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Introductory winter mountaineering course in Scotland
Join this introductory mountaineering course in Scotland and develop your winter and summit skills with Ken, an MIC certified instructor.
Description
If you enjoy hillwalking in summer, but now you’d like to explore high mountains in winter, join me in this introductory mountaineering course in Scotland! Come and discover the spectacular scenery of Glencoe and Fort William in the Highlands.
I offer you here a 5-day course, but if you prefer a 2-day course it’s also possible. In winter, conditions and weather change rapidly, so this mountaineering course in Scotland will help you develop your winter and summit skills to face additional challenges. Besides, this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn about the special requirements of equipment, winter clothing, crampons and ice axe skills.
We’ll place a strong emphasis on navigation and safe route choice. Thus, each day we’ll plan and assess the snow and weather conditions in order to choose appropriate routes. I also want you to understand the importance of avalanche awareness.
You should have a reasonable level of fitness to join this mountaineering course in Scotland, as we’ll climb a number of winter “Munros”. We’ll spend most days (6/8 hours) on mountains between 600 and 1200m high. Around Fort William and Glencoe, there are many Munros and Corbetts. This is a small selection of what is possible:
- Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag
- Stob Ban & Mullach nan Coirean in The Mamores
- Ben Nevis
- Stob Coire Raineach and Stob Dubh (Buachaille Etive Beag) in Glencoe
- Creag Meagaidh
- Stob Coire nan Lochan and Bidean nam Bian in Glencoe
The Munros of Aonach Beag and Aonach Mor can be accessed by lift, therefore you’ll have more time for training winter skills. You’ll have to cover by yourself the the small costs of this.
During this course you’ll put the essential skills in use in order to ascend 900 meters by a straightforward route. Besides, on the 5 day-course you’ll have the chance to use the skills just learnt. You will plan and lead your own mountain days with my company.
Note that if you choose to do the 2-day course we will combine the itinerary of days 1,2 and 3 in these two days for you to learn all the skills.
Please contact me if you want to join me for this mountaineering course in Scotland! I’ll be happy to answer your questions. And if you’re looking for an even more demanding expedition in Scotland, join me for the Cuilin ridge climbing traverse.
More info Price for 2-day course: £210 Level: summer walkers with a reasonable level of hill fitness. Equipment: -Socks –a medium to thick pair of synthetic or wool/synthetic blend socks. -Thermal/Base Layers -Fleeces. At least one for your upper body. Having an extra fleece top in a waterproof liner at the bottom of your rucksack is essential. -Walking trousers -Warm Hat and Waterproof Gloves -Waterproof jacket and over trousers ( Outer shell clothing) -Rucsac. A medium volume sac (30 -45 litres) is best, with ice axe carrying loops. -Bivvy Bag. A large person sized poly or foil survival bag is the minimum requirement. -Gaiters or Stop-tous -Head Torch -First Aid kit -Compass/Map. The map should be weather-proofed in a clear plastic map case or covered with clear sticky back plastic. -Whistle/Watch -Flask –0.5-1 litre for hot drinks on the hill. -Lunch & Spare Food -Ski Goggles -Boots. They should be crampon compatible, with a stiffness rating of B1 minimum, and ideally B2. B3 boots are fine, if you find them comfortable. -Crampons. They should have 10 or 12 points and be compatible with your boots. We suggest anti-balling plates and cutting your straps not too short. -Ice Axe of 50–65cm. You can choose to have either a wrist loop or leash. We recommend going without, as they can get in the way. -Helmet |
Photos
Itinerary
Day 1: Essential skills
We’ll do equipment checks and learn essential skills: step kicking/cutting, ice axe arrest, walking on crampons and snow cave shelters.
Day 2: Ascent
We’ll ascend a 900m mountain by a straightforward route. Group survival shelters.
Day 3: Essential Skills
We’ll learn other essential skills: navigation, map and compass, pacing and timing and “white-out” techniques.
Day 4 to 5: Skills in action
We’ll use the learnt skills to plan and lead your own mountain days, accompanied by me.
About the guide
I gained a good insight into the instruction and guiding of mountaineering activities whilst working as a member of the domestic team at Glenmore Lodge in the summer of 2003. Since then, I have skied, climbed, trekked and mountaineered across the length and breadth of the UK, from Cornwall to the Orkney Isles, and overseas, having sought adventures in China, Mongolia, The Indian Himalayas, New Zealand, Japan, Southern Africa, The Swiss, Italian and French Alps, The Pyrenees, Southern Spain and Norway. I enjoy climbing in all it’s forms, whether it be bouldering at Fontainebleau, sport climbing at Rodellar, trad and winter climbing in the UK or alpine climbing in Switzerland. I have also put up a couple of new routes, Mint Sauce E1 5c in Glen Nevis and Feathered Friend V,5 on Creag Meagaidh.
I have completed my Mountaineering Instructor Certificate (MIC), the highest instructional qualification in the UK, which enable me to work both in summer and winter conditions, whether it’s walking, mountaineering or climbing, and is a full member of both the Association or Mountaineering Instructors, and The Mountain Instructor’s Community. I have also completed my International Mountain Leader Summer Training and have worked as a contracted instructor for Abacus Mountain Guides, Martin Moran, Glenmore Lodge, Mountain Motion, West Coast Mountain Guides, Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre, Adventure Peaks, The Outward Bound Trust, Ryan Glass Mountaineering, Hike Pyrenees, World Challenge Expeditions and Outlook Expeditions.
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Prices per person, per day
Group of 1 | GBP 1135 each |
Group of 2 | GBP 681 each |
Group of 3 | GBP 495 each |
Want a different number of travellers?
Price includes
• Guiding fee
What people are saying about this trip
Laura June
5.00
March 2020
Andy Paterson
5.00
June 2019
Ken immediately made us feel welcomed and we had a good chat on the walk in before gearing up for the ridge ascent. Both my son and I had a fantastic experience thanks to Ken\'s calm, expertise in leading us over Tower Ridge and then descending via Ledge Ridge to round off a great day. Highly recommended!
Nick Battams
5.00
February 2019
have just come back from completing an ascent of ledge route and a descent via no4 gully, guided by Ken. absolutely fantastic day and Ken was friendly, professional and very confidence inspiring. cant recommend highly enough and I\'ll definitely be back next season!
Phil Lloyd
5.00
October 2018
Ken took me and my son up the north face ledge route to the top of Ben Nevis. It was a challenge in places - particularly with the snow and ice - but it was an unforgettable experience! Ken was a great guide.
Catherine Hockley
5.00
September 2018
Ken was a fantastic guide, safe, experienced and took us on an incredible adventure!
Eva Kaeppel
5.00
September 2018
I made a booking request for a one-on-one guided trip less than a week before the date and was lucky enough to get a guide (Phil) without problem, who did a splendid job and made this a very enjoyable, instructive and safe first scramble for me. Communication was great before the event, too. I‘d recommend this company without hesitation and hope to hike with them again in the future.
Elizabeth Luchars
5.00
August 2018
Ken was a wonderful guide! He was thorough in assessing our experience and picked the right hike for us. He was full of knowledge and easy to talk to as well. We\'d definitely recommend him and hope to hike with him again ourselves.
H Shindle
5.00
August 2018
On short notice, while traveling through Scotland, we booked a Private Guide to Ben Nevis through Explore-Share.com. We much enjoyed the climb to the summit with our Guide Stuart Mapp; Stuart was the consummate professional and his concern for both our safety and this experience cannot be understated. His direct knowledge of Ben Nevis’s Route, History, Flora and Stories made this trip the highlight of our 17 days in Scotland and Ireland for us. Our success to the summit, and back down, was directly supported by Stuart and made it very much more enjoyable . Thank you again!
Claire Parsons
5.00
May 2018
I usually do these things with my Husband, but we currently live in Singapore and I’m back visiting family and didn’t want to miss out. I was doubly anxious because our usual guide was unavailable, but Ken quickly put me at ease. For me that’s about feeling like I have all the information I need, being reassured that I’m making good time and having a few scheduled breaks for snacks etc. We also had a good chat, which made the walk in fly by. A very enjoyable day, I felt safe and comfortable throughout. I hope to be back in the future for more adventures.
Alberto Canete
5.00
April 2018
It was a great experience. It fulfilled all my expectations to have a first approach to winter mountaineering. My guide was great teaching me all the basic stuff related to crampons, ice axe and winter hiking, plus he was a great coach supporting me to make it to the summit.
Noam Gati
5.00
February 2018
Hannah the guide was very professional. She came on time, she gave us the equipment and very good and clear instructions. I\'ll definitely recommend this trip. Thank you very much
Dave
5.00
January 2018
Been climbing for several years but had never used climbing axes so aim of this trip was to gain experience using two tools. The routes Ken chose were a perfect selection making the climb challenging and very enjoyable. Already looking at dates when more ice is present to climb with Ken again. Ken was great company, has a great knowledge of the highland area and is clearly a very skilled climber. Explore and Share made the whole process very simple and effortless, would highly recommend. Thank you. Dave
Michael Hellyer
5.00
March 2017
Private Guiding on the classic Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis North Face On two previous winter trips up Ben Nevis via the CMD route, I had marvelled at the majestic North Face and dreamt of fulfilling a route on it\'s flanks. This season, Ken helped me fulfil this dream by guiding me on the classic Tower Ridge (IV, 3). The whole experience was absolutely fantastic and Ken made sure to attend to every detail; from communications, equipment provision, weather and condition assessment and climbing advice on route. Ken\'s professionalism certainly enabled me to push my limits, as I felt completely safe within his guiding ability. I was fortunate to have moderate conditions on the day, and this enabled a fairly rapid and highly enjoyable ascent of the ridge in true Scottish conditions. I will definitely be back for more winter adventures
Will definitely use West Coast Mountain Guides again. Organising and booking was made easy with Kens help and guidance, offering us a few dates and responding quickly to emails. We had a great four days with two very accommodating and highly competent guides, Niels and Mike who made sure we got the most out of our trip for our skill level. Highly recommend.