Another blue sky day, could have done with sunglasses!
Latish start, Mess of Pottage relatively quiet. Started up Haston Line which Gwilym led us up, just enough snow underfoot but buttress was a little bare. (N.B just after the tower opportunity to split diagonal pitch in 2 at tat - well protect-able for 2 seconds as loads of gear opportunities).
I led us across to the top pitch of Jacob's Edge (was aiming for Hidden Chimney but busy). Spotted something below so soloed down (whilst Jez went up next pitch) below Jacob's Edge top belay and found a walking pole, sling and screwgate, down climbed the Slant to the base of the cliff to get some dropped gear then back up again.
Jez took us up the top pitch of Jacob's Edge picking some slightly more interesting sections.
Practiced some descent stuff with Jez and Gwilym as mock clients. Direct belayed off a block, down Jacob's Ladder with a short abseil for me to get over the initial steepening, then down climbed to them. Quick West Coast Stomper to get them a bit lower.
Then headed right onto the broken ground right of Jacob's Ladder for a bit just to check out the ground and possibilities.
Climbed with Jez Brown and Gwilym Starks.
Area :
Cairngorm: Northern Corries, Hell's Lum, Creagan Coire Cha-no, Lurcher's Crag and Outliers
This Area includes some of the most accessible (and some of the hardest) winter climbs in Scotland. Coire an t-Sneachda has an excellent variety of winter climbs, many in the lower to middle grades, while Coire an Lochain hosts classics of a range of grades and some extremely demanding test-pieces. This Area also includes the very accessible Creagan Coire Cha-no, Lurcher's Crag in the northern Lairig Ghru, and the training bluffs of the Chalamain Gap. Also included here are the cliffs of the northern side of the Loch A'an basin such as Hell's Lum, Stag Rocks and Stac an Fharaidh (as they are on the same general massif as Cairngorm), while cliffs on the southern side of Loch A'an are in the Ben Macdui, Carn Etchachan and Shelter Stone Crag Area of DLOG. The range's former name is Am Monadh Ruadh (the red hills), distinguishing them from Am Monadh Liath (the grey hills) to the west of the River Spey.
