As always winter climbing is prominent in edition 209. Ever wondered where the longest continuous cliff in Scotland's mountains is? No, it's not Ben Nevis: read Andy Nisbet's article in this year's edition. The cliff he describes has only recently been developed. It isn't the longest either!

Murdoch Jamieson describes a day that ended in the dark on Beinn Eighe's Far East Wall; this modern epic is nicely balanced by Neil Quinn's account of step-cutting in Zero Gully: that day ended in tranquil moonlight on the freezing plateau.

It took Roger Webb many years to get to grips with The Seam in Coire an t- Sneachda: a witty tale of endless frustration as companions faltered, he himself faltered and equipment failed. In the end a wise conclusion is reached.
Furth of Scotland, Helen Rennard traverses the mountains of Corsica avoiding bed bugs and spotting fire lizards. Ann MacDonald and Colwyn Jones tackle the Mirroir d'Argentine in the Alps and Rob Lovell makes an adventurous ascent in Patagonia.

Back on the rocks in Scotland Richard McHardy makes an early solo ascent of Carnivore, while Noel Williams faces up to his own inexorable decline: culminating happily in a fine new route on Lewis.

There is discussion of mountain art by Donald Orr and a historical vignette by Robin Campbell. The mountaineering scene in the early 60s in Edinburgh was rather different from today's.

Finlay Wild goes skiing in Kintail and Tim Pettifer tackles three avalanche incidents in his own idiosyncratic style. Mike Jacob goes skating on Duddingston Loch with an early great of the Scottish scene. Raeburn it seems liked horizontal ice also.

Veteran mountain rescuer Bob Sharp contributes an authoritative history of the development of the service in Scotland. And there is more, much more..
Dave Broadhead chronicles the success of Munro completers: if you told him, you'll be in the list. Simon Richardson describes the highlights from an excellent winter season, and there are as many New Routes as you could wish for.