Winter Climbs in the Cairngorms. Allen Fyffe
left. Leave the ramp via a short chimney/groove then pass left of a short wall to a broad ramp. Break through the overlap above at some flakes and climb thin cracks up the slab. The overlap can also be climbed about 3m right of the flakes. Move up right to a block, then follow the continuation crack to the top.
| Patey’s Route | 120m IV,5** |
TW Patey, February 1959
The wide chimney on the right side of the buttress is very popular and a fairly reliable route. Generally, the more ice, the easier it is. There is bulge at about mid-height which is difficult, and a top chokestone is usually turned by going out left then returning right by a long move back right into the chimney line.
| Terms of Endearment | 100m III |
A Liddell and party, 1981
The buttress edge overlooking Patey’s Route. Climb the start of Patey’s Route a short way to just above the initial narrows, then traverse the ledge right to its end, then make a slabby move onto the front of the buttress, usually the crux (there has been a recent substantial rock fall just to the right). Once on the crest follow the easiest line to join Aladdin’s Mirror, which can be followed up or down.
| Honour Among Thieves | 35m IV,4 |
A Fyffe, H Redfern and A Johnson
The clean-cut left-facing corner right of Aladdin’s Mirror Direct can give a good ice pitch, but it is generally thin and poorly protected.
| Aladdin’s Mirror Direct | 25m IV,4** |
A direct start which climbs the ice pitch on the right of the buttress. An easy chimney then leads to the parent route. The difficulty and length varies with build-up, and it is extremely popular. There may be other short ice pitches to its right.
| Aladdin’s Mirror | 180m I |
EUMC party, Easter 1946
An exposed snow route which skirts the right edge of the steeper rocks. Climb the open gully slanting right to turn the steep rocks, then trend back left above them to join Aladdin’s Couloir above Aladdin’s Seat. Finish up the couloir.
| Pygmy Ridge | 90m IV,5** |
Above the easy snow of Aladdin’s Mirror are several roughly triangular buttresses. This is the most defined right-hand buttress gained from Aladdin’s Mirror or Central Left Hand. Start at a wide crack at the toe of the buttress and follow the crest of clean rock. Go across a horizontal section and finish up the final tower, although it is easy to escape right.
| Central Left Hand | 135m I* |
This ascends the broad open rib on the left of Central Gully to finish up the defined gully right of Pygmy Ridge. A choice of lines is available, and the left side of the upper gully may contain a steep, but avoidable ice pitch.
Fluted Buttress
NH 994 030 Altitude 1020m North facing
This buttress is separated from Aladdin’s Buttress by Central Gully, the left-hand of the three Trident Gullies which spring from a large snow bay extending high into the cliff. Right of this the cliff is steeper and slabbier, and the pinnacles of Fingers Ridge are very distinctive. Right of Fingers Ridge are more gullies before the buttress diminishes in height and ends by the Goat Track. Because of the slabby nature of the foot of this buttress, much can be buried in some conditions and the length of the routes varies.
| Central Gully | 135m I |
TE Goodeve and AW Russell, 1 April 1904
The leftmost of the Trident Gullies starting from the snow bay. It slants left and the cornice is easily avoided. Can be interesting in lean conditions when short pitches may be encountered.
| The Runnel | 135m II** |
EUMC party, Easter 1946
The central straight, well-defined gully. High up there is a steeper narrow chimney which constitutes the crux. The grooves on either side are climbable at about the same grade.
| The Grooved Rib | 135m III,4* |
This is the buttress between The Runnel and Crotched Gully. Start at the base of the rib and climb the prominent groove to easier snow fields. There is an easy finish parallel to The Runnel from here. The route takes either of the two steep grooves in the crest of the buttress. The left groove has a smooth start and is entered from the left and followed past a small chokestone. The right-hand groove is climbed direct and steepens to an awkward bulge which leads to a platform overlooking Crotched Gully. Step left into a narrow chimney leading to an easy finish.
| Crotched Gully | 135m II |
EUMC party, Easter 1946
From the snow bay go up the right branch, which has a steep section near its top. This leads into a broad but well-defined upper gully, which can have a large unavoidable cornice.
| Vortex | 60m IV,5* |
G Ettle and J Lyall, 10 January 1992
The rib between the top part of Crotched Gully and the Direct Finish to Spiral Gully, reached by climbing Spiral Gully to the slanting gully and the foot of the rib. Climb the shallow groove up the rib and turn the roof on the right or left. Finish up a well-defined arete.
| Spiral Gully | 150m II** |
TW Patey, February 1959
The main feature of this route is the right-slanting narrow gully cutting the upper rocks. Start up broken ground on the left of the buttress, heading for twin deep grooves which lead to easier ground and the foot of the slanting gully. Climb this to a small col, then a short pitch to the top.
Direct Finish III
The wide groove above the start of the right-slanting upper gully gives a good mixed pitch, although sometimes it can be very icy. Other harder finishes are possible up other grooves further right.
| Wavelength | 130m III,4** |
A Fyffe and D Bowen, 13 February 1985
Takes the left branch of the Y-shaped fault taken by Fluted Buttress Direct on the left side of the steepest slabby rocks, and becomes more defined with height. Climb up to the foot of the twin grooves of Spiral Gully and climb diagonally up and right, taking in a short steep corner to gain a diagonal fault, which goes right into the main fault, where it splits. Climb this left fault to an open corner at the top, which can be climbed or turned on the left (easier). Continue up the ridge to finish or cross Spiral Gully and climb the groove opposite.
| Fluted Buttress Direct | 135m IV,5*** |
A Fyffe and S Crymble, 18 March 1978
A good route up the narrow but prominent Y-shaped chimney system on the left of the steeper slabby rock. Climb a pitch of easy broken ground to the chimney and follow this to the fork, where the fault gets bigger – can be harder under powder conditions. Take the right fork, which leads on to the crest, and follow this to the plateau.
| Broken Gully | 130m III |