winter mountain courses

introduction to winter skills – winter mountain walking

Course Preview

Maximum Ratio | 1: 6/8

2 Day week end or 3-5 Day mid week

Introducing complete novices to the basic winter skills needed to travel in the British Mountains safely in winter. For those who wish to extend their summer walking to four seasons in the UK, take a first walking trip to the Alps or elsewhere world wide in summer conditions

Previous Experience | Good summer hill-walking experience with some familiarity of map and compass work. A reasonable level of personal fitness and stamina is essential. No previous knowledge of rope work is assumed but some familiarity is useful.

Course Details | Designed for summer hill walkers our winter mountain walking programmes offer an ideal, cost-effective opportunity to learn the requirements of winter mountain equipment and clothing - before investing heavily in buying specialist gear. All technical gear is supplied but - if you do not have them - ice axe, crampons will need to be hired at extra cost from us along with suitable stiff winter boots.
There is a strong emphasis on developing navigational and route finding skills to confidently navigate in poor visibility with variable weather conditions. The use of winter equipment and winter skills using ice axe and crampons are taught intensively - without roped climbing, using a hill rope for confidence or safety only.

Programme Itinerary

There is a strong emphasis on:

• Winter equipment and clothing – choice, selection
• Winter mountain navigation – pacing and timing; aiming off, trans sections; boxing, doglegs; relocation techniques
• Route finding techniques in white out / deep snow conditions to minimise energy output.
• Survival and rescue techniques along with safe choice of routes and planning.
  Digging emergency snow shelters
• Basic safety and nutritional techniques, which can be applied to a Scottish, winter, a first Alpine walking season or High Mountain Trekking holiday. Personal pacing. Recognition of and avoidance of hypothermia
• Use of ice axe and crampons – ice axe arrests; emergency braking; step cutting, kicking steps; fitting crampons; walking in crampons; using crampons for ascent / descent; moving together; glissading. Use of ski poles
• Safety on steep ground in winter with the use of a hill rope without becoming too involved in technical rope work. Emergency rope work
• A daily assessment of weather and snow conditions along with avalanche awareness and prediction.
• Ascent of winter munros