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Winter Climbs in the Cairngorms
The Cairngorms and Creag Meagaidh by Allen Fyffe, Blair Fyffe
A practical guidebook to the best winter climbing routes in the Cairngorms, on Creag Meagaidh noted for its classic ice climbs, Lochnagar and Braeriach. Routes include a wide range of grades, lengths and styles, from straightforward to exceptionally difficult. Scottish winter climbing is world renowned for its adventure and quality of experience. More...
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Seasons
any time from November until April, and in exceptional years, as early as October or as late as Read More... June!Centres
Aviemore and Strathspey in the north and Braemar and Deeside for the south and central areas; Read More... Creag Meagaidh is accessible Speyside and also from Fort William and the west.Difficulty
a wide range of routes and difficulty from straightforward climbs to some of exceptional Read More... difficulty; from single pitches to over 250m in length and from easily accessible to extremely remote but requiring a solid mountaineering background.Must See
main area covered is the Cairngorms, both north and south, granite peaks with extensive areas of Read More... high plateau and four peaks over 4,000 feet in high, offering superb winter climbing in a unique mountain environment.The climbing areas described in this guide are covered by a range of maps in the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger series. The Lochnagar/Creag an Dubh Loch area is covered by Sheet 44, entitled Ballater & Glen Clova; the Cairngorm area is covered by Sheet 36, Grantown & Aviemore. Part of the area is also on Sheet 43, Braemar & Blair Atholl.
The OS Explorer maps at 1:25,000 scale also cover the area. Use Sheet 403, Cairngorm & Aviemore, for the Central and Northern Cairngorms; Sheet 404, Braemar, Tomintoul, Glen Avon, for Beinn a Bhuird; and Sheet 388, Lochnagar, Glen Muick & Glen Clova, for Lochnagar, Creag an Dubh Loch and Glen Clova.
Creag Meagaidh is covered by Landranger Sheet 34, Fort Augustus; Sheet 42, Glen Garry & Loch Rannoch; and Explorer Sheet 401, Loch Laggan & Creag Meagaidh. Harvey
Maps produce the 1:25,000 Superwalker series maps. Three of these – The Cairngorms, Ben Avon and Lochnagar – cover most of the crags in this guidebook. Harvey also produce a series of 1:40,000 Mountain Maps, of which The Cairngorms and Lochnagar sheet covers most of the area.
The ability to use a map and compass correctly is essential for all winter mountaineers and climbers.
GPS systems can provide a useful back-up to more traditional map and compass skills, and it is recommended that they are used in this way, rather than as the sole navigational aid. Walking on the bearing obtained from a traditional compass will nearly always be steadier than following that from its satellite-driven GPS cousin. The location of the foot of some routes is given by a bearing from a prominent feature for some crags to aid their location in poor visibility.
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