Location: Aviemore, Scotland
Length: 6 days
Cost: £645 (inc VAT)
Dates 13-18 February 2023

To book a place please click here 

Who is this course for?

This is designed for young people who are up for a winter adventure in the mountains! You will be able to enjoy a week in Scotland with other people aged 16-25, making new friends and having fun. Possibly you will have done your Gold DofE expedition or been into the mountains in summer conditions before. This course will take your skills and experience to the next level!

A strong emphasis will be placed on safe route choice and navigation. We will teach you how to use an ice axe and crampons as well as getting back to our warm and dry accommodation in time for tea each day! Time will be spent each day assessing the weather and snow conditions in order to show methods of detecting potential avalanche terrain and choosing the safest and easiest routes of ascent and descent.

Course content

 The following will be covered over the week:

• Appropriate selection of personal equipment and kit suitable for winter mountains
• Personal movement on snow including kicking steps and using your ice axe effectively
• Use of crampons in ascent/ descent
• Emergency procedures including snow shelters
• Winter navigation
• Avalanche awareness and safe route choice
• Route planning in winter taking account the weather, conditions and avalanche risk

Outline Plan for the week

Day 1: Meeting, introductions and kit check
Day 2: Winter Skills- introduction to ice axe and crampons on the hills
Day 3: Winter walk and journey
Day 4: Snow shelters, possibly eating supper in a snow hole
Day 5: Further skill development. 
Day 6: A flexible day to allowing time spent on the activity you most enjoy

Please note that this plan is weather dependent and may well change during the week.

 

Course pre-requisites

You need to have been in the mountains before this at some stage. Also, we will be out for full days in the hills in winter- it’s hard work and you need to be fit. A bit of training before hand will come in use. You do not need to be a climber, but we may well encounter some steep ground. 

Accommodation

We are based in Aviemore, the heart of the Cairngorms, in simple bunk-house style accommodation. We will plan the food as a group and you will cook it together. Breakfast, lunch and supper will be provided as well as lots of snacks and cakes during the day! Please do inform us as soon as possible about dietary requirements so that we can cater for you.

Start time/ Finish time

We meet in Aviemore at 3pm on day 1 and finish by 2pm on day 6.
Once we receive your booking we will send you comprehensive information about when and where to meet, and the kit you need to bring. 

Free use of our kit

We realise that you are going to need a whole armoury of kit to keep you warm and dry during this week. We will provide all the specialist winter kit that you need including:

• Crampons
• Ice axe
• Winter B2 rated boots
• Maps
• Compasses

On the other hand you may well already have some of it in which case please do bring it with you.

Other information

If you have specific questions then please do email or phone.