Finlay Wild sets off on his record breaking Cuillin traverse. Photo: Roger Wild
Mountain athlete Finlay Wild has posted the first ever sub-three-hour time for a traverse of the Skye Cuillin ridge.
The Lochaber Athletic Club member beat his own record time recorded earlier this year, completing the ridge in 2hrs 59mins 22secs.
Wild, who beat Ed Tressider’s six-year-record for the Cuillin in June, made the traverse in near-perfect conditions last Saturday.
His route included climbing sections down-climbing into the Thearlaich-Dubh Gap and climbing up the other side, King’s Chimney on Sgurr Mhic Choinnich, ascending and down-climbing the Inaccessible Pinnacle and climbing Naismith’s Route on the Bhasteir Tooth.
He started at noon on Gars-bheinn and finished on Sgurr nan Gillean.
The route typically takes a competent scrambler between 15 and 20 hours.
Writing on his blog, the Lochaber doctor said: “By the time 75 minutes had gone by, downclimbing the In Pinn, I was already 10 minutes ahead of the 3hrs 10mins 30secs run split times.
“From here on, the chances of congestion problems were much less, and I knew that if I kept at it, the fabled three-hour barrier could be in sight.
“But I had to focus, I had to keep the concentration and not make any mistakes.”
An awkward moment when a broken pack zip imprisoned his vital jelly babies was overcome by breaking the zip and freeing his ‘fuel’.
“For at least the last hour I was definitely chasing the sub-three, not in a crazed sprint but a persistent push. I had learnt this over many hill races and thought I had enough fuel in the tank,” he said.
“My route up Sgurr nan Gillean could have been 10 seconds shorter but it was OK; keep pushing.
“I was breathing hard and my knees were aching from all the high stepping. It didn’t matter. The window with a minute: keep going up the final small slab and there, to the summit, elated.
“This time I knew I had done it. No doubts about summits touched, or route taken.
“I surveyed the ridge, counting off each top in the sunshine. I did some shouting. Some Fort William friends coincidentally arrived via the south-east ridge and had to listen to my ecstatic chat.
“After I had taken it all in for half an hour, enjoying the view and sensation, I headed down to Glen Brittle. I had a better line for the descent to the Fairy Pools; you never stop learning in the Cuillin.
“I relaxed with a cup of tea. I relived a thousand memories of different handholds, technical sections, snatched views, and different weather conditions on this and previous traverses.
“I’m still Cuillin dreaming.”
