THE PLATEAU

The main problem for hillwalkers is getting off the plateau safely when it has a covering of snow. Winter snows can lie up to 30ft deep, with fragile cornices (snow overhangs) extending over crag edges for over 40ft, and often the snow lasts well into the summer months. Regular whiteouts and high winds make navigation extremely difficult.

You have to walk on two very precise bearings to find the safe route down – so you need to be pretty handy with a map and compass. From the trig point summit (NN166712) follow a bearing of 231° for 150m, then 282° down the steepening of McLean’s Steep to the start of the zigzags. A new set of navigation cairns have been built to aid clearing the plateau, but although they are tall, some still bank out after heavy snowfall.