Winter Skills Weekend
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Join ODL in the Cairngorms this winter and learn valuable skills to enable you to stay safe in the snow!
This two-day winter skills course introduces the essential hill walking skills required for staying safe in the UK's mountains during winter. You'll get to learn and practice personal movement skills, using an ice axe, self-arrests, winter navigation, route planning, avalanche avoidance and emergency procedures.
- Learn how to walk in crampons on flat and steep ground
- Practice ice axe use including self arrests
- Develop avalanche awareness
- Improve your winter navigation skills
- Familiarise yourself with emergency procedures
- Become independent in the mountains in winter conditions
This is a practical course taught in the mountains and skills are coached each day in the context of a mountain journey. The aim is to help you to gain familiarity with these skills enabling you to get out into the mountains on your own.
Summer mountain walking experience is desirable. Winter walking is more arduous than in summer so a good level of fitness will allow you to cope with more physically demanding conditions.
Accommodation is not included on this course. There are numerous options available in and around Aviemore from campervan stopovers and campsites to hostels and hotels. Use the 'Comment' facility below to share ideas. Additionally, there may be opportunities for extra days' walking immediately following the weekend for those with enough energy!
Places are very limited so please only sign up if you're certain you're able to attend. These courses typically cost around £150.
Photos: Property of hellosimon and used with permission by OutdoorLads.
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What to bring
You'll need your normal mountain walking gear as well as an ice axe, crampons and a helmet. Ideally a pair of winter boots too. All this is available to hire from Tiso Aviemore on the Friday afternoon. Find out more at https://www.tiso.com/hire. Expect to pay around £50 for a three-day hire of boots, crampons, ice axe and helmet.
A typical winter walking kit list might include:
* Waterproof jacket and trousers
* Insulated synthetic jacket with hood
* Winter Boots
* Gaiters
* Crampons
* Ice Axe
* Helmet
* 40lt rucksack
* Walking poles
* Insulating layers
* Winter walking trousers
* Hat & gloves (ideally several pairs of)
* Goggles
* Whistle
* Compass – Silva type 4 recommended
* Waterproof map case
* Headtorch
* Rucksack liner (or sturdy bin liner) / dry bags
* Hydration system (water bottle / flask)
* Box or bag for packed lunch.
* Personal first aid kit
* Suncream & sun hat
Map information – we encourage everyone on mountain courses to have a map covering the Northern Cairngorms with a 10km radius from the ski area. There are now a range of scales and maps available OS 1:50,000, OS 1:25,000 and Harvey Map 1:40,000. If you have digital mapping and can print off map sheets a suggested area would be:
NW corner NH8514 NE corner NJ0314
SW corner NN8593 SE corner NO0393
Food & drink
You'll need food and drink for two days in the mountains.