Skye & Cuillin Weather, Flexible Days & Rest Days
Giving you the best chance of making the most of your time in the Cuillin.
The weather is one of the things that makes the Isle of Skye such a spectacular mountain environment — but it can also make planning adventures in the Black Cuillin challenging.
Routes such as the Cuillin Ridge Traverse, the Inaccessible Pinnacle, technical scrambles and classic Cuillin rock climbs can be particularly affected by rain, strong winds and wet rock.
Rather than simply looking at one forecast for one fixed day, we aim to remain as flexible as possible. Routes, objectives, start times and even the order of your days can be adjusted to make the best use of the conditions.
For clients who would like even more flexibility, we also offer Flexible Weather & Rest Days.
Flexible Weather & Rest Days
You can add an additional day to your booking for £100 per booking.
This reserves the availability of your instructor or guide for an additional day and gives us a larger weather window in which to complete your planned guiding.
For example:
1 guided day over a 2-day window — +£100
2 guided days over a 3-day window — +£100
3 guided days over a 4-day window — +£100
4 guided days over a 5-day window — +£100
Additional flexible days may also be available for £100 per day, subject to instructor availability.
The charge is per booking, not per person.
How does it work?
Imagine you have booked two days of Cuillin guiding but are staying on Skye for three days.
By adding a Flexible Weather Day for £100, your instructor is reserved for all three days.
We can then look at the developing forecast and decide which two days offer the best conditions for your objectives.
If Monday looks poor but Tuesday and Wednesday look significantly better, we can use Monday as the rest/weather day and head into the mountains on Tuesday and Wednesday instead.
This can make a significant difference when your objectives are particularly weather dependent.
What happens to the £100 if we don't use the additional day?
The £100 Flexible Weather Day charge reserves your instructor's availability.
This means that day cannot normally be offered to another client and is therefore non-refundable if it is not required.
However, if you decide that you would like to use the additional day for guiding as well, the £100 already paid will be deducted from the normal cost of the additional guided day.
Example
You have booked two guided days plus one Flexible Weather Day.
The weather turns out to be fantastic for all three days and you decide you would like another day in the mountains.
You simply pay the difference between the £100 already paid and the normal price of an additional day's guiding.
Subject to the objectives being appropriate, we can then head out for all three days.
Why Book a Flexible Day?
A flexible day can be particularly useful for:
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The Cuillin Munros
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The Inaccessible Pinnacle
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Classic Cuillin scrambles
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Grade 2 and Grade 3 scrambling
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Cuillin rock climbing
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Classic Skye rock climbs
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Clients trying to complete specific Munros
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Weather-sensitive objectives
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Multi-day Skye trips
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Clients who may benefit from a rest day between long mountain days
It can also simply be useful if you would prefer not to commit to several consecutive long days.
Days in the Cuillin are often physically demanding, and sometimes the best decision is to take a rest day before heading back onto the ridge.
What Happens if the Weather is Poor?
Poor weather does not automatically mean that your day is cancelled.
The Cuillin are a mountain environment and some rain, wind, cloud and changeable conditions should be expected.
Your instructor will monitor several mountain weather forecasts leading up to and during your booking and will adapt the plan accordingly.
Depending on the conditions, we may:
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Change the planned Cuillin objective
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Start earlier or later
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Change the order of a multi-day itinerary
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Choose a less exposed section of the ridge
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Complete a shorter mountain day
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Move to a more sheltered venue
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Go scrambling elsewhere on Skye
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Go rock climbing at a more suitable venue
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Run a technical skills or mountaineering day
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Use the day for preparation and training before a later objective
The aim is always to give you a worthwhile mountain experience while working within the conditions.
When Would a Day Actually Be Cancelled?
Complete weather cancellations are relatively unusual.
There may, however, occasionally be conditions where your instructor considers that there is no safe or worthwhile mountain, scrambling or climbing activity appropriate for the group.
Safety decisions remain with your instructor.
Where possible, we will first look at:
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Moving the day within your booked weather window
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Changing the objective
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Using an alternative venue or activity
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Rescheduling the day
If none of these options is reasonably possible and At The Edge Mountaineering cancels the day's activity because of the conditions, our weather cancellation terms will apply.
£100 of the day's booking value covers the instructor's reserved availability and associated costs.
The remaining value can be transferred towards a replacement booking or dealt with in accordance with our Booking Terms & Conditions.
We will always discuss the available options with you.
Cuillin Ridge Traverse Weather Policy
The Cuillin Ridge Traverse is particularly dependent on the weather.
Although sections of the Cuillin can be enjoyed in mixed conditions, a full Traverse requires sufficiently favourable conditions to move safely and efficiently across a long stretch of technical mountain terrain.
For this reason, our Traverse courses are sold as a weather window rather than a guarantee that the Traverse will take place on particular days.
3-Day Cuillin Ridge Traverse
Your three-day booking gives us flexibility to identify the most suitable opportunity for a Traverse attempt.
Where conditions allow, two days may be used for the Traverse, with the remaining day acting as a rest, preparation or contingency day.
The exact plan will depend on the forecast, conditions, your fitness and previous experience.
5-Day Cuillin Ridge Traverse
Our five-day option provides significantly greater flexibility.
The additional time allows us to wait for a better weather window, complete preparation or acclimatisation days, take an appropriate rest day and adapt the plan as forecasts develop.
It is particularly suitable for clients travelling a long distance to Skye who would like to maximise their opportunities.
If the Traverse isn't possible
Booking a Cuillin Ridge Traverse does not guarantee that a complete Traverse will be possible.
If conditions do not provide an appropriate Traverse window, we will make the best possible use of the available days.
Alternative objectives could include:
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Sections of the Cuillin Ridge
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Classic Grade 2 and Grade 3 scrambles
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Individual Cuillin Munros
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The Inaccessible Pinnacle
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Cuillin mountaineering
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Classic Skye scrambling
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Rock climbing
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Technical mountaineering and ropework skills
This means your trip can still provide excellent mountain days and valuable Cuillin experience even when a complete Traverse isn't achievable.
Can I Add Another Weather Day to My Traverse?
Yes, subject to availability.
If you would like to extend your booked weather window beyond the normal course dates, additional Flexible Weather Days can be reserved for £100 per day.
Please ask when booking, as these days need to be kept free in advance.
Who Makes the Decision About the Weather?
Your instructor makes the final decision regarding whether a planned objective is appropriate.
This decision takes into account much more than whether it is raining.
We consider:
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Wind speed and direction
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Rainfall
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Recent rainfall and wet rock
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Visibility
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Temperature
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Route choice
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Escape options
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Group fitness
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Group experience
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Expected journey time
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Conditions underfoot
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The developing forecast
A route that is perfectly reasonable in one set of conditions can become significantly more serious in another.
Our priority is to make the best use of your booking without compromising safety.
What if I Decide I Don't Want to Go Out?
Mountain weather is rarely perfect.
If your instructor considers that a safe and suitable day can go ahead, choosing not to participate because of rain, cloud, wind or personal preference is treated as a client cancellation and the normal booking terms apply.
Please arrive prepared for typical Scottish mountain weather.
Do I Need to Book a Flexible Day?
No.
You can simply book your normal guided days.
The Flexible Weather Day is an optional extra designed for clients who have additional time on Skye and would like to increase the flexibility of their trip.
We particularly recommend considering one for highly weather-dependent objectives such as:
The Cuillin Ridge Traverse
Classic Cuillin rock climbing
The Inaccessible Pinnacle where reaching the summit is particularly important
Specific Munro completion objectives
Multi-day Cuillin trips
Give Your Skye Trip More Flexibility
If you're travelling to Skye for a particular mountain objective, building some flexibility into your itinerary can significantly increase the options available to us.
When making your booking, simply ask to add a Flexible Weather & Rest Day for £100.
We'll reserve the additional day and use the forecast to make the best possible plan for your time in the mountains.
Inspire. Develop. Progress.