Slab and Flake Chimney Groove the Winter Variation

30th January 2024 - Good settled weather and mixed climbing conditions for climbing the winter hybrid variation of Slab and Flake Chimney Groove on Torr Buttress, Cnap Coire na Spreidhe in the Cairngorms.

[@garrygrant2827]

Hi ron have went up that exact way a few times myself I personally love the looking at it from the bottom and tracing it in my head nice wee video ron thank you

[@RonWalkerCairngormGuides]

Been using the Cnap crags a lot for teaching and guiding hence the abbreviation points. With the NC’s now way too busy and dangerous with the milder and less snowy winters the crags no longer get completely buries and corniced as they did in the nineties when you used the old chairlift for access. Also thanks to its height and aspect the routes come into condition quickly as long as the cornices are not too big and it great training once you are really familiar with the area. Alan Mullin and I used play about there in the late nineties but it was really only once a got a drone and used satellite pics that I could work out where all the routes we played about on actually were and how big some of the long gully routes are. I remember one February/March going up from the Strathnethy and winding my way through all the little gullies and grooves and getting stuck under massive cornice and being terrified at the amount of avalanche debris at the foot of the crags. I still think very few realise the length of the main crag and how good the winter and summer rock climbing is on the upper crags. Have you seen my drone video ‘Hidden Cairngorm’ which shows the whole of the lower main crags, where are you based?

[@garrygrant2827]

@RonWalkerCairngormGuides hi ron thank you for the reply. I am based in Invergordon and I try to get in as much time in the cairngorm mountain I don't think I have seen your drone video. I do like your occasional posts on UA-cam and they are very interesting and informative. There jis nothing better in winter or summer or any time of the year to climbing walking or ski tours over these great mountains. I see you do teaching courses and it's really great to be able to personally get out on the mountains. But to pass on your experience and knowledge to help younger people who want to enjoy this . Alas there has been quite a few lean years with snow but every time there is heavy snow you can always hope that this time they get really really buried. Very deep snow gives new challenges. I have had one or to times I have been terrified. I was climbing up on Ben mcdui and I was nearly at the top when all around me started to slide I pushed my body as tight as I could physically as possible to this little shelf with tons of snow just pummelling over me I thought this is it . What felt like a long time in pitch dark then I seen the sun of to my right that was scary but I made it to the top I lay there and started shaking and laughing my legs were gelly . Turned out a huge cornice gave way above me . I have hugs respect for these mountains they are stunning awesome beautiful but in a millie second deadly but they keep pulling me back like yourself ron . It's in our blood as they say , Love the outdoors always will and i never get board of the cairngorm mountains