Winter Climbs in the Cairngorms. Allen Fyffe

to below a deep overhung corner. Either climb this corner (strenuous but well protected) or gain a hanging flake on the left and use it to pull left round onto the front face. Either way, a slanting corner above gives access to the crest of the ridge. Climb this to a barrier wall and make a descending leftward traverse for about 10m (crossing Houdini) to a chimney, which is climbed to easier ground.

Fiacaill Couloir

150m II/III**

      TW Patey, 17 January 1958

      The big diagonal gully offers a choice of lines to the top, where the final chokestone can be hard if the build-up is poor. It can be interesting and icy or steep snow. Above the col go diagonally left to gain the plateau.

      The next routes all climb the wall above Fiacaill Couloir and are accessed by climbing this, almost to the top in some cases.

Trampled Underfoot

60m IV,4

      G Ettle and J Lyall, 13 January 1992

      Starts about 8m up Fiacaill Couloir from the big ledge at the foot of Rampant. Climb steeply up on vegetated ledges, then move left to a short corner. Follow a ledge right and climb a large right-slanting ramp to the ridge (or, more easily, up a gully).

Rampant

75m IV,5*

      A Fyffe and T Walker, 1 March 1979

      Takes the narrow left-leaning ramps, then a big right-facing corner. It starts about two pitches up Fiacaill Couloir, where the left end of a large ledge system is gained by a short wall (as for the previous route). Climb the ramps, initially going up left, then up a corner to gain a ledge below a steep wall. Go right round the edge and follow the main corner, passing under a huge chokestone at the top.

Physical Graffiti

70m IV,6*

      A Fyffe and J Lyall, 7 February 2007

      A fairly direct line up the vague buttress below the big top corner of Rampant. Start as for Rampant on the big ledge and go straight up to a V-shaped niche. From the top right-hand corner make awkward moves to exit left, then follow the fault passing the left side of a block roof to a ledge (35m). Climb up to the foot of the main groove of Rampant and take a short chimney on the left to gain a pinnacle. From its top, move up to a niche below an overhang and climb the slanting groove on the right leading to blocky ground and the top (35m).

Swan Song

70m V,6*

      G Ettle and J Lyall, 17 February 2007

      Takes a line parallel to Physical Graffiti to finish up cracks in the side of the pillar between Rampant and Burning and Looting. Start on the big ledge and climb the fault left of the big block and continue up into a curving corner. Go up a thin crack in a slab to gain an awkward short slot leading to a ledge (35m). Climb the ramp on the right (below Rampant) and pull out right and climb the crack left of the sharp rib (35m).

Burning and Looting

75m V,6*

      Pitch 1, G Reid and J Hepburn, January 1988; as described, A Cunningham and A Fyffe, 13 February 1991