Winter Climbs in the Cairngorms. Allen Fyffe

the obvious square-cut chimney near the left side of the top wall. Start in a recess, where awkward moves give access to a right-slanting line. This leads to easier climbing up a gully, which is followed to the upper wall. Climb the square-cut chimney, passing the roof steeply on the right wall. The left side of the wide chimney fault can also be climbed.

      Honeypot

Wachacha

90m VI,7*

      J Lyall and A Nisbet, 6 January 1990

      Takes a line to the right of Honeypot and has two possible starts. Either begin about 6m right of Honeypot and climb a right-slanting crack to gain easy ground that leads to the steep top wall, or climb an obvious right-facing corner further right again. Where it steepens, swing onto the left rib then continue up the crack line to the top wall (this is the summer line). Follow a crack and left-facing corner system, then trend left to below the upper roof and come back right to the crack going through the roof and follow this to the top.

      No Blue Skies (photo: Henning Wackerage)

No Blue Skies

110m VI,7**

      A Fyffe and L Healey, 20 December 1990

      A good but somewhat devious climb. Start left of the lowest point of the buttress, where an obvious diagonal line slants left. Climb the diagonal corner until a traverse left to gain a right-facing corner can be made. Climb this, then exit left onto a ledge by a horizontal slot. Continue up the crack line above to easier ground below the upper walls. Climb up to a fine right-facing flake crack, which is climbed to a ledge. Go to its left end (at this point it joins Wachacaha), then through the walls above by the crack, which is followed to the plateau.

The Melting Pot

90m V,7**

      A Cunningham and A Nisbet, February 1987

      The main feature of this route is the steep groove in the middle of the upper wall, which is gained by a fairly direct line. Start midway between No Blue Skies and the main diagonal fault taken by The Hybrid. Climb leftwards into a short, obvious groove with a tall, steep left wall. Leave the groove over a bulge and go left round an arete to more broken ground leading to the diagonal fault, which is followed to a large bay. Climb the overhanging groove then continue up the crack line to finish.

The Hybrid

100m IV,5*

      Makes use of the diagonal fault. Start as for The Message and climb the obvious diagonal stepped fault for a pitch. Continue up and left as for The Melting Pot to the ledge system below the top wall. Move awkwardly up right to a higher ledge or traverse out right at a lower level to gain the front face and go left and up to the big ledge. This is the crux. Finish up the top pitch of The Message.

The Message

90m IV,6***

      A Cunningham and W Todd, 23 January 1986

      A good, popular and well-scarred route which takes the deepest groove in the centre of the face right of diagonal fault. Start at the top of a large bay right of the lowest rocks and climb the stepped diagonal fault until the deep corner can be gained. Climb a short wall into the corner (this can be difficult) and follow the corner to the top, then go left then up to the upper ledge. Climb the right-facing corner to a bulge, then swing left onto the edge to climb cracked slabs to the top. Alternatively, climb the crack in the slab to its right.

      George McEwan on The Hybrid

      Sharks Fin Soup

Pot of Gold

90m V,6**

      J Lyall and S Spalding, 26 November 1988

      An interesting if escapable route up the edge of the buttress right of The Message. Climb the first pitch of The Message until a traverse right gains cracks and a narrow chimney on the buttress edge. Climb up until near The Message then climb up right to a large ledge. Climb the wall above by shallow corners and flakes to finish up a shallow chimney.

Mariella

80m VI,7*

      C Forrest, G Ettle and A Nisbet, 6 January 1991

      Takes the deep red groove capped by an overhang and is high in the grade. Start as for The Message and climb into the groove. Follow this to a swing left below the roof and continue up a crack line to a ledge shared with Droidless (30m). Continue up the crack line (15m). Move left and climb walls and slabs to the plateau.

Droidless

85m VI,6*

      C Forrest and G Ettle, 21 December 1990

      The parallel crack line 3m right of the deep red groove of Mariella. It has a sustained first pitch. Start just on the right of Mariella and gain the main fault by a slanting corner just on its left, then follow the fault over the bulge to a ledge below parallel cracks (30m). Continue up the cracks, a difficult start, to an easing in angle in a bay below an obvious right-facing corner (20m). Climb the corner then easier ground (35m).

The Messenger

80m V,6*

      G Ettle and C Campell, 15 November 1991

      Takes the obvious left-facing corner some 10m right of the previous routes. Climb the corner, pulling left past the obvious roof with difficulty (30m). Trend right into an open fault and climb this and then a steep right-facing corner (30m). Easier climbing leads to the top (20m).

Sharks Fin Soup

90m V,6

      J Preston, G Ettle and I Taylor, 10 December 1999

      Between the lines of The Message and Yukon Jack are two crack lines. The left one has an obvious huge flake at its foot (the right crack in Despot, V,7). Climb up onto this huge fin and up the crack line above. Continue in the same line to join The Haston Line and finish up that.

Yukon Jack

90m IV,5

      M Sinclair and C Schiller, 30 December 1993

      Takes the main right-facing corner in the lower slabs leading to the end of the diagonal fault of The Haston Line. It can ice up to give an amenable Grade III, but is usually a harder mixed pitch. Gain the obvious right-facing corner via a crack. Climb the corner and cross The Haston Line to the steep upper rocks and finish up a wide chimney in the same line.

The Haston Line

100m III,4

      D Haston and party, 1965

      The obvious lower left-slanting fault starting from the right corner of the buttress. There is an awkward corner moving up to easier ground and a choice of finishes on the upper snow slopes.

The Slant

150m I/II

      A diagonal snow line running left across the buttress. Start a pitch up Jacob’s Ladder at a big recess. Climb up and left by the obvious line to open slopes on the front face and continue going left to finish up the big upper snow field.

Hidden Chimney

110m III**

      Climb