In reply to Flinticus:
Hi
I've been on a number of exploratory caving expeditions the the white mountains. There pretty much solid rock and scree above 1500m (ie no soil or veg) and great fun, really grippy, but they wear your boots out very quickly. Biggest issue is water. We collected drips from cave entrances, and there are a few snow patches hidden in shafts and shakehokes, but you might want a rope to get to them.
Really cool wilderness though
Pm is you need any more info
Rob