na Lairige (south)
Carn Etchachan – Main and Gully Faces
Carn Etchachan – Upper and Lower Cliffs
Shelter Stone Crag (front face)
Shelter Stone Crag (right side)
Garbh Uisge Crag
Hell’s Lum Crag (right side)
Hell’s Lum Crag (left side)
Stag Rocks (left side)
Stag Rocks (right side)
Stac an Fharaidh
Corrie of the Chokestone Gully
Garbh Choire Mor
Garbh Choire Dhaidh
Coire Bhrochain – West Buttress
Coire Bhrochain – Central and East Buttresses
Beinn a’Bhuird – Coire na Ciche
Beinn a’Bhuird – Garbh Choire (overview)
Beinn a’Bhuird – Garbh Choire (right side)
Beinn a’Bhuird – Garbh Choire Mitre Ridge West Wall
Coire Sputan Dearg – Grey Man’s Crag Area
Coire Sputan Dearg – Glissade Gully to Terminal Buttress
Creagan a’Choire Etchachan (overview)
Creagan a’Choire Etchachan (right side)
Lochnagar (overview)
Lochnagar – Perseverance Wall
Lochnagar – The Cathedral
Lochnagar – Central and Shadow Buttresses
Lochnagar – Shadow Buttresses
Lochnagar – Eagle Ridge to the Amphitheatre
Lochnagar – Black Spout Pinnacle and West Buttress
Creag an Dubh Loch (left side)
Creag an Dubh Loch (right side)
Eagles Rocks
Glen Clova – Winter Corrie
Glen Clova – Corrie Fee
Creag Meagaidh – Bellevue and Pinnacle Buttresses
Creag Meagaidh – The Post Face
Creag Meagaidh – The Inner Corrie
Looking west along Loch Avon to Carn Etchachan and the Shelter Stone Crag, with Stag Rocks and Stac an Fharaidh visible on the right
With easy access, reliable conditions and quality climbing, the Northern Corries always prove popular (The Mess of Pottage, Coire an t-Sneachda)
INTRODUCTION
The major climbing venues of the Cairngorms provide some of the finest winter routes in Britain. From the remote corries of Braeriach and Beinn a’Bhuird to the magnificent cliffs of Lochnagar and Creag an Dubh Loch and the readily accessible Northern Corries of Cairn Gorm, every aspect of winter climbing is to be found here. There are long, varied routes and short technical test-pieces; there are pure ice climbs as well as mixed routes to rival any in the country. Building on previous editions, this guide offers a selection of the best routes in each area – and, where possible, routes of all grades are given. Where there is a variety of routes, a number of climbs at a similar standard are detailed to allow for some choice should conditions or availability dictate a change in plan. Many of the routes follow fairly natural lines which, once embarked upon, should be relatively easy to follow, the exception being some of the more recent hard mixed routes which require a more detailed description.
Scottish winter climbing can be a hazardous pastime. The weather is often unfavourable and can change with startling suddenness, transforming a pleasant excursion into a battle for survival. Too many people have underestimated these mountains and paid the ultimate price. It is essential to be well equipped – both physically and mentally – before setting off on a winter route. Having the correct equipment must be accompanied by the ability to use it properly. When the weather, the conditions and the climb are right, then winter climbing in the Cairngorms can offer an unforgettable experience.
Conditions
Good climbing conditions can occur in this area at any time between November and April, although February and March tend to be the most reliable months. In some years winter climbs can be in condition as early as October and as late as May. Winter ascents have even been made in June!
Part of the challenge of winter climbing is correctly predicting climbing conditions and choosing suitable objectives accordingly. Knowing when, for example, it is better to go for a buttress route rather than a gully, or whether to push your grade or try something well within your capabilities, can make the difference between a great day’s climbing and an unpleasant and potentially dangerous expedition. However, predicting conditions can be tricky, especially for those based far from the mountains. Observing and learning how the weather affects the climbs is the first stage – how much thaw and refreeze is required to produce good ice, how long it takes for the turf to freeze and for the rocks to rime up, whether the ice will be hard and brittle or soft and plastic. In the past this knowledge was often hard-won, with many climbing trips ending in disappointment due to poor conditions in the chosen venue. These days, however, with a plethora of up-to-date conditions blogs, web cams and winter-climbing forums, it is easier to stay well informed on current conditions, especially for popular areas.
A pair of ptarmigan in winter plumage
The Cairngorms are further from the sea than other Scottish winter-climbing areas, and many of the cliffs are very high. This has advantages and disadvantages. Early in the season the Northern Corries of Cairn Gorm, and the other higher crags, are among the first in the country to come into condition. Freezing temperatures and a northerly wind blowing cloud and snow showers onto the crags can rapidly build rime, bringing snowed-up rock climbs into condition very quickly. However, for mixed routes that rely on vegetation it is very important to wait for the turf to be properly frozen before they are climbed to minimise damage to the ground. Some routes in the Northern Corries, such as Invernookie, are getting progressively harder as the turf disappears because they are being climbed in unfrozen conditions. It can be a frustratingly long wait for the ground to freeze properly in the autumn, especially if snow falls and insulates unfrozen turf. Once frozen, however, the turf takes a long time to thaw out again.
Conditions generally do not fluctuate as rapidly in the Cairngorms as elsewhere, and this means that the build-up of good snow-ice can take longer than on other cliffs. It also means that deep soft snow can remain unconsolidated
