Glenelg climber sets ‘astonishing’ new record for winter Cuillins traverse
SKYE climber Uisdean Hawthorn has set what is considered to be a speed record for a winter Cuillin traverse.
On Monday February 26, the 24-year-old from Glenelg set a record for a winter traverse of the island’s famous Cuillin ridge, with a time of 4:57:07 – knocking more than an hour and a quarter off the previous quickest ascent.
A traverse of the Black Cuillin mountains on Skye is widely accepted as Britain’s finest mountaineering challenge. Some 12 kilometers in length and crossing more than 30 summits including 11 Munros, the traverse is of a scale to rival many of the most arduous routes in the Alps and a one-day ascent in summer is seen as a stern test for the most dedicated mountaineers only.
Hawthorn’s effort appears to have smashed the previous winter Cuillins record, set by Lochaber runner Finlay Wild and Tim Gomersall in February 2013, who made a traverse in six hours, 14 minutes and 17 seconds, which was recorded by the Scottish Hill Runners Club as the first ‘official’ record.
Interestingly, just a day after Wild and Gomersall’s 2013 ascent, unaware of the pair’s record, Uisdean Hawthorn had made his own traverse in a rapid eight hours. That ascent proved valuable experience for his record-breaking effort last week.
‘It helped having done it before,’ said Hawthorn. ‘But last time I had to break trail for long sections and find the correct way. It felt like a big adventure, unsure if I could even solo all of it. This time the route finding was obvious with nice firm snow all the way along the crest it just felt like going for a run in the hills.’
In an effort that the record keepers Scottish Hill Runners described as ‘astonishing’, Hawthorn traversed from the summit of Sgurr nan Gillean to Gars Bheinn in a time of 4:57:07 breaking Wild and Gomersall’s record by over an hour and 17 minutes. It was a time that even shocked Hawthorn himself.
‘I thought a time of seven hours would be good and maybe closer to six could be possible if everything went absolutely perfectly. Before I set off I didn’t think it was possible to do a winter traverse under five, so yes I was very surprised,’ he said.
While the morning of the climb, Monday February 26, started cold and windy, with Hawthorn keeping his down jacket on for the first 30 minutes as he ran, the low temperature and largely overcast conditions kept the snow hard and crisp, which was crucial for such a fast ascent.
Hawthorn, who is much better known as a high standard technical mountaineer than a runner, found the technical difficulties of the route ‘very straightforward’ but said the middle section, traversing Sgùrr a’ Mhadaidh, involved a few abseils.
Hawthorn described the challenge of the winter traverse as ‘just 100 per cent great fun’. He said: ‘You have to be fit but also be confident moving over easy ground – something that only comes with climbing outside, not training indoors. I feel this is where a lot of people go wrong these days.’
Winter ascents are much rarer than summer, with most parties taking two or three days to complete the route. As a result, there are few records of speed ascents during winter.
Having made his breakthrough, Hawthorn believes faster times are very possible.
He explained: ‘I hope it encourages others to get out and enjoy the winter climbing on Skye, be that a traverse or other great ice and mixed routes. However, I am really happy personally as I was over three hours faster than last time so it’s nice to see some big improvements in my own fitness.’
At the finish, Hawthorn was too tired to feel much emotion and said he ate what food he had left, put his jacket on and took in the spectacular view back across the Cuillin ridge and across the water to the hills above his house in Glenelg. And how did he celebrate?
‘I hadn’t even thought of that,’ confesses Hawthorn. ‘I came home, had dinner and lay in front of the fire playing with the dog. I do this after most big days in the hills – successful or unsuccessful.’