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.

Winter Mountain Skills - Winter  Munros

Course Preview
Max Ratio 1:6/8
2 Day week end or 3-5 Day mid week
For those who wish to consolidate and extend previous basic core winter skills. This will extend regular summer walking to four seasons in the UK, take a first mountain walking trip to the Alps or elsewhere world wide in summer conditions.

Previous Experience
The course is aimed at summer hill walkers who have some previous basic winter skills experience in the needed to travel in the British Mountains safely in winter. Good summer hill-walking experience with 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 familiarity is useful.

Course Details
Our winter mountain walking programmes are designed to 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 an emphasis on developing confidence, skills and techniques to navigate and route find in poor weather or visibility with perhaps whiteout conditions on the Scottish hills and mountains. The use of winter equipment and winter skills using ice axe and crampons are revised and revisited more intensively  - without necessarily roped climbing, using a hill rope for confidence or safety only on steep or exposed ground.

Programme Itinerary
There is a strong emphasis on: -

• Winter equipment and clothing – choice, selection
• Advice and evaluation of personal equipment, clothing and gear including the correct personal choice, adjustment and fitting of crampons.
• 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, avoidance and basic treatment of hypothermia
• Winter mountain navigation – pacing and timing; aiming off, trans sections; boxing, doglegs; relocation techniques, lining out; searching techniques; night navigation.
• Route finding and planning techniques for white out / deep snow conditions to minimise energy output, maximise daylight hours.
• Applied winter survival and rescue techniques. Digging emergency snow shelters - snowholing, igloos,
• 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.
• Step cutting and kicking steps – up, down and across slopes as well as pigeon steps for overcoming cornices.
• Self arrest without an ice axe.
• Correct choice, carrying, and use of ice axes. Positioning and use of ice axe for walking up, down and across steep ground. Progressive practice of falling and arresting on short safe slopes with a secure soft landing to emergency braking on steeper slopes. Self arrest in different positions and with crampons on.
• Consolidation of basic rope belay work to ensure safety on steep or exposed ground in winter with the use of a hill rope without becoming involved in technical rope work. Emergency rope work.
• A daily assessment of weather and snow conditions along with avalanche awareness and prediction. Snow structure and snow profiles looking at stability, snow pits, basic shear tests, walking rutschblock tests, slope aspect.
• Winter mountain weather.
• Ascent of winter Munros, easy snow gullies and ridges.