Ideas for Individual Days of Rock Climbing
Two brand new guidebooks to climbing on Skye have been printed in the past few months. All of our guides are active climbers and like nothing more than teaching climbing or leading routes. We know suitable locations and climbs for everyone whether you are
- an adventurous beginner
- an indoor climber with outdoor aspirations
- want to learn to lead
- or fancy one of the Cuillin classic climbs.
Here we detail a few of our favourite locations.
Elgol: Our top location for introductions and indulgence is at Elgol, a 30-minute drive from the main road at Broadford. The crag is an easy 20-minute walk from the car park. There is a practice slab (20m) used for top-roping to get everyone up to speed on footwork and other techniques before we head to the main cliff where there are a few ideal routes for everyone. The rock is covered in huge holds of horizontally layered hard sandstone.
“I thought they only made holds this big for climbing walls!”
If the group has a range of abilities and ambitions we can accommodate all in the group by putting one person at a time on to other routes on a top-rope while the others watch.
The setting at Elgol is superb, and the weather tends to be far better than most parts of the island. Otters, dolphins, whales and basking sharks are regularly spotted form here. We’ll often enjoy a barbecue as part of the day’s adventure.
The Cioch: Sean Connery was flown in by helicopter to shoot the famous sword fight scene in the film, Highlander, but the easiest route in this climbing playground is well within the grasp of most aspiring climbers. An hour of easy walking leads to the base of the cliff, from where a variety of routes can be used to approach this amazing obelisk. The escape back down from its flat top is daunting but ropes keep everyone safe.
Neist Point: There are hundreds of routes to choose from at this, the furthest west point in Skye. There are many bays with a variety of aspects giving sheltered and frequently sunny climbing at all standards. Approach walks vary from two to 25 minutes from the car park and abseils are used to approach quite a few of the climbs. Climbers can expect to see a variety of wildlife, including gannets plunging into the sea just feet from the cliffs and close encounters with whales and basking sharks.
To find out more about rock climbing days and courses with Skye Guides see Summer Activities
