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Friday to Sunday courses - Arrive Thursday evening and depart at 5pm Sunday evening.
No courses are currently scheduled - please come back soon. Whole week Monday to Friday courses - Arrive Sunday evening and depart at 5pm Friday evening (or stay on in Scotland and use those new skills!).
No courses are currently scheduled - please come back soon.
NB: winter ice-climbing courses can be requested by calling ArrampicA direct (all courses 1:2 ratio), charged at daily rates
A three-day or five-course that will give you a solid introduction to winter mountaineering. Maximum staffing ratio: 1: 6
Cost: £295.00 per person for 3 day course & £495 for 5 day course.
(Single Room Supplement is £45.00)
Location: The course will be based in the Fort William area in the Western Highlands of Scotland. This includes many famous mountain areas such as Ben Nevis and Glen Coe and plenty of other lesser-known gems.
Accommodation: McDonald Hotel, accommodation will include breakfast, packed lunch, tea and dinner. Drinks are not included.
Staff: The chief instructor on this course will be David Haygarth. He has nine years of experience instructing in the mountains; including seven years working professionally in Scottish winter conditions. In 2003 he gained the highest of the United Kingdom Training Board Awards: the Mountaineering Instructor Certificate (MIC), see ‘staff’ for details.
The likely programme: (what we actually do will be fine-tuned to take advantage of the weather and snow conditions at the time)
Day one:
- An introduction to the course: discussion about necessary equipment; how to pack it and the general approach to winter mountaineering.
- Weather and avalanche briefing
- How to move around effectively and safely on snow and ice: use of boots, crampons, and ice axes.
- How to deal with slips and slides: self-arrest.
Day two:
- Avalanche awareness and route choice: there are many things you can learn about the Winter Mountains that will help minimise the risk avalanches present to you.
- Winter navigation.
- Emergency shelters: practical experience with the reward of a cozy hot drink when you’ve finished!
Day three (last day) of the 3-day course:
- The final day’s plan will be determined by the needs of the group. This may involve a particular mountaineering objective such as the summit of Ben Nevis by the spectacular Carn Mor Dearg Arete. It may involve further technical training such as basic rope-work: a valuable addition to your winter mountaineering skills.
Days three and four of the 5-day course:
- The overnight expedition (weather permitting)
- Consolidation of skills, the idea is to choose a route into the depths of the Scottish Highlands and camp out / stay in snow shelters.
Day five of the 5-day course:
- The final day’s plan will be determined by the needs of the group. This may involve a particular mountaineering objective such as the summit of Ben Nevis by the spectacular Carn Mor Dearg Arete. It may involve further technical training such as basic rope-work: a valuable addition to your winter mountaineering skills.
On any of the above days we may choose to use the ski-lift gondola at Nevis Range to give the legs a little rest! Otherwise, we will take advantage of the many varied locations that the Western and Central Highlands gives us.
All winter courses require considerable physical effort and are potentially risky. Try and arrive reasonably fit and you will enjoy yourself even more! |
Winter Skills Course 3 or 5 Day Course based in Scottish Highlands 