Midnight Cowboy

A long moderate route up the crest of the buttress to the left of the obvious gully of Coumshingaun. Has alternative starts and finishes. A good choice if conditions elsewhere in the Cirque are dubious. Start up the icy groove just right of the centre of the base of the buttress, heading for the snowfield, or make an ascending rightwards traverse across the snowfield via an easy ramp on the left. Head for a block on the edge of the buttress, overlooking Coumshingaun. Climb up through the rock band. Continue on up the steepening crest of the ridge for a few rope lengths, then through another rock band to a small saddle below the top rock pyramid, pitch as required. Depending on conditions, either climb the difficult rock step on the ridge, and follow steep snow to the top of Talbot's Ladder, or, if there is sufficient snow and ice, traverse left to belay at the foot of a wide groove, which is climbed to a belay among blocks and flakes below a steep wall.Move leftwards round the edge, then a long exposed traverse leads to Talbot's Ladder a short distance below the top.