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Introductory Winter Mountaineering Course
From £780 Grade: Introductory
Introductory Winter Mountaineering Course
This Course is ideal for the keen mountain walker and scrambler who wants to progress and learn the essential skills of winter mountaineering.
The Introductory Winter Mountaineering course is ideal for those with no previous winter hill walking or mountaineering experience, or those who want to refresh winter skills. It will provide the skills to enjoy the UK mountains in winter snow conditions or to join one of our overseas expeditions or course graded 1 or 2 such as Mera Peak, Elbrus, Ecuador Volcanoes, Aconcagua, Lobuche, Mexican Volcanoes.
Our courses are based in the mountains around Glencoe and Fort William (Ben Nevis) which normally provides some of the best and most reliable winter snow & ice conditions in Britain during the months of January to the end of March and beyond.
Previous Experience
For the Introductory Winter Mountaineering Course you should have a good level of fitness and summer mountain walking experience with the ability to enjoy good long summer mountain walks with a minimum of 3000ft/1000m of ascent over a mixture of terrain including steep broken rocky ground in ascent and decent.
If you wish to build up to this course, then consider joining:
Scottish Winter Skills weekend (level 1)
Lake District Summer Courses booked at www.amblesideadventure.co.uk - Guided Walks
or www.adventurepeaks.com - Mountain Journeys
Outline Itinerary:
Our instructors will aim to develop your skills during the course to help make you confident in the use of crampons and ice axe combined with some basic ropework to allow you to move safely in winter mountains. The exact progamme will be dependent on the weather, ground conditions and progress of the group, but typically we would aim to cover the following:
- Winter Equipment & Clothing
- Use of ice axe and crampons
- Ice axe arrest
- Basic winter mountain navigation and route planning
- Winter weather and avalanche avoidance
- Ascent of some classic Munro ridges
- Ascent Ben Nevis
- Basic Ropework and Belaying
Day 1: The course begins at 8pm on the first evening with a course briefing and the essentials for clothing and equipment. After the course briefing we will check your personal kit and issue you with any hire kit required.
Day 2: The first mountain day will develop your skills to move safely and efficiently on snow covered terrain with the use of crampons and ice axe including ice axe arrest. In the evening there will be a short lecture on avalanche avoidance and prediction.
Day 3: A mountain journey over one or more Munros (Scottish mountains over 3000ft) to give you the opportunity to practice skills.
Day 4: Today we will introduce the rope as part of a mountain day to cover basic ropework and belaying techniques.
Day 5: A final mountain day to maximise the weather and snow conditions whilst giving you more opportunity to practice your skills with plenty of feedback from your instructor.
Finish time on Day 5 would be by 4.30pm allowing you a reasonable time to start your journey home unless staying an extra night.
You can extend your course by joining a level 2 Winter Mountaineering course which runs Wednesday-Sunday
Typical Days:
may include ascents such as:
- Ben Nevis via Number 4 Gully (Grade 1) or The Carn Mor Dearg Arete (Grade 1)
- Stob Coire Nan Lochan via the Zig Zags or Broad Gully (Grade 1)
- Ballachullish Horseshoe
- Bidean Nam Bian
- Stob Ban and the Mamores
Dates & Prices
Availability
* A deposit of £150 will be required at checkout.
Extras
Extras can be added per-person when you book onto a date
| Item | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Extra night B&B - per night (if booked through us) | £42 | |
| 1 Extra night DB&B - per night (if booked through us) | £72 | |
| 2 Extra nights B&B - per night (if booked through us) | £84 | |
| 2 Extra nights DB&B - per night (if booked through us) | £144 | |
| Single room supplement £24 per night - 4 nights | £96 |
* A deposit of £200 (or the full extra price, whichever is lower) will be required at checkout for each extra added per-person on this trip
What's Included
- Instruction
- Full board accommodation with three course evening meals & packed lunches, starting with breakfast on the first morning through to packed lunch on the day of departure. Bar meals can be purchased until 8.30pm on the day of your arrival
- Ropes and technical equipment (excluding personal kit such as harness/crampons, ice axe, and helmet)
- 15% off the RRP of clothing and equipment purchases from The Expedition shop
What's Excluded
- Travel to Scotland
- Evening meal on arrival and drinks
- Personal equipment including ice axe, crampons, helmet and harness
- Uplift by cable car on Aonach Mor or the White Corries
- Entry to the ice wall at the Ice Factor in the event of severe weather