A winter skills course for beginners
Join us for a two day winter winter skills course in the West Highlands of Scotland. This two day course will cover the basics of winter movement and safety in the mountains. It is designed for people who are confident and competent summer hillwalkers and would like to take their walking into a winter environment.
You do not need to have any previous experience of winter walking or using ice axe or crampons.
The focus of these two days is to develop skills and confidence in relation to safe and efficient movement through a winter environment. This includes use of crampons and ice axe, understanding weather and conditions and winter hazards. It does no include any navigation. If you are keen to work on navigation then you can add on an additional 2 day Winter Navigation and Decision Making course to make a comprehensive 4 day winter skills course.
The course will take place outdoors in a mountain environment and will enable you to learn new skills and practice them within a variety of contexts. One day will be a skills based day and the other a longer journey day through the mountains putting skills into context.
Course Logistics
The course will be based out of Fort William and over the two days you will get the opportunity to visit a diverse range of beautiful locations in the local area. Fort William can be reached via public transport and lifts can be arranged from there to the location for each day.
The course is led by Anna Danby. Anna is a qualified Winter Mountain Leader with over 15 years experience working in education and leadership. She has a wealth of experience in the Scottish mountains and a long held love of maps!
The courses are run with a maximum group size of 6. This ensures plenty of time for everyone to benefit from 1:1 support and guidance.
The two day course costs £195 per person which includes; transport from Fort William if required. It does not include accommodation, food or winter equipment hire. If booked alongside a two day winter navigation & decision making course the total cost for the four days is £350.
You will need to either have your own, or hire, winter boots, ice axe, crampons and helmet. There are several equipment hire shops in Fort William including Ellis Brigham and Scottish Mountain Hire. Feel free to ask me for advice on appropriate equipment.
It is possible that we will use to Nevis Range gondola on one of the days to get up to the snow line easily and maximise our time on snow. This is an additional cost of £24.95.
A full equipment list for the weekend will be provided following booking.
Course Content
- Understanding clothing and equipment suitable for the winter mountains
- Assessing weather and conditions in winter
- Understanding the avalanche forecast, associated risk and appropriate decision making
- Learning safe and efficient movement on snow and ice
- Where, when and how to use crampons and ice axe
- A mountain journey. including Munro summits if weather and conditions allow
Prerequisites
- Some previous summer hillwalking experience
- Good hill fitness. Mountain walking in winter conditions can be physically hard work and you will get the most out of this course if you have a good level of base fitness.
If you are keen to attend but not sure the above apply to you then please do send me a message and we can discuss the details of the course further and whether it is suitable for you.
Scheduled courses and booking
| Intro Winter Skills – 2 Days | 1st/2nd February 2025 |
| 6th/7th March 2025 | |
| Intro Winter Skills + Winter Navigation & Decision Making – 4 Days | 1st – 4th February 2025 |
| 7th – 9th March 2025 | |
| 1st/2nd February 2025 & 8th/9th March 2025 (Course split across 2 weekends) |
Scheduled open group courses are bookable below. If you are interested in this course but can’t make any of the dates then get in touch as we can make a bespoke arrangement.
If you would struggle to meet the cost of the course, The Neil Mackenzie Trust may be able to help. They are a small charity who offer a limited number of grants for skills training and expeditions. You can find out more about their grants here.