norman collie

I’m only just starting to delve into the literature of the Black Cuillin, but I’ll be surprised if I come across a better book than this one. Erudite and poetic, yet marvellously accessible in places, this is simply a great book by a great writer.

I had injured my leg and didn’t know if I had time to recover for the next day of scrambling. What should I do: an easy walk to test it out, or a long day out I’d been looking forward to for a long time? Luckily, our guide Dave had a cunning plan.

In last week’s post, I explained how we had hired a mountain guide to do Skye’s infamous Cuillin traverse, over 11 Munros with many technical sections. I had injured my knee backpacking the previous week, but I was determined to give it a try. Would I cope?

The fourteen peaks over 8000 metres have enjoyed a special status throughout the 20th century and were subject to many races to climb them. In the first of a short series of posts about their early history I introduce three memorable characters.

Essential Skye reading: The Black Ridge by Simon Ingram

Sgurr na Banachdich to Sgurr a Ghreadaidh: touching cloth in the Black Cuillin

Sgurr Alasdair to Sgurr Mhic Choinnich: the secret of Collie’s Ledge

An early history of the 8000m peaks: Mummery, Crowley and the Duke of Abruzzi