove ,tea etc any food for a couple of days ,we made some sandwiches..get round onto the Ridge later in the day wander along and down to Corrie A grundda,spend the night near the water ,brewing ,more brewing in morning taking on plenty of fluid,up to TD Gap and steady away..we were on it on the exact day of the first crossing ,and found a good snow patch for water after the Inn Pin ..just keep steady away .so long as you have some water you should do it ok..

In reply to victorclimber:

That's how I was suggesting. Except I would start slightly earlier and do the TD gap in the evening. It's hard getting out of bed in the cold, maybe damp and trying the TD gap, unless you've a grade in hand. Having done it in the evening and abbed back down into to get back to Coire Ghrunnda, then you can go the easy way up Alastair in the morning and not miss out anything. And see how far you get - Fionn Coire is good. More water and a short day to finish. You can even get home that night if you live in Scotland.

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

I agree on the TD gap timing. Not only were my hands so cold I couldn't feel them but we also had to queue a while. I did get to realise in an unexpected way that the new proposed grade of HS 4b is bunkum as I certainly can't onsight that hard with approach shoes and numb fingers.

In reply to Andy Nisbet:
Surprised you spelled it that way. Typo?

In reply to pillar: The approach suggested doing short day but gap on day 1 is my favoured approach apart from with fell-running fitness folk. Ideally leave the bivvy kit & collect later. Logistics need careful consideration or big budget (paying for a Slig hotel bed is not an uncommon celebration!)
Wainrights & climbing suggests a few test days learning key sections will break you in; Cuillin is a shock to most 1st time visitors no matter what they've done before.
The only other real rule of thumb is don't even consider a Traverse in poor visibility; scary place to be wandering aimlessly with a big pack. Lower expectations & enjoy the adventure if weather isn't ideal. Give yourself 4 weeks on the project and you should have made your own luck.

In reply to Mike Lates:

Almost missed your point on fell running fitness. On our single day traverse (no bivi) we were unfit running wise as we had various injuries (knee etc). We were only climbing fit from doing lots of high volume days on easy grit routes. We cut weight of kit to minimise effort and avoid aggravating the 'tweeks'. In the end some loose scrambling exposed descents were the scariest part for us and I was certainly glad not to be carrying more in my rucksack on such terrain: pretty much soloing the pitches onsight in approach shoes was much less worrying!

In reply to Andy Nisbet: we couldn't be bothered to do TD and then go back down Andy,but that's probably the best way ..

In reply to victorclimber:

You can always leave it to the morning and see whether you feel like it. It's still a traverse if you miss it out.