Things finally started to get a bit cooler again last week. It only took a slight change in wind direction for that blocking high pressure system that was plaguing us with all that warm air to be flipped on its head and instead bring crisp and icy conditions across much of the UK. For any normal person weather like this can be a total blight, but for me there is nothing more exciting than having to have the heating on all the time and de-ice the car every day for a whole week! The cold snap couldn't have been timed better with that very next weekend being a planned winter trip with Sol.

Although its been cold, its not been overly snowy which kind of restricted our choice of possible venues. This is because cold is great for freezing turf, but that lack of snow means that ice is less abundant as there is no melt or other water source. With that in mind we decided to head for the northern Coirres just because of its reliability and thankfully we weren't disappointed.

Looking up a well iced Mess of Pottage with a team just starting up the first pitch of The Message (IV,6)

The first route we opted for was The Message (IV,6) on the Mess of Pottage, a Sneachda classic and by all accounts a bit of a trade route for any aspiring mixed climber so it had to be done really. The route climbs a series of interconnecting corners and grooves right up the middle of the buttress in as many as 4 or 5 pitches. In the end we opted for 3, with the second pitch being linked to do the crux groove pitch and the hanging corner in one go. With huge exposure, great hooks and gear everywhere The Message certainly lived up to the hype and was made even better by the freezing cold and windless weather we'd found ourselves enjoying. 

Sol and I enjoying the perfectly cold and crisp weather at the top of the first pitch on The Message 

The crux corner on pitch 2 of The Message

Sol moving into the sun after long last on the top pitch of The Message

With that in the bag and not wanting to waste such a rare day we opted to do the direct start to Hidden Chimney (IV,5) which was also on the Mess of Pottage. The line climbs a shallow groove and corner to the left of the large gully of Jacobs Ladder and in the end was quite cruxy, with pulling off the ground probably being the hardest move of the whole pitch! After that the route joins the normal line of Hidden Chimney (III), which Sol lead in 2 fine pitches, the last of which climbed the 'hidden chimney', was particularly enjoyable and perhaps made even more memorable when we topped out to the sun setting in cloud filled valleys far off to the west. Days don't really get much better than that do they? 

The thin and tricky lower section of Hidden Chimney Direct (IV,5)

Sol smashing the money pitch on the fine open grove of Hidden Chimney (III)

On the Sunday we decided to take a bit of a gamble. The winds had been cold and northerly for around 5 days with the freezing level hovering between valley level and 600 m depending on aspect. On that basis some of the north facing crags a little further south could have been in a climbable conditions and so with the gear packed (as well as the optimism) we sacked off the two hour return drive to the Cairngorms and headed west to Beinn an Lochain near Arrochar. The target route was the Cold Climbs classic Monolith Groves (IV,5), which climbs the north face of the main buttress in as many as 6 pitches, through gullys, chimneys and overhangs, culminating is a spectacular top pitch which climbs a steep and exposed groove on a hanging slab. 

Beinn an Lochain with the hanging grove and slab of Monolith Grooves (IV,5) visible high on the left

Sol at the end of the difficult traverse out of the cave on pitch 3 of Monolith Grooves

Getting stuck into the tricky chimney on pitch 5 of Monolith Grooves

The superb hanging slab on pitch 6 of Monolith Grooves. A fantastic pitch. 

Sol seconding the last bit of the final pitch of Monolith Grooves

We encountered rock solid turf from the bottom of the valley up, however as we go to the base of the crag the snow got deeper and that had clearly insulted a turf a little, however where it was exposed on rock edges or on walls it was frozen solid. Thankfully once we were off the ground and up onto the buttress the turf became rock solid and was in great condition.