Overview
This course is the necessary step if you want to develop the skills to go climbing independently in winter conditions. Making the progression to climbing winter routes is something that many climbers aspire to, because of the brilliant challenges that the winter environment offers. We will start by establishing what you already know and then build on this, developing the skills you will need to climb safely and manage yourself in the winter mountains.
Course Duration
Recommended Course Duration: 2 – 5 days
The way we work means you can choose to run this course for any number of days – we work on a day-rate which we use to calculate the course cost and, however many days you choose, we’ll put everything into giving you as much value out of those days as we can.
Our recommended minimum for these courses is 2 days, since time is the main limiting factor and if you’d like to learn the course content we’ve described it’s likely we’ll need 2 days. If you have the luxury of a bit more time to dedicate to this course it’s something we’d recommend since it allows us to work around any poor weather better, fit in a lot more practice and climb many more routes.
Location
This course is based out Aviemore, in the Scottish Highlands. From this location we are ideally placed to take advantage of the wide selection of superb mountain areas available throughout the Cairngorms National Park.
Other locations are available upon request, just let us know when you enquire.
Previous Experience
Previous winter hillwalking, winter climbing & rock climbing experience.
Course Content
During this course you will learn the necessary skills to be able to competently ‘lead’ winter climbs. Topics covered include;
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Winter Climbing Grades
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Equipment Selection
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Removal & Placement of rock/ice/snow gear
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Rope Management
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Belay Construction & Changeovers
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Abseiling
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Avalanche Awareness & Avoidance
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Movement Technique on Ice, Snow and Mixed terrain
Course Ration
We deliver this course at a maximum ratio of one instructor to two clients. This enables us to easily tailor the course to your ability and aspirations and ensures that you will receive a large amount of individual input from your instructor so that you can develop your skills swiftly and safely.
Accommodation
We don’t provide accommodation on our courses as some of our clients would like to stay in luxury
accommodation, some in B&B’s, some in Bunkhouses and some like to camp. Therefore we feel our clients benefit from being able choose the accommodation they personally prefer in relation to their budget.
Price
Price: £300/day for 1 person, £330/day for 2 people
Our guiding is private, ensuring we can deliver exactly what you’re looking for and pitch everything at a level that’s right for you. Simply choose dates that suit you then we’ll arrange everything and send you the details. Our all-inclusive prices are competitive but are indicative of the fact that you’re getting the UK’s highest qualified instructors.
Included in your price is the hire of ice axe/s, crampons, harnesses, helmets and we can arrange boot hire for you too. We work on the basis that if there’s anything you need, we’re here to help.
