
Feature · 12 Jan 2020
Guidebook to more than 450 winter climbs in the Northern Corries of Cairn Gorm, Braeriach, Beinn a’Bhuird, Lochnagar, Glen Clova and Creag Meaghaidh. Includes a wide selection of snow, ice and mixed routes of varying grades and lengths, from straightforward Grade I snow gullies through to extreme ice and mixed climbs of Grade VII and above. With clear route descriptions accompanied by symbols denoting the type of climb (snow, ice and mixed) and photographic topo diagrams, this guide helps climbers choose the best route for the prevailing conditions. Advice is given on how the required snow/ice conditions form for each climb, as well as how to evaluate avalanche risk, while approach maps for each climbing area show the best routes to access each crag. The Cairngorms offer some of the most reliable and accessible winter climbing in Scotland. Deep recesses and remote corries are home to some of the best mixed climbing anywhere. In good weather the journeys to and from the climbs can be as rewarding and memorable as the ascents themselves, while in poor weather the conditions will challenge the skill of the greatest mountaineers.
Blair Fyffe grew up close to Aviemore in the shadow of the Northern Cairngorms, and has always enjoyed being in these hills, particularly during the winter months. He has made first ascents and early repeats of numerous winter routes throughout Scotland. Outside Britain he has climbed new winter routes in the Lofoten Islands of Arctic Norway and in Antarctica, and alpine routes in Kyrgyzstan. He has also climbed in the European Alps and on the big walls of Yosemite Valley. He works as a forecaster for the Scottish Avalanche Information Service during the winter months, as well as a field guide for the British Antarctic Survey.
View author profileJohn Lyall has been living and climbing in the Cairngorms since leaving school, learning the craft of mountaineering here. He has climbed around the world, including in the Himalaya, Peru, Kenya, Morocco, Europe and Greenland, but is always glad to return to the endless challenges the Cairngorms provide in winter. He has made first ascent of climbs in the Scottish Highlands and around the world. He has been a member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team for 40 years and works as a British Mountain Guide (IFMGA), having guided in Scotland, the Himalaya, the Alps, Norway and Greenland.
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