Winter Mountaineering 2 Day Course

Winter Mountaineering 2 Day Course Itinerary

The 2-day winter mountaineering course in Scotland, based in the Cairngorms, is an intensive and challenging program designed to develop winter mountaineering skills. Here is a sample itinerary for the course:

Day 1:

• Meet with the instructor and other participants and go over the course objectives, safety briefing, and equipment check.
• Discuss the route plan and weather/avalanche forecast for the day.
• Hike to a suitable location for the first day’s activities, such as Corrie an t’ Sneachda.
• Cover essential techniques, including ice axe and crampon use, rope work, and route-finding in winter conditions.
• Practice these skills in a variety of terrain appropriate to the group and conditions – these might be in gullies or ridges.
• Return to the the vehicles in the afternoon for a debrief and plan for the next day’s activities.

Day 2:

• Review the weather/avalanche forecast and route plan for the day.
• Hike to a suitable location for the day’s activities this will likely be based around Cairngorm still and a possible option might be Fiacaill Ridge.
• Build on the skills covered on day one, with potential for rope work (snow or rock anchors) and navigation in appropriate mountaineering terrain.
• Return to the vehicles in the later afternoon for a final debrief and course conclusion.

Throughout the course, participants will have the opportunity to practice their skills in real-life situations, with guidance from highly experienced and qualified instructors (members of AMI) who are intimately familiar with the area and its unique challenges. The course will be physically demanding, but participants will leave with a solid foundation of skills that will allow them to tackle more winter mountaineering challenges with confidence and safety.

We are proud to recommend local accommodation options within the area for people when you are up for your 2 day winter mountaineering course:

Aviemore:

Youth Hostel A budget friendly option for people.

Coylumbridge Hotel Aviemroe – good for groups and families alike.

Premier Inn – always a good shout.

Rothiemurchus Campsite – situated in the stunning forest, this is a beautiful budget friendly option.

Glenmore Campsite – situated at Scotland’s highest beach, Loch Morlich has phenomenal views across to Cairngorm Mountain.

Newtonmore & Surrounding Areas:

https://www.wherestagsroar.co.uk/ award winning accommodation in the Highlands – perfect to stay at while up on an outdoor adventure.

Invernahavon Caravan Park – a bit quieter than the others as it is a little further away from the hustle and bustle of Aviemore.

Dalraddy Holiday Park – a family and dog friendly campsite.

We pride ourselves on providing as much kit as possible for you.  However, the list below is what we recommend you should bring to your 2 day winter mountaineering course:

• Travel insurance. (We are insured for all our trips, but we recommend everyone has their own travel insurance as well.)
• Transportation to the venue. (We may be able to help with this though – if you need transportation please drop us an enquiry and we can see what we can do to help.)
• Lunch, water.
• Personal medication
• Sun cream, sunglasses
• Clear goggles – we may be able to provide if required please contact us.
• Waterproof trousers and jacket
• B2 boots (Tiso in Aviemore is the best place to hire these)
• Rucksack 30 litres or so will suffice
• Compass and ideally a 1:50k map of Cairngorm Mountain
• Hat/Gloves

Here at Highland Outdoor Adventures, we pride ourselves on providing as much as we can but you are welcome to bring your own equipment if you do prefer. The list below is what we provide you with on the day.

• All instruction.
• Crampons
• Ice Axes
• Ropes
• Harness
• Helmets
• All Technical Climbing Gear
• All first aid and safety equipment.
• Photographs of the day provided for you at no extra cost! If the weather is good we will have a DSLR professional camera  so we can take photos and videos of your adventure and you can look back at the day for years to come. If the weather is less favourable we will bring a GoPro (as it is waterproof) so we will still be able to take photos for you.