This 2 day Winter Skills course will provide you with the essential skills you need to go out into the winter mountains walking safely. During the two days you will carry out journeys in the mountains looking at crampon and ice axe use, navigation, and introduction to avalanche awareness, emergency procedures, planning a day out and winter navigation.
Winter Skills Course Programme
You will meeting your instructor at 9am on the first day and discuss the plan for your winter skills course. Before heading out you will look at equipment needed and there will be a chance to hire or buy anything you don’t have.
After this you will head out onto the hill and carry out a winter walking journey looking at the skills needed for safe travel in the winter mountains.
This will be the same process for day two.
During the course we will look to cover the below skills:
- The use of crampons and ice axes
- Planning a mountain day
- An introduction to Avalanche awareness
- Winter navigation
- Emergency procedures and shelters
NB. Programme can change to suit weather, conditions and candidates
Accommodation
Badaguish – Lodges and Wigwams, a wilde variate of accommodation options just outside Aviemore.
Aviemore Youth Hostel – Well located and with a range of dorm rooms and private rooms.
Old Bridge Inn Bunkhouse – Bunkhouse in Aviemore attached to a pub!
Newtonmore Hostel – A small hotel in Newtonmore close to the shops.
Oakwood Caravan and Camping Park – A campsite on the edge of Aviemore but with in walking distance of the the shops, restaurants and pub.
Glenmore Campsite – Campsite next to Loch Morlich
There are also many Hotels, B&B’s and AirBnB’s in and around Aviemore, Kingussie and Newtonmore, in fact too many to list here!
Winter Skills - Dates and Location
Dates by arrangement
Cost and Ratio
Cost – £135 per person – non residential
Ratio – 1:6
Experience needed for your Winter Skills Course
Ideally you will have some experience of summer hill walking, however this is not essential. You should be fit enough to carry out two full days in the winter mountains with the expectations you will cover around 15km and around 800m of ascent each day.
If you have any questions about this please just get in touch.
Kit you will need for your Winter Skills Course
You will need to provide your own hill walking clothing. We can provide helmet, axe, crampons and any specific group kit. If you don’t have winter boots then these can be hired from Tiso in Aviemore. Once you have booked on the course you will be able to access a detailed kit list from the client resource page on.