Winter Skills Course Weekend - Braemar
Learn new skills to keep you safe in the mountains this winter!
Winter Skills Courses in the Cairngorms National Park
About this course
Learn the skills required for safe winter hill walking Scotland; the use of ice axe and crampons, winter navigation, and avalanche awareness too.
We will give advice on getting prepared for winter walking, weather forecasts, decision making and kit.
The skills are coached each day in the context of a mountain journey. The course structure will be fairly flexible dependent on individual aims, weather and underfoot conditions. We aim to provide you with a base of knowledge to go out to practice and consolidate.
Prerequisites
This course is aimed as an introduction to winter and ideally you should have summer hill walking experience. Walking in winter requires a good level of fitness.
What we will cover depending on conditions:
Choosing the right kit for winter
Personal movement skills on snow
Use of ice axe whilst walking and how to prevent and stop slips and trips
Use of crampons
Winter navigation techniques
Avalanche awareness, safe route planning
Emergency procedures
**If the dates don’t work or it’s not quite the right thing for you then hire a Private Guide and we can tailor an experience to suit you!
Winter kit provided
Use of our crampons, ice axe, and helmet are included in the cost
Starting time
Sat: 08:45 Sun: 09:00 on Sat
Location
Meet in Braemar first, walk departs from Glenshee
Group size
Limited to 6 participants
Additional information
Meet Time & Location
Please meet at the main public car park in Braemar at 08:45 before enjoying a coffee in The Bothy where we’ll discuss a plan for the course. We’ll then head to our training location which will be dependent on weather and underfoot conditions.
Please note if the snow gates are closed and you are coming from the south, you might miss the start of the course. We recommend staying in Ballater / Braemar area the night before the event. If you're looking for accommodation then click here to view our recommendations.
Joining Details & Kit
Joining details and participation forms will be sent out before the course.
We can provide ice axe, crampons and a helmet but you are welcome to bring your own (if you’re unsure about your own kit, then please ask prior). You will need winter boots capable of taking a crampon, these can be hired from some outdoor shops.
Click here to see our full kit list.
Please contact us for any additional information.
Terms and Conditions apply.
