This year we have decided to run our winter skills courses in the Cairngorms as this offers you great access to the mountains without the need for using ski lifts or having a long walk in. The Cairgorms has great scope for learning the basics on easy angled ground right through to classic winter mountaineering with a wide choice of area's, routes and objectives to choose from.

Who is the course for?

This is an Introduction to Winter Walking and Mountaineering Course and is suitable for those who have some previous 3 season walking experience as you will all ready know a fair amount about the type of ground and weather conditions in the hills and mountains. You should also have a good level of general walking fitness.

What will you learn?

Being an extremely comprehensive week, the emphasis will be getting into the mountains for a full on winter skills week, taking in some classic winter mountaineering with routes like the Fiacaill Ridge being a superb mountain day. The skills you learn will hopefully stay with you for a long time, helping you to enjoy the winter mountain environment in a much safer way.

During the week there may also be the option of tackling some of the steeper grade 1 and 2 snow climbs.

These are some of the skills you will learn during the course:

• Use of walking axe
• Ice axe arrest
• Crampon techniques
• Techniques for safe travel on steeper ground
• Refresher of existing personal skills
• Safety in the winter environment
• Mountain Weather
• Winter navigation
• Appraisal of avalanche risk
• Emergency snow shelters
• What to do in an emergency

By the end of your winter skills course you will be much better prepared for your adventures in the winter mountain environment and above all, you will have had expert tuition from fully qualified instructors with a wealth of worldwide mountaineering experience.

Course Instructors

All instructors on our courses are experienced Winter ML holders Winter Mountain Leader and MIC award holders Mountain Instructor Certificate.

Course Ratio's

Maximum ratio's during the week are:

6 clients to 1 instructor

Equipment

We will provide helmets, ropes and other technical and emergency group kit.

You will need clothing and footwear suitable for winter walking. Please read our equipment list for full details and also feel free to ask us for advice.

Crampons, walking boots and walking axes can be hired at Mountain Spirit, Nevis Sport  and Ellis Brighams, They are all in Aviemore.

Alternatively you can hire brand new DMM Crampons and Axes from us for £50.00 per set for the duration of the course - early booking essential.

Accommodation in Aviemore

There are options to suit all budgets in Aviemore and a good place to start finding your type of accommodation for the week is by using the very good service provided by the Scottish Tourist Board

Aviemore is located around 1 and a half hours north of Glasgow/Edinburgh and 1 hour southeast of Inverness.Map here

Snowdonia Adventures Gallery

Winter Walking and Climbing

Winter Skills Trailer

BMC Video

Winter ML Movie

MIC Movie

Essential Winter Skills DVD Trailer

This year sees us providing pre-expedition winter skills courses for Questropix climbing expeditions in the Himalayas.