Another dip into the past, going back to 1996, when Colin McGregor and I climbed Squareface, the classic V Diff route in the Garbh Choire of Beinn a Bhuird. The angle is deceptive here – it’s always hard to capture the true angle when climber and photographer are on the same rope – as nowhere did this route seem harder than its grade.
From below the flat-faced buttress towering above looks intimidating – indeed, I had ‘a moment’ before we started, and Colin cut short lunch to leave me no more time to talk myself out of it. But once started this was a delight the whole way, full of variety. It wanders about the face, between the centre and the edges, but the line is always obvious, with blocky grooves, slabs, cracks, traverses and that delightful layback Colin is pictured on. You can’t see his face well, but he has a huge, delighted grin; as we climbed it had started drizzling, and we were both a little concerned, but the rock remained grippy enough to be a joy to climb and he was within sight of the top, an almost cartoon finish where cliff transitions to flat at almost right angles, with no gradual easing.
In the second photo you can just make out a figure at the top of the route. This was a couple who had started out behind us. Possibly also concerned at the approaching rain, the leader had joined pitches two and three together in one run-out. When he reached the top and belayed we heard him shout “Taking in!” and almost immediately the cry “That’s me!” came from below: he had made it with no more than a couple of feet of rope to spare. In the event the rain and distant rumbles of thunder came to nothing and we got back to the Secret Howff dry – and immensely satisfied.
A series of Covid dreams. Just a photo or two from the archives and a few words: memories of the Cairngorms to stay in the heart while we’re kept away from the hills.
cairngormwanderer 
I’ve done Squareface a few times. What a great route. The first time was in the late 60’s when you could drive up to Derry Lodge. We were staying in Bob Scott’s 1 and drove round to Keilloch in the morning, followed by the long walk in. The first sight of the face was scarey but it wasn’t difficult at all. We then went back over Beinn a Bhuird back to the car and had a well earned pint in the pub at Inver. It was a mad dash down Glen Slugain to catch “last orders”. Another time was from the Howff when we also planned to do Mitre Ridge with a warm up on Squareface. We did Squareface before the rain came on but had to abandon Mitre Ridge. Finally got back to the Howff like a couple of drowned rats before the cycle back down the Glen. Another time there were four of us in the Smith/ Winram. How we all fitted in I’ve no idea, I remember lying on top of a rock in the floor, most uncomfortable, but that’s another story.
Sinbad
Aye, many happy days in the Gorms. I think that was my third attempt at Squareface. First time was rained off and the second time we got as far as the Sneck and the rain was absolutely biblical. It had been such a braw day too we went without jackets. Only use the rope got that weeken d was as a washing line back at the Howff.
Like a lot of great Cairngorm climbs, it’s a long walk for a short climb, why did it take me so long to use bikes?
Ah, but the walk is part of it!
It looks harder than VD – and it looks very sheer indeed. You could be right about the camera making it look harder but, generally, cameras make things look easier and less steep!
I would never take a break before anything I’m nervous about. If I’m going to do it, I just have to walk straight to it and get straight on with it. Otherwise I might chicken out!
Aye, Colin realised I was in the process of chickening out, so lunch was rather truncated. Great route though, and genuinely easier and less steep than it looks.