In reply to Dave Cumberland:
> Tophet wall gets sun 10-2pm even on midwinters day.
Tophet Wall in winter! ROFL as they say. I went on what was promised to be a beautiful summer's day this July. We got to Kern Knotts, which was a bit damp but climbable, although there was a breeze and my partner said she was too cold to belay. We went up the scree to Tophet Wall and it was baltic. We'd gone up there in the first place to do The Vikings, and after umming and ahhing for a bit, I said, "yeah, it's freezing but we've walked for miles up here and it's not raining, this is the one opportunity to do the route, I think you should get on it." She did, and a fine effort it was too - unlike me, she loves that kind of climbing. Obviously by the time she'd belayed I was on the cusp of hyperthermia and the mist was rolling up the fellside, swirling around the crag, making it tremendously atmospheric, and also rather damp. Seconding the route was an absolute nightmare. Wet, and filthy, and my whole body had gone numb.
And this was "a nice summers day" in July. Tophet wall in winter...
Mountain crags: either go in a heatwave, or have a shit time.
Post edited at 21:40