Winter Mountaineering
Winter mountaineering in the home of Scottish Winter Climbing. Five days of great company, top class instruction and amazing experiences.
Over the course of the five days you will briefly revise basic winter skills to ensure everyone is safe, before adding to your knowledge and skills by tackling progressively more challenging objectives. We only venture onto terrain you are comfortable with and the emphasis is on enjoyment not getting scared!
From our course base we have literally hundreds of suitable objectives on our doorstep, so we seldom travel far to have a great day out.
The first day of the course are at a higher ratio of one instructor to six clients whilst we revise skills and then it reduces to one instructor to four and then one instructor to two for the last three days. This allows us to tackle objectives suitable for each persons ability whilst keeping the prices down.
Who is it for ?
This five day winter mountaineering course is for existing winter walkers who want to further their winter skills and take on steeper ground or more challenging ridges. You will undertake graded winter climbs at Grade I,II or III depending on experience levels and conditions.
You must have attended one of our winter skills courses or something similar before attending this course.
Winter Mountaineering Week – Course Format
The exact course itinerary will be flexible to cope with weather conditions. During the course, you will cover the whole breadth of skills that are required for you to undertake climbs of your own ability in the Scottish winter mountains.
- Revision of ice axe arrest and crampons;
- Avalanche forecasts, interpreting them on the hill and avoidance;
- Choosing a route, safely navigating to it, up it and off it;
- Mountaineering skills of movement and balance;
- Creating safe belays;
- How to retreat (planned and unplanned);
Course Details
- Location: Aviemore & Glencoe - Scotland
- Cost: £655 per person
- Duration: 5 days
- Ratio: 1:6 then 1:2
- Level: Introduction
More Information
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Course Dates
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Bespoke Dates and Locations
If there are a group of you that want the challenge and exhilaration of winter, but there are no suitable dates available, or you would like to do something similar in a different area, please contact the office and we will arrange some dates to suit your diary.
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Meeting Point
For our Winter Mountaineering week, we meet at 9am at Tiso in Aviemore on the first day and subsequently at our Aviemore base.
In Glencoe we meet at 8:30 am on the first day.
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Equipment Required
A detailed equipment list is contained in the joining instructions. Essentially, you need to be self sufficient for a day in the mountains, in winter.
We can provide an ice axe, crampons, harness and helmet if needed. Boots can be hired locally if required.
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Fitness Level
You certainly don’t have to be super fit to enjoy this course, and average fitness is quite sufficient. Experience of winter hillwalking is essential.
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Accommodation Options
This Beyond the Edge course is non-residential to allow you to select between thermarest or 5 star hotel as you require.
There are hundreds of accommodation options in and around Glencoe and Fort William from luxurious Castles to campsites and everything in between.If you want a hand booking something or want something special, contact the office and we will endeavour to assist.
FAQs
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How do I book ?
The best way is via this webpage. Choose the date from the options on the above and then submit your booking. You only need to pay the deposit if your course is more than six weeks away.
For bespoke events get in touch first so we can check diaries and if required give you a quote. Get in touch by either calling the office on 01142 631 155 or emailing us.
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Does the course include accommodation ?
Not usually! We prefer to let you choose where you will be most comfortable. This may be in a tent or in a luxury hotel.
A range of accommodation options can be found on our accommodation page.
For bespoke courses and events we can arrange whatever you desire, from a bivouac under the stars to a spa hotel.
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Children, Parking, Dogs, COVID and everything else...
You will find all of the most frequently asked questions and their answers on our FAQ webpage.
