Winter Skills Day Braemar Area

Extend your enjoyment of the hills into winter! Join us for a winter skills taster day to help build the knowledge required for safe and efficient winter hill walking. We will give advice on getting prepared for winter walking, weather forecasts, avalanche awareness and more!

Prerequisites

Ideally you should have summer hill walking experience before attending this course. A good level of fitness is required for winter.

What we will aim cover depending on conditions:

• Choosing the right kit for winter

• Personal movement skills on snow

• Use of crampons and ice axe

• Winter navigation techniques

• Avalanche awareness, safe route planning

• Emergency procedures

These skills are coached in the context of a mountain journey. The course structure and what will be covered will be fairly flexible depending on individual aims, weather, underfoot conditions etc. We aim to provide you with a base of skills to go out and practice and consolidate.

Location

We will initially meet in the main public carpark in Braemar at 8.45am before enjoying a coffee in The Bothy where we’ll discuss the plan for the day. 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. See our recommended accommodation options here.

Joining Details & Kit

We can provide ice axe, crampons and helmet. You will need winter boots capable of taking a crampon, preferably B2 (see video).

Joining details, participation forms and kit lists will be sent out before the course.

Please have a look in our shop, we can post or deliver items to you at the event. All participants receive a 15% discount on goods (except gift vouchers, sale items and books)

 
Terms and Conditions apply.