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.
Quick hit day over from the West, drove in the morning. Walked in 2 pairs (me and Rich Gentry, Tim Oates and Dave Smith). Bit gross day, bit of slow blowing around the place. Fairly busy with teams out and about. Conditions were very strange, lower half of Mess of Pottage was beautiful and wintery whilst the top half was black! Lot`s of teams persisting and doing some questionable ascents of The Messenger, Hidden Chimney and Honey pot.
