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Dafydd Morris on the crux traverse of Gallows Groove (VI,7) on Creagan Cha-no on the east side of Cairn Gorm. The prominent gully of Fingers and Thumbs with its steep headwall can be seen just to the right. (Photo Matt Buchanan)

Dafydd Morris and Matt Buchanan made an excellent addition to Creagan Cha-no on December 16. “I managed to drag myself out of my sick bed to head back to Creagan Cha-no with Matt Buchanan on Sunday,” Dafydd told me. “I couldn’t face a long walk in, and having seen how good the climbing was when I did Anvil Corner a few weeks ago this seemed like a good option. We decided on a route on Arch Wall. We took the initial narrow chimney of the route Arch Wall to a ledge, and then followed the lower of two grooves rightwards across the steep slab (crux) on thin moves aiming for a turfy blocky chimney, and continued up this to the top.

There was very little gear on the crux across the slab, only really turf stuff was available. The cracks were surprisingly blank, with not much for the feet, and didn’t have the hoped for bomber hooks I love so much. It took a lot of clearing too, and felt harder than Anvil Corner on the day. The route name derives from the fact I took a slight tumble on the lead and Matt thought I looked like I’d been sent to the gallows with my falling position!”

Roger Everett moving up into the hidden snow bay on the first ascent of Goulotte Cachee (IV,4) on the east side of Cairn Gorm. The route follows a streambed in summer that is likely to ice regularly. (Photo Simon Richardson)

Thaws followed by a re-freeze are a great time to enjoy easier mountaineering routes. I had been waiting for a chance to climb a new line on Coire na Spreidhe on the east side of Cairn Gorm, and last Sunday (February 12) was the ideal opportunity. Approaching rarely climbed crags with no idea about conditions other than gut feel is always a bit of a risk, but I had a hunch that the crucial ice pitch would be frozen as it is a stream in summer. Roger Everett was keen to take a look too, and we were treated to a magnificently clear morning that felt more like April than mid February.

After soloing the first couple of Grade II pitches on low angled ice we reached a snow bay and Roger led the crucial ice pitch. After that we unroped for the rest of the 300m-long route, so we were on the plateau by 1.30pm. There was time to head off to Creagan Cha-no where the shadowed north-east facing Arch Wall was still white and frosty from light snowfall the night before. A croaking Ptarmigan at the foot of our route (the right rib of the Finger and Thumbs Gully) provided the name for our climb (Ptamigan Rib – IV,5) which followed a good line but took in some existing climbing on Mac’s Crack and the steep section of Fingers and Thumbs itself. By the time we had reached the plateau the cloud had rolled in which only made us appreciate the beautiful morning even more!