Winter Skills Course - 05 February
05-09 February 2025
This 4-day/4-night residential course will provide practical learning in the necessary skills required for mountain hiking in the winter, pre-adventure planning to the parctical skills required to journey safely in the winter mountain environment.
whether you are new to winter mountaineering, or just need to dust off the cobwebs, this practical trip will cover everything you need to know in order to stay as safe as possible in the mountains
Covered on the trip will include:
- Pre-trip planning (the stuff you do in the comfort of your own home)
- General Safety and risk mitigation
- Weather forecasting and awareness
- Avalanche awareness
- Winter navigation
- Safe use of crampons and ice axe
- Movement techniques on snow and ice
- Ice Axe arrest (the use of you ice axe if you were to fall and slide down a slope - don't worry, this is done in a safe area and is a lot of fun!
- Constructing and using show anchors
- Building an emergency shelter in the snow
- Building (and sleeping in) a snow hole
The specific itinerary and order of events may change based on weather and ground conditions at the time
Wednesday (from 8pm) - Meet at Inverness airport/train station and drive to our accommodation in The Cairngorms National Park
Thursday - A day of understanding planning and preparation for winter adventures. Covered on this day will include:
- understanding weather forecasts
- understanding avalanche forecasts
- winter terrain traps
- safe route planning
- common mistakes and how to avoid them
Friday - Your first day out in the winter wonderland of The Cairngorms National Park. Covered on this day will include:
- understanding the snow pack
- basic winter navigation
- safe use of ice axe and crampons
- self-arrest using an ice axe
- what to look out for on your winter journey
- Journey to a local summit
Saturday - A second day hiking in the winter wonderland. Covered on this day will include:
- recap on previous days learning
- self-arrest using an ice axe
- building an emergency shelter
- develop more advenaced winter navigation skills
- building a snow hole (if conditions allow)
Sunday - This day will be used as a recap on previous days learnings and to hone the skills you've been taught over the previous days.
- recap and consolidate course learnings
- self-arrest using an ice axe
At the end of the day you will return to Inverness for your onward journey home (expect to arrive at 3pm)
