In reply to Ross McGibbon:
> Brown Cove is not very high and only popular for its very short walk in. Red Tarn and Great End are more reliable
I've just been studying the OS maps to see if that was true - I'm not super convinced, at least as far as Great End vs Brown Cove. The cliff base of both seems to be rather similar - about 750. My experience is that just being a bit further inland the Helvellyn range seems to be a wee bit colder than Scafell.
On Red Tarn vs Brown Cove I totally agree, the Red Tarn crags start at about the height of the top of Brown Cove Crags.
I would suggest to mauraman that if he does go to have a look he walks up to Brown Cove, walk under the crag and find any of the gullies with continuous snow in it and go up on to the top that way (if none are in acceptable condition, you can just walk up the slope left of the crag), then go on towards Helvellyn, drop down Swirral Edge and do one of the grade Is on Red Tarn Face. If none are on conditions there you can always do Striding Edge which is always nice and looks like it may well have some snow on it this weekend.
I had a good day two years ago when I did Left Buttress (II) on BCC, over to Helvellyn, down Swirral Edge (I), up Gully 1 (II), back over to BCC, down Right Parallel Gully (I), up Central Gully (I/II). Another time the snow in the gullies on BCC wasn't so great but enough to go up, then over to Red Tarn Face where it was much better firm snow. So its easy to check BCC on the way to Red Tarn.