UKH

What climbs should I definitely not miss off my list this winter? Grade IV around the not so often frequented crags in the Cairngorms*, and Creag Meagaidh because it's beautiful and I've not climbed there yet and really want to. I really want to climb in Torridon too - any must-do grade III/IV routes to be recommended around Beinn Eighe or elsewhere?

Deep Cut Chimney at Hells Lum looks great.
Cathedral Chimney at Lochnagar too.

* I really like Beinn a' Bhuird, it looks great for climbing when I've walked there before. Any good for easier climbs?

In reply to NottsRich:

Poacher's falls and Umbrella Falls on Liathach

In reply to NottsRich:

Add some easy grade V's to that Rich. We're aiming higher this year.

In reply to petegunn:

Ah The Pumpkin, the easiest grade V I have done but also one of the best.

I'd also recommend NE Buttress and 3 Gully Buttress on Ben Nevis for III/IV action.

In reply to NottsRich:

Meagaidh has a few nice grade IV routes. Ritchie's Gully and South Pipe Direct are both well worth doing, though the best one in my opinion is South Post (missing out the upper icefall) - a superb long and sustained climb.

In reply to NottsRich:

Zero gully, north east buttress, the curtin on the ben.

In reply to NottsRich:
Route major on Carn etchachan is excellent .. Mixed IV 5. Crux is very well protected and a bit weird (gives a good laugh). Often pretty quiet and always feels like a proper day out over that way.

Western route on coire an lochain at IV 6 is a good shorter option.

For something a little harder Last post on meagaidth (V5) is great but never quiet!

For something easier, red gully (III 3 )on the north face of Sgor Na-h Udlaidth, Glencoe is a little gem ice route (needs to be very cold to form though)

Hope that helps

In reply to Aigen:

Zero is a bit disappointing.

In reply to NottsRich:

Good IVs in Torridon include E and W Buttresses on Beinn Eighe and the left fork of George on Liathach. All fairly reliable.

In reply to NottsRich:

2nd poachers falls. Did it last year and thought it was fairly straight forward. Amazing part of the world too. I'm sure you'd have no trouble on it...mostly chewy ice with a couple of short steeper slightly more brittle sections.

In reply to NottsRich:

Seen some mates do the pumpkin.
Looked amazing.

Wow, thanks everyone! Some of those were already on my to-do list, but a lot of new ones too that look great.

For Pumpkin and The Wand at CM, are they best later in the season, or are they good anytime after a good freeze and low avalanche risk?

Brian, thanks for those suggestions - had a quick browse of some photos and they look great. On the list!

I think I've actually done more winter alpine miles than I have in Scotland. How would M6 Solar translate into Scottish grades? That would be at my very upper limit for now.

Come on winter!

In reply to petegunn:

Thanks for the Penguin Gully suggestion, but I wasn't that inspired looking at a few photos. However, Emerald Gully in the same area looks fanbloodytastic! Thanks for that - new crag on the list.

In reply to NottsRich:

Meagaidh is unlikely to be in before January as the ice needs time to form.

Emerald is less reliable than Penguin Gully, so worth keeping the latter as a back-up option.

In reply to NottsRich:

And for the days when you will end up in the Northern Corries despite your best efforts I think the Seam is the best of the IVs I've done in there. It's also well worth checking out Corries Cha no (sp?) too, feels far wilder than the NCs.

In reply to mike barnard:

south post is very good and soft V in good nick. when we did it the top fall was easier than the bottom one. I suspect it depends on snow levels in the gully below.

East buttress in beinn eighe is excellent. shelf route on the buachaille. also West chimney on church door. Probably top end IV?

In reply to alasdair19:

That's interesting - I got the impression the top icefall is usually a bit steeper and reckoned to be the crux most years. I certainly didn't fancy it on the solo!

It seems West Chimney probably isn't much harder than the likes of Flake/Crypt Route? I thought IV,5 for Flake Route.

In reply to NottsRich:

West Buttress, Beinn Eighe: Walk round into the coire; have a fab day on an awesome route; check your navigation; walk back down the south face to the car. Enjoy. Climbable in lots of conditions. A definite must at the grades you're thinking of.

In reply to NottsRich:
I have been in to do Emerald 4 times as it does look superb, unfortunately it has been either falling down or too thin Fingers crossed for next time.

See if you can get a copy of The Edge 100 years of Scottish Mountaineering, there's an episode where Paul Nunn re-climbs Emerald some years after their first ascent, superb footage.

I soloed Penguin so it probably made it more memorable and it was in superb conditions, neve for the full 1000' + length. Plus i found Andy Nesbit's dropped axe which i was able to reunite him with : )

In reply to NottsRich:

As everyone is giving you their top scotland recommendations, I try and go for the one's that were in less frequented beautiful parts of the cairngorms......

I can recommend:
* Square-cut gully (V,6), creag a choire etchachan
* Bells route (V,6), lochnagar
* West Gully (IV,4/5), Lochnagar
* Deep cut chimney, Hells Lum

All are excellent routes if you catch them in nick which is fairly often, with the except of square-cut gully..... sometimes you just have to roll the dice as no one is going to tell you its in!

Andy

In reply to alasdair19:

In regards to West Chimney, heard there has been some rock fall in there which has led the route to be upgraded to V,6 (possibly more). One that's on my own wishlist for the next few seasons.

To the OP, get yourself up to Skye, plenty big classics to go at there and the mixed climbing on the walls and faces is some of the best you'll get anywhere.

In reply to NottsRich:

Rather than Cathedral Chimney, I would recommend moving one route to the right and climbing the superb Magic Pillar (IV, 5) as it's a peach! Also on Lochnagar, have a look at Blackspout Buttress (III, 5) and Shadow Buttress A (IV, 5). The crux on the latter of these is completely outrageous!

In reply to NottsRich:

Lord's Gully (left hand) (III, in the guide but often more like IV) An Teallach

Flake buttress III, but a long way from home, Coire Sputan Dearg (Snake Ridge if you're going well V,6)

Diamond Fire IV, Ben Alligin,

Jerbil V,5 Coire na Caime Liathach,

If you are very, very lucky with the weather and conditions, Face Route IV,5 on Ben Airigh Charr, a contender for the best route I've done.

In reply to NottsRich:
Terminal Buttress on Liathach - similar to Tower Ridge but you will be on your own, stunning scenery

In reply to Pids:

That sounds great, and just the reason I want to go to Torridon. Thanks for the tip.

In reply to petegunn:

Pete, Thanks for the axe! I've never done Emerald; that's because I've never seen it in nick.