UKC

These two things seem potentially oxymoronic, but...

Can anyone recommend any routes at I-II that keep the lung-busting to a minimum? I have a Dutch friend who's coming to visit and indulge in the Scottish winter experience for a week in February - but they also have long COVID and still aren't 100% with long/hard days or massive uphill. My fallback option is the Northern Corries, but I'm hoping people have some other recommendations to go with that? No specific area in mind - it would be nice to show them a few different bits of Scotland - but bonus points if there's a bothy in the vicinity.

Aonach Mor via the gondala?

Aonach Mor

With Golden Oldy (II) as an option. Crux I found was locating the start in the mist.

It's a bugger of a walk down when you miss the lift though........

Walk in to Coire an t-Sneachda from the Cairngorm ski centre car park is brief 30-40 mins and relatively level.

There you will find Aladdin's Coulior, Jacobs Ladder, and other climbs around grade I/II

Think you need to read all of the original post.

It's four years since I last climbed in Coire an t-Sneachda, but I'm sure to get to the routes it is well over an hour, and the lochans in the bottom of Sneachda are about 300 mtrs higher than the car park (626 mtrs and 924 mtrs) according to OS. 

So hardly a big walk in but definitely not level. And Coire an Lochain is further and a bit higher too.

But anyway, the OP obviously had that in mind already as a possible.

tehmarks - if you are lucky with conditions and road conditions, the obvious answer is the crag south of the Bealach na Ba on Meall Gorm. Park at the top of the pass, walk down hill to the routes, flat of the top back to your parked car. But I've never been around there when the routes have been in condition unfortunately!

Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor?

If conditions are suitable (fairly low level freeze and a bit of snow) and the road is clear, then Meal Gorm on the south side of the Bealach na Ba at Applecross has some nice, easy routes with quick and simple access.  Says this on UKC "Scotland's most accessible winter cliff, only 15 mins from the road." 

  Meall Gorm

never climbed there so can't comment on the routes but if the road up to the Ben Lawers visitor centre is open it should be a short walk to the routes on Meall nan Tarmachan https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/meall_nan_tarmachan-11676/#overvie...

The other Tarmachan crag  Meall nan Tarmachan - Meall Garbh is perhaps a better bet for easy routes, and still a fairly short walk-in. Catches the sun a bit though, and the routes tend to be poorly protected without turf gear. 

I think Coire an t-Sneachda would be fine (if the walk-in isn't fine then I don't think any route is going to be alright given that a lot of easy winter routes are mainly exciting and strenuous walking!). My other worry will be daylight given we'll be moving slowly, but that's solvable with coffee, headtorches and enthusiasm before dawn.

Some good suggestions here, thanks everyone. I'm sure I'll manage to piece something together if conditions play nicely.

In that case Aonach Mor may involve an end of day lung busting run down to the gondola station.

Corrie Fee on Mayar, if the conditions are decent.  Plenty of low grade climbs, and not much of a climb to get into the corrie.  

Generally, shorter walk in = lower, and less reliable conditions, but bearing that in mind, there are a few possibilities around the Southern Highlands and Glencoe, with a few grade I/II options (in some cases not many) - beinn udlaidh, beinn an dothaidh (both sides), zigzags on gearr aonach, w face of aonach dubh all come to mind. 

Climbing on the W face of Aonach Mor may not be that short a day, even if you make the gondola down. It can be a bit of a slog to reach the bottom of the routes if there isn't a trail broken, and the routes themselves may be quite time consuming, more so if there are route finding issues.

Obviously it depends on exactly what they can do but:

Suspense Gully on Beinn Bhan is not too far to walk in. It has spectacular scenery and an easy walk off. If there's a low freeze, going up North Gully on A'Chioch and down off the other side would be an amazing easy day.

Little Corrie on Beinn Damh has a short walk in and lots of easy routes.

If hiring Ebikes is an option then you could ride in to Magoos bothy, stay there for a night or two and do routes in Luchd Coire of Seana Bhraigh. It's a pretty short walk to the corrie from the bothy. That could be a really special experience as its super remote, a fabulous corrie and one of the best bothies in the country.

Yeah, no it isn't. And certainly not for someone recovering from COVID and carrying Winter kit.

Alas, I've offered to do all the carrying at least.

Weather/conditions etc. - think about the Moffatdale Valley. Quite a few lower grade options other than the Grey Mares Tail, with walk ins that could potentially be cycled/e-biked as well. 

As mentioned above the hills around the Bridge of Orchy may suit, not sure theres many I / IIs to go at but some of the crags are only 45min walk-ins?

Beinn an Dothaidh

Creag Coire an Dothaidh

Beinn Udlaidh

Unless the parking has moved, I swear getting up there was at least twice the time you've said when I climbed there a good few times back in the 90s - and I was young and fit back then! I don't remember it being that big a walk in by any means, but a lot more than I could ever do in 45 mins.

It has moved…further away!

Not one I’d consider for an easy walk in.

The bit where Centigrade and Salamander are is an easy walk, UKC claims 45 mins. Getting it in nick is likely to be the crux though. 

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/creag_coire_an_dothaidh-622/#overv...

Creag Meagaidh is about 1300 ft of ascent from car park to the lochan over about 3 1/2 miles.

Sneachda is about 1000 ft of ascent from car park over 2 miles.

If conditions are in and his fitness is ok on the day (can be up and down with long covid) I would take him to Meagaidh, awe inspiring on the right day.

No bothy but you can camp / sleep in the car at the car park and there are good toilets.

I remember parking by the farm and walking up from there but unfortunately it does look like you cant park there anymore.  We had written the day off and on our way home from going for a walk up to Steall Falls we did Taxus and remember getting down before dark.

Lurchers Crag is an easy, flattish approach, though still 1hr. If conditions are good, Curved Ridge is outstanding and a short walk (20mins?). Sron na Lairig is also an easyish approach and descent, c.1hr.

I think there might be several aspiring guide book writers in this thread.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/cairn_gorm_-_sron_a_cha-no-14710/

Short walk but steep. Very short walk out.

A place I have been with people in a similar situation to your friend.

Duke's rib area should give you some options at the required grade.

On the other hand it's nice that people seem to have enjoyed these walk ins so much they have such rose tinted memories of their duration.

If anyone is regularly covering the 3.5km and 300m of ascent to Coire an t'Sneachda with winter kit in 30 minutes, they are wasted winter climbing and should take up adventure racing. That pace would see them finish just ahead of Jasmin Paris in the Bob Graham all time lists.

There's at least one.

You may find something here

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/cairn_gorm_-_sron_a_cha-no-14710/

With a mini topo here:

https://www.smc.org.uk/publications/downloads/creaganchano

It feels like an easier day out than the corries to me (Unless people think of this as part of the Northern Corries now)

Bit different doing it for 100k though!

Similarly the claim you can get to the bottom of Curved Ridge in 20 minutes. 2.5K and 250m ascent!!!

Bucket buttress on Quineag? About an hour’s walk and single pitch? Pretty stiff for their grade though so defo aim easy.

Killian Jornet did it in 18 minutes so you should have a couple of minute break half way if you like.

That occurred to me as a short approach but there's nothing at the requested grades there.

I couldn’t remember the spread of Grade.

Nothing below III and I think even they are hard. Spidean Coineach on Quinag has some great easy routes with a short walk in but they're rarely in nick. Slim pickings in the NW for short approaches!

 Ben Udlaidh has some easy routes and can come in to nick with a good cold spell.

Curved ridge start just is not 20 mins. It takes nearly 20 mins to get to the start of the ridge from the path in winter. Even in summer its what 2 km and 200 metres or ascent the last bit is about 100 meters on scree even in perfect summer conditions wihout scree naismiths has it at 44 minutes.

Lurchers in an hour? Not by most. Add on 30 mins in good conditions double it with bad wind / deep powder.

Yeah Sneachda can be walked in by the very fit in good nick with wind in the right direction in 45 mins maybe a bit less by the mega fit, but I think the typical punter is taking well over an hour in summer. its 3  3/4 km atleast to the lochain with 325m of ascent Naismiths has that at 78 mins. you still arent at the base of the routes either! 

I was going by golden nostalgic memories... It was an easy stroll to Curved Ridge, either way, despite the hysterics in the thread over it possibly being a little longer.... possibly even a whole 30 mins.

Lurchers was also fairly flat, even if the unfit may take longer to get there.

You're talking my language normally; I still need to go back to North Lees with a stopwatch for Offwidth's benefit after some previous walk-in claims of my own. I mut admit I must have been wearing the rose-tinted goggles myself when I last walked in to Sneachda - I certainly don't recall the 300m of ascent.

This is probably the important bit - I think longer and (relatively) flat will be massively better than shorter and uphill.

There's a load of good suggestions there, thank you everyone. We'll see what happens - we'll see whether winter happens first and foremost, I guess!

Dont be an idiot

Gangnam Style !  

What route is that? In what coire?

You might enjoy making fun of other posters, but posting inaccurate information could be potentially dangerous for the OP.

Got a feeling you won’t get a reply from NSM as I’ve heard they’re holed up in a remote bothy somewhere. 

II 3 to be pedantic. So still II

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/buachaille_etive_mor-387/curved_ri...

TBH I've never 'got' the grade II for Curved Ridge, based on the steepening beside the base of Rannoch Wall.

Unsafe? I posted about routes that are all accessible and within the grade range. Do you really dispute that they have relatively amenable approaches? How is 20 to 30mins extra on my off the cuff estimate of the walk to the climb supposed to be dangerous? If you want, I can bring over some steps to help you down from that high horse...? Otherwise, Merry Christmas and enjoy the view from up there!

Hi Dave,

This certainly must be the most reliable venue in these parts, short walk in, routes certainly punch above their respective grade?

Stuart 

Probably not. No. No idea, the OP said his mate has long Covid so maybe what he needs is accurate information which errs on the realistic/cautious side. I don’t own a horse so no idea what you’re on about. Thanks, you too.

A few will be getting upgrades!

I appreciate all of the recommendations, and will happily vet them with the aid of a map. Graeme is not wrong - I am erring on the side of caution both for physical capability reasons and also the obvious threat of short days if moving slowly. It's plausible that it was partly my overenthusiastic walking in to crags in Orpierre a couple of years ago that was the beginning of their long COVID saga, so I'm looking to avoid causing a relapse...

We'll find something to do, for sure, and they're feeling much more positive about their abilities than this time last year.