Winter Mountain Skills Courses
Our Winter Mountaineering Courses will provide you with the necessary skills to operate safely in winter conditions and and are specifically designed as introductory and skills refresher courses.
With these two courses we provide a safe introduction to both the techniques and equipment that you will require for winter mountaineering.
The course is based around Glencoe in the Western Highlands of Scotland and offers a wide choice of nearby mountaineering locations depending on prevailing weather and snow and ice conditions. Many of our guides regularly lead expeditions further afield and are ideally placed to advise you about your mountaineering aspirations. Your guide will be highly experienced and passionate about the outdoors.
Introductory Winter Skills Course
a) Beginners Long Weekend Course
Grade: Stage 1 / Beginner
Duration/programme: 4 days / Friday to Monday
Instruction: 3 days
This course is designed for those with no experience of winter mountaineering, who want to learn the fundamental skills needed to walk or climb safely in winter. This course will introduce you to winter mountaineering and help with confidence as well as teaching the skills needed for safe travel in winter conditions. Included within this course are basic movement skills coaching- both with and without crampons, use of the ice axe, ice axe arrest and avalanche awareness training (see Activity Information below for full programme details). When the course is complete clients should be confident with the basic skills needed for safe winter travel.
The three day course will concentrate on safety and movement skills whilst moving through the Scottish mountains. This course will be run to the needs of the clients although we will spend long days learning the skills needed to keep us safe. Some of the areas we may visit are Glencoe and Aonach Mor and we will look to take in at least a grade 1 gully.
As a result of inherent time constraints this course is not designed to achieve the same levels of confidence and skills as our longer Stage 2 / Introductory Winter Mountaineering Course. However, our aim is to ensure that students leave the course having mastered the rudimentary skills of crampon technique, safe movement over steep ground, avalanche awareness and ice axe arrest.
Our Stage 1 / Beginners Long Weekend Course will involve three full days of intensive training and tuition and begins with a course briefing at 9.00pm on Friday evening where we will run through the itinerary, equipment required for your first day, issue any pre-arranged hire kit and cover all essential information for the weekend ahead including safety and medical details as well as start times and venues.
Day 1 will be concentrated on basic skills techniques
Day 2 will focus on safety and how to move efficiently on steep ground
Day 3 will aim to complete a longer mountain route where you will be able to practice the skills and knowledge gained over the first part of the course.
Course Programme
Courses begin with a briefing on the evening of the start date; however, a detailed schedule with timings will be forwarded with your joining instructions at time of booking.
Group Size / Instructor Ratios
We work with small groups and group size is typically 6 persons whereby our instructor/guiding ratios will vary from 1:6 to 1:3 subject to element of risk and degree of supervision required per activity.
Accommodation
camping accommodation is provided on night 2 but clients will need to bring their own sleeping bag and mat and also organize local accommodation in Glencoe on the first and last night of the course.
Equipment Loan
We provide all group equipment, such as ropes and climbing hardware; however, course participants need to provide their own clothing and personal equipment including crampon compatible winter walking boots (B3).
Specialist equipment may be available to borrow from us: i.e. crampons, ice axe, harness and helmet with advance notice; however, this is subject to availability and may be subject to an additional hire charge at our discretion. On completion of your booking we will forward a detailed equipment list.
Winter Skills Courses
For further information and/or to reserve a place on one of our courses please click here.