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.
Teaching day with Ryan form Cameron Barracks. His 4th winter route so still working on refining his skills as a second and pushing his grade. Thawing conditions with the freezing level with as as we ascended. Snow gates opened at 0930 so we raced into the corrie. Short roped up the rocky rib below Aladins then ran a pitch out to the belay. Traveled over a patch of soft thawing windslab which Matt Hawkins decided not to cross later. Good to chat to him about his decision making and reflect on whether we made the right call. The slope was on a moderate hazard aspect bit felt soft and un reactive so it is hard to know if we made the right decision. The route was in good condition with thick ice that took screws but we got drenched. Abed down in two rope lengths to the slope directly below which was hard neve so perhaps a better approach option.
