Overview
If you have solid basic winter skills, but would like to build on these and gain confidence and further knowledge, then this course is for you. We put the emphasis on developing practical white-out navigation and relocation skills. We look at emergency snow holes and basic emergency ropework.
DETAILED INFO
AIMS
The course will provide opportunities for further consolidation and practice of core winter skills whilst exploring the surrounding mountains.
PRE-REQUISITES
Winter walking experience or have attended a winter skills training course.
IS IT FOR ME?
To achieve the most from this course you should have either attended either our 2 or 5-day Winter Skills course or have similar experience of winter hill walking. You must already be comfortable and proficient with using an axe and crampons, operating in bad winter weather and are suitably fit for five consecutive and arduous days on the hill.
CONTENT
Meeting your instructor on the first morning provides an opportunity to discuss everyone’s experience and aspirations. The main topics to be covered are:
- Developing movement skills for use on steeper terrain
- Navigation strategies, relocation skills, night navigation, accurate pacing, compass skills
- Navigating in the dark / poor visibility
- Digging and use of emergency shelter/snow hole (we will not sleep overnight in the shelter but use it for a temporary shelter, subject to the prevailing conditions)
- Emergency ropework
- Avalanche awareness, route choice, and the relationship with prevailing weather conditions
Evening sessions will include an avalanche awareness talk and winter navigation theory.
The programme is fairly flexible taking into account individual needs and aims, weather, and snow conditions. Scottish winter conditions can be very variable. We sometimes experience sudden snow loss due to periods of warm temperatures and high winds. We will do our very best to deliver all elements of your course as outlined.
DATES & PRICES
| 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COURSE DATE | COST (no accommodation) |
PLACES | BOOKING | |
| Date10/02/25 | Cost (no accommodation)£610.00 | Places | ||
| Date03/03/25 | Cost (no accommodation)£610.00 | Places | ||
| Need a different date? Call 01479 861 256 to arrange your own date, or email [email protected] | ||||
Media Gallery
USEFUL INFORMATION
- Start Time:
- 0900
- End Time:
- 1700
- Meeting at:
- Glenmore Lodge
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
Instruction
Use of kit
Packed lunch and afternoon tea each day
In-course transport
Client REVIEWS
NEED TO KNOW
WHAT WILL I NEED
YOU WILL NEED (Glenmore Lodge can provide if required)
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Insulated synthetic jacket with hood
- Winter Boots
- Gaiters
- Crampons
- Ice Axe
- Helmet
- 40lt rucksack
- Walking poles
EQUIPMENT YOU NEED TO BRING WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE IN THE STORES
What will you need to bring? Listed here are the essentials; this is not an exhaustive list.
- Personal clothing
- Winter outdoor wear
- Insulating layers
- Winter climbing / mountaineering trousers
- Hat & gloves, several pairs of.
- Whistle
- Compass – Silva type 4 recommended with a 1:40,000 romer ***
- Waterproof map case.
- Headtorch
- Goggles
- Rucksack liner (or sturdy bin liner) / dry bags
- Hydration system (water bottle / flask)
- Box or bag for packed lunch.
- Personal first aid kit
- Personal toiletries & medications (towels are provided)
- Suncream & sun hat
Map information – we encourage everyone on mountain courses to have a map covering the Northern Cairngorms with a 10km radius from the ski area. There are now a range of scales and maps available OS 1:50,000, OS 1:25,000 and Harvey Map 1:40,000. For candidates on any NGB course such as Mountain Leader winter, you should have a 1:50,000 map and ideally one other scale. For non-qualification courses any scale is fine, OS 1:50,000 map sheet 36 covers the widest area, but the Harvey 1:40,000 has a lot of additional information on the back of it, however it is useful to have the Silva Mark 4 compass with the 1:40,000 scale on it, (only available since 2010). If you have digital mapping and can print off map sheets a suggested area would be:
NW corner NH8514 NE corner NJ0314
SW corner NN8593 SE corner NO0393
Glennmore Lodge will provide any technical equipment required on a skills course e.g. climbing ropes and racks. However it would be expected that students attending any climbing NGB courses will have their own technical equipment other than ropes which Glenmore Lodge will provide.
