Background

In direct contrast to the South-East of England, Scotland is a rugged and geologically varied country and plays host to some of the oldest mountains in the world. With such an expansive mountainous environment, some of the most pivotal figures in British mountaineering history have been Scots, such as Harold Raeburn and Sir Hugh Munro (the namesake of Scottish peaks exceeding 3,000 feet).

Scotland’s proximity to maritime and continental polar weather fronts increases the incidence of colder weather and snowfall, with the mountainous regions such as the Cairngorms and Grampian mountains receiving the most, this leads to consistent wintery conditions on the high mountains of Scotland. As such, technical winter climbing utilizing crampons, ice axes, and traditional climbing methods is a common seasonal activity drawing people from across the UK and Europe. Recreational Scottish winter climbing goes back as far as the 1870s with the first ascents of the major gullies on the North face of Ben Nevis, however, it would be another two decades until the first documented ascent of the ultra- classic Tower Ridge (IV,3) in 1894.

Compared to the Grampians, the northern Cairngorms were delayed in their recreational exploration with significant development only occurring after the turn of the century. Despite this, the audacity of the climbers and (fortunately) success only accelerated, outpacing the development of mountaineering equipment, achieving impressive first ascents such as Point Five Gully (V, 5) and Orion Face Direct (V, 5), both of which are challenging climbs by modern standards, one can only think of the harrowing experience and grave risks that the early mountaineers exposed themselves to. The year 1970 brought about massive change, with the visit of legendary American rock climber Yvon Chouinard bringing the first curved ice axes to the UK, and with their arrival, the limits were further pushed, and the sport further increased in popularity.

With the development of the sport throughout the 70s and 80s, the state of the sport started to look more and more like the predecessor to modern winter climbing. With the increased accessibility to, and media surrounding modern high-altitude mountaineering, mountaineering, alpinism, and winter climbing have become more popular than ever, with the mountains of Scotland serving as a valuable training ground for young, up-and-coming alpinists.

Imperial College Mountaineering Club holds a winter climbing meet in the Cairngorms every year, with such skills and experience gained serving as the steppingstones for members to conquer greater objectives, such as student-run expeditions to Alaska’s Alaska Range, and the Monte Rossa Massif in recent years. This trip aims to continue this long history of developing mountaineering skills.

The Team

Itinerary

Day 1 - Fireside tales 28/12/

A mild London morning greeted us, our recent Christmas festivities were still fresh in our minds, however, those snow-free memories were being quickly replaced with the thought of snow-dusted Scottish valleys, rime-ice-covered rocks, and Icey gullies, but this was not to be the case. The 12 - hour trip was long but never boring, interspersed with stories of winter’s past and our autumnal epics hoping to replicate ICMC’s recent success on trips and be greeted with good weather. Psyche was building the closer we got to the Scottish border, with Jerry Springer and Paolo Nutini creeping their way onto the car stereo with greater frequency, with our Scottish music cultural dive only being interrupted by news from the other car – Olly’s good old unreliable van. Packed with mission-critical gear, Olly and his co-pilot Issy were unsure if there were going to make it to the Cairngorm car park in anything other than a RAC recovery vehicle. Their vehicle was stricken with intense vibrations, however, with only a short wait, the good Samaritan from the RAC fixed the fault which has resulted from the ineptitude of a previous unnamed mechanic, as the front left wheel was not properly attached. That was the last of days’ dramas, with everyone making it to the hut by the early hours of the morning. Upon arrival, equipment was distributed, with Jake taking the fancy of a short ice screw he affectionately named ‘shtubby’, whilst others were fixated on the ancient human ritual of fire lighting.

Day 2 Route Recon 29/12

The group awoke with a pre-dawn start, a theme that persisted until the end of the trip. With a mix of experience within the group, members with winter climbing experience (Ciaran, Olly, Piers, and Jake) were to go to the northern corries of Stob Coire an t-Sneachda and Cairn Lochan to access conditions, whilst those that didn’t (Alex, Issy, George, Ben) started a 2 - day introductory course ran by Ronald ‘Ron’ Walker, a local legend of the area. Ron is a naturally gifted and successful winter climber, with decades of experience, with outstanding local knowledge to guide clients, and is a keen photographer with many of his wintery shots filling the SMC guidebooks. With the groups splitting up, the learners received an excellent course on winter mountaineering basics, cruising the class and exceeding expectations, however, the same could not be said for the other group. Equipped with fully laden packs, reminiscent of those used for the siege tactics of the early alpinists. After brushing up on rusty winter skills including personal movement and ice axe arrests, they continued walking around to Lochan. Unfortunately, both Sneachda and Lochan had been stripped of snow and ice by the recent high- pressure system that was stubbornly refusing to leave Scotland at the time. The group was disappointed, however, with Jake’s father and his Met Office connections we were informed that a strong low-pressure system was coming soon. Such shifting conditions were on-theme for the season so far, with the Scottish weather largely not cooperating with the needs of the many eager early- season senders. Winds were picking up, with a yellow wind warning for the entire mountain range, but the group was keen to not let the day go to waste. With the winds making any walk up to the Cairngorm plateau too dangerous and frankly too miserable, we set our sights on a smaller peak located North-East of Cairngorm – Castle hill. Standing at only 728 meters, its unimpressive height camouflages it in the rugged background of the range, the only thing more unimpressive, was the difficulty of ascending it that day. Cutting to the peaks’ south, with the wind behind them, the group made the last ascent to the summit with 60mph winds physically lifting them up the entire way. With such winds, Jake and Piers were initially blown past the summit, with Ciaran and Olly having to stand aggressively leaning into the so that they didn’t tumble down the West side of the hill. With the day thoroughly seized, the now wind-battered team regrouped with the novices in Aviemore for chips and deep-fried haggis before heading back to the hut, pondering the potential events of the next day.

Day 3 - Chasing Phantoms 30/12

Overnight, the weather had turned. High winds had given way to torrential showers high on the Munros. Ron opted to push the second day of teaching back to the next day, and with the group wanting to make the most of their time in the mountaineering capital of the UK, we headed for the Cummingston on the sun-baked eastern coast. Cummingston, with a microclimate that typically opposes that of the inner mountains of Scotland, is a wet weather venue where one can retreat to for coastal sea cliff single- pitch trad climbing. However, our bad luck continued, the venue was thoroughly soaked with even the supposedly ‘weatherproof’ cave dripping wet. We regrouped at the car park with the group only given one last potential objective – the Cummingston car park playground. It contained legendary rides including the spinning top, giant roundabout, and the UKC checklist-approved gem of ‘the crag’ the Metal Slide on the approach to Cummingston Grade – I. Jake, with his low center of mass and strong bouldering background, flashed the problem, pinching the sides of the metal slide and brute forcing his way to the top. Piers, having been unsuccessful during his previous visits attempted the same, however, it was not to be, and Piers was forced to console his failure on the other rides. Though if asked, he would never admit it, it was Piers’ highlight of the trip.

By now, word has spread amongst the group of a mythical truly weatherproof venue - Cauldron Rocks. Located in Findhorn Gorge and only a short drive South-West of Cummingston, we made haste to the crag to maximize the short winter day. Upon arrival, it became apparent that lacking a local map, accurate approach notes, and – for some – a sense of direction that the crag would be almost impossible to find. The group, led by George and Ben descended the correct gorge and eventually found the unassuming boulders, but surprise surprise, they too were wet. Defeated, the group made for the car park only to stop and for Olly and Ciaran to climb an impressive tree that would make for a high-quality bivvy spot high off of the forest floor. With the rest of the group thoroughly impressed and in need of chalk for our sweaty palms, we headed home, picking up Isaac on the way from Aviemore station.

Day 4 - Fingers Ridge Fools 31/12

The fourth day started with the group splitting for the last time, the novices would complete their final day of training with Ron, whilst the other 5 would ascend the highest mountain in the range – Ben Macdui. With air temperature approaching double digits, and the rain thoroughly stripping all but the deepest of gullies of their snow, the group used the approach to assess the damage in Sneachda and see if anything had survived. Walking to the base of the corrie, and ascending the goat track to the plateau, the group was amazed to see a fully kitted up party roping up to attempt Fingers Ridge (IV 5) with the route being so bear, not even Page 3 would consider exploiting its currently naked state for individual gain. Olly mentioned the complete disregard for ethics, however, the rest were too absorbed in ascending the goat track, for it was the first time most has donned crampons and axes in over a year. Once on the plateau, the team made quick work of walking to the summit of Ben Macdui, only stopping for the tourist pastime of summit photos, and trying to glissade down the northern slopes by any means. With the visibility becoming worse, the quintet hastened their descent to the car park, taking the western path down Lochan, with Ciaran setting an unachievable pace that the others could not match. The reason for such pace was not his concern for the safety of the party due to the hazardous low visibility, but his concern for the safety of his underwear. The pace of his descent was so impressive that we believed it was a new speed record for a running (interspaced with waddling) descent of Ben Macdui to the Cairngorm Car Park toilets.

The entertainment continued during the car ride back to the hut, with Olly – a concerned environmentalist – taking to the UKC forums to ethical shortcomings of the punters we had seen earlier that day*. Such a post became an instant hotbed of self-righteous climbers appalled by the lack of respect exhibited earlier that day, with such outrage from the community highlighting the strict ethics of British mountaineering, with this time ICMC not on the hot end of the climbing ethics debate (having historically had that one time a student decided to stupidly dry tool a route a millstone, and narrowly escape Sheffield with his identity still unknown.) The post, alongside the boardgames, Scrawl and Set provided the evening’s entertainment for the NYE festivities, climaxing with the official coronation of the incumbent ICMC president.

• The UKC Post: https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/winter_climbing/fingers_ridge_fools-742579

Day 5 - Yearly Traditions 01/01/

We awoke, riddled with hangovers and the false promises of a New Year’s Day fry-up. Some particularly fragile members of the group stayed behind to hold the fort, whilst the rest scouted out the nearby crag, Creag Dhubh, just outside Newtonmore. The group managed to go three for three ‘weatherproof’ climbing venues, with the crag still wet from previous rainfall and the spray from the nearby waterfall. At this moment, tired of coming up empty-handed, George and Isaac hatched a plan to climb the rarely sent route Oui Oui beneath the waterfall and vowed to return later that week, clad head to toe in Gore-Tex to climb the unconventional route_._ With the forecast predicting sub zeros temperature for the next day, the evening was spent recovering and preparing to take the novices out on their first proper winter climbs.

Day 6 - Blowing away the cobwebs 02/01

With the hangovers of New Year’s quickly becoming a distant memory, the group was ready for a passing of the torch from the experienced to inexperienced members. Jacob’s Ladder (I) is renowned for being a particularly stubborn route to disappear, like Raebrun’s Gully (III) and the high gullies (3- 5 (I)) on The Ben, the route can survive all but the most extended and intense heatwaves. The group, keen to oil their old rusty winter skills, made haste with an early start as it was likely many other parties were going to rely on ol’ reliable that day. Walking into the bottom of Sneachda there was little change in the amount of snow compared to two days prior. The group paired up, roped up, and formed the traditional ‘novice send train’ one typically sees on Jacob’s ladder early season when few other climbs have the depth of snow to be in condition.

By the end of the day, everyone had had their taste of Scottish winter climbing at the sharp end, even if the route in question becomes a motorway for soloists looking for a speedy way to reach the top of Sneachda. Alex bumped into some old friends from Durham university whilst leading the route – another repeating theme for the trip. Once at the top, there was little else to do apart from the yearly pilgrimage to the top of Cairn Gorm Mountain. Standing at 1245m, it is one of the highest peaks in Scotland, and the weather station at its summit frequently records the highest winds each year, just standing on the summit that day felt like sticking your head out of a car driving on the motorway! Thoroughly battered and thrilled for one day, the group descended the north-western slopes of Cairn Gorm parallel to the ski slopes, which were packed considering the lack of snowfall, and glissaded their way back down to the Cairngorm café, before being on their way to Aviemore for haggis and chips with a thorough drowning in gravy!

Day 7 - Nature’s waterslide 03/01

Another uncharacteristically warm day greeted us, with the low-pressure weather band delaying its arrival to the next day, other means of entertainment had to be found. With overnight rains drenching the crags and more precited that morning, many sought refuge in the hut or spent the day making a considerable dent in their maintenance loans with the assistance of the Aviemore shops. George and Isaac had other plans; to scale the waterfall at Craig Dubh. They donned marigolds, and Gore-Tex suits, resembling warriors about to do battle with the waves, and made their way to the crag for their rudimentary rack-cleaning session. The base of the route was receiving a pounding from the forceful waterfall above, the last week of seemingly endless rain and mild temperatures ensured the waterfall was flowing at full force. Isaac tentatively dispatched the first pitch, escaping to the right of the waterfall, and was shielded from the spray by the above overhanging rock. George has the pleasure of leading pitch 2 and was not so lucky. He had to take a direct line diagonally crossing the waterfall, first facing the spray, then the full force of crashing water from the waterfall The rest of the climbing had a unique atmosphere as the waterfall climbing was behind you, and now the route climbed the rock beneath the falling water, with delicate slab climbing moves and the deafening sound of water crashing behind you, it truly was a unique and memorable experience. Reaching the top, thrilled with their accomplishments, Gorge and Isaac prepared and abseil and made it back to the car, escaping benightment. Regrouping at the hut for a relaxing evening, fresh snow had started to fall outside and it was not long before snowball open warfare erupted inside and out, with Issy’s fantastic Welsh being the only thing that could bring the cessation of hostilities.

Day 8 - Storm Season 04/01

With the potential for our first day of proper winter climbing, Ciaran had green-lit a plan to climb in Sneachda. Unfortunately, with the week taking its toll on everyone, the day’s pre-dawn start had been pushed back later and later as everyone fought for an extra ounce of sleep. High winds from the north bringing heavy snow later in the day meant challenging weather from the get-go, demanding insight, guile, and strategy from the group to pick the routes in the best condition. One had to consider aspects, exposure, and the route’s reliance on frozen turf. Immediately most gullies were ruled out due to the intense wind tunnel effect making upward progress hazardous and frankly miserable, this led to the group settling for the Mess of Pottage buttress, to left (East) of Jacob’s Ladder (I). Arriving at the Cairngorm base station, we stepped out of the cars with fresh crunchy snow underfoot, with a feeling of pensiveness hovering amongst the group; with the car park unusually desolate following early season snowfall, and the challenging conditions underfoot of snow-covered rotten ice, we knew that the conditions would scare off all but the most determined climbers. The walk-in was a challenge, the conditions underfoot combined with the high winds meant that skiing your way off the hardly visible path was a certain, one just hoped to land in the soft heather over a drainage ditch. It quickly became apparent that today’s conditions were not for all, Piers and Alex heeded caution over the conditions and turned back to wait in the Ranger Station Café, with Issy soon to join them. They aimed to join the rest later, hoping that the conditions would lift to provide a weather window for just a pitch or two of a route.

Unwavered by the wariness of the others, those that persevered split into two groups, with Ciaran, Olly, and Ben aiming for the route Hidden Chimney Direct (IV, 5 ), and George, Jake, and Isaac attempting the open mixed terrain to the left of Jacob’s Ladder, encompassing, The Slant (I), Hidden Chimney (III), and Jacob’s Edge (II). At the base of the route, conditions were just about good enough with the surface turf being frozen and a thin layer of verglas covering the rock face. Ciaran psyched up his crew and attempted the first pitch of Hidden Chimney Direct , with a methodical and confident lead of his first grade IV. Olly successfully followed to the 2nd belay, however, Ben found the conditions challenging and the climbing alien. Having seen Ciaran successfully dispatch pitch 1, the other team wanted to second the first pitch on the top rope but strengthening winds and poor visibility forced both teams to bail and escape up Jacob’s Ladder , vowing to come back the following day.

Day 9 - Go Hard or Go Home 05/01

The last day of the trip presented the best conditions for the past few weeks. With more fresh snow, the previous evening’s slight thaw, and the already compacted snow from 48 hours ago, the chances of good conditions were high. With the last pre-dawn start behind them, the group made for the Cairngorm car park, with Piers expertly saving his car from fishtailing on the drive to Aviemore, much to the surprise of Olly in the passenger seat. The rewards for our efforts revealed themselves as we were beaten to the car park and the base of the route only by those who had camped the night before. Splitting up into the same groups as three days prior, Olly and Issy broke right from the main trail to Sneachda to attempt the Ficaill Ridge (II), Ciaran and Ben breaking trail to Fluted Buttress to attempt Red Wall (II), with Jake and George in tow, who themselves were to attempt The Runnel (II), leaving Piers, Isaac, and Alex to try Hidden Chimney (III). Approach conditions were difficult; with the snow- loaded western slopes of Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais necessitating a wide birth, groups heading to the eastern side of the corrie were forced to navigate through the boulder field. Progress was slow and tedious, with the fresh snow covering the boulders concealing their true shape, the trail-breakers had to carefully pick their way over and around the boulders, whilst playing a game of minesweeper as their boots risked breaking the ice below and ruining their day entirely. Piers, Issac, and, Alex were joined by another team heading to Mess of Pottage and offered to split the boulder-navigating trail-breaking. Through casual chit-chat, the other team was headed to the same route, however, no queueing was needed, as one of the climbers in their party broke through the ice and flooded both of their boots, forcing a disappointing retreat to the car park.

All the teams made it to the base of their routes in good time, and with minimal queuing. Olly and Issy climbed Fiaciall buttress to reach the ridge which had wonderfully varied climbing, allowing the climber to choose the difficulty of the route. They quickly ascended the first pillar of the ridge climbing 30 ft to the main ridge walk and then the final obstacle, the main ridge itself. The most rewarding line is a steep, stepped corner with various mantles which Issy sent with ease, leaving only the walk skirting the corrie rim to reach the other groups further East. One buttress over, Ben and Ciaran were tackling Red Gully on Fluted Buttress. The route takes an obscure line taking the natural fault right of Fingers Ridge (IV, 5). The large narrow chimney at the base was banked with deep snow, giving challenging climbing in the lower section, which continued to climb and increase in difficulty as they progressed. Ciaran led the first pitch with Ben belaying on his knees to spare his feet from the cold snow. After the first pitch, the route takes a dogleg right, taking sustained but easier mixed terrain until it opens out into a funnel-shaped gully near beneath the lip of the plateau above. The pair made constant but slow progress in the challenging conditions and deep snow, and with the setting sun, head torches and sparks from Ciaran’s axe hitting the buried granite rocks lit the way to the top. The group was the last to summit, with both George and Jake on The Runnel, and the Trio on Hidden chimney making light work of their ascents. The Runnel is the striking central gully that sits highest on Fluted Buttress, the long snow-plod into the gully rewards the climbers with beautiful, high-angle ice and neve all the way to the top, leading to a final steep mixed chimney that is the crux of the route.

Jake and George’s efforts were rewarded with good conditions on the lower and middle sections of the route with good ice. Unfortunately, had unfaithfully left Schtubby back in the hut and was upset that he had no screws to place on the route. With both lacking experience leading, they took their time and carefully climbed the route taking in all the pleasures of climbing a crag classic route.

Once all the teams had sent their routes, they rendezvoused at the top of Hidden Chimney on Mess of Pottage, and much to the surprise of Isaac, were waiting for him at the topped-out the final pitch. The trio of Isaac, Piers, and Alex had been slowed by their numbers and the need for diligent route finding. Starting the day at the busy base of Jacob’s Ladder, Isaac started up the first pitch which climbs the gully of Jacob’s Ladder for 25m then breaks left, climbing through the natural dip in the left gully wall to gain the vast buttress. The deep snow complicated gear finding and thus finding suitable belay stances, but after the traverse of the first pitch, Piers took the reigns to continue diagonally up the buttress blinding following a natural diagonal break until the route’s final crux pitch reveals itself. Upon reaching the third belay, Piers belayed Isaac then Alex, with (surprise surprise) Jonty - Alex’s friend – in tow, who complained about a slow-moving but thoroughly psyched party (Jake and George) that had hampered their earlier progress on The Runnel. After a brief catchup, and with dying light and temperatures dropping, Isaac led the stunning final pitch, containing the bridging-move-filled chimney, all the way to the plateau and the awaiting groups above. Piers and Alex followed on, chasing the sound of the faint cheers and heckles of those above as they reveled in the successes of the day. Once regrouped at the top of the plateau, the group made their way to the Chais ridge under the light of a bright moonrise, and back to the car park to get ready for the long trip back to London the next morning.

Tour Review

With technical mixed climbing completed by everyone in the group, one could argue that it was a success, given the relatively slim chances of having good conditions during a trip so early in the winter season. Typically, during late December and early January, climbing is possible, but the quality can vary due to the temperature being too high for sustained freeze-thaw cycles, which leads to the build- up of ice and deep snow, both on the buttresses and faces. Without these cycles, when new snow falls, it lingers in its powdery state before melting completely, which doesn’t provide the best conditions and easily makes climbing 1-2 grades harder due to the lack of extra pick and crampon placements which are provided by the bonding ice, thus also making other placements feel insecure and requiring greater balance and technique.

The novices amongst the group received in-depth instruction and guidance into Scottish winter climbing, which should provide a valuable base for future winter tours and experience that can be used for future expeditions to The Alps and Alaska, however, limited opportunities to further develop these skills on lead will stunt progress. More advanced members of the group completed their objective – to have fun – with many agreeing that it was one of their better winter trips in recent memory.

Closing Remarks and Future Plans

Overall, the success of the tour is best highlighted by the group’s desire to return to the northern corries in the future, with all members either intending to return for the tour next year or return later in the season for more winter climbing in better conditions! ICMC wholeheartedly wishes to return to the northern Cairngorms for another winter tour in 2022/23 and train the next generation of Imperial students in the niche skills used in Scottish winter mountaineering.