On a mild Friday at the end of March last year, I spent a day in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park for a winter skills course, organized by the University of Aberdeen’s climbing club. I joined a team of six and had a fun day out in the mountains, learning a bunch of skills that will help keep me safe when hiking in snowy and icy conditions. We went with a guide from Hillgoers, who is a qualified Mountain Leader, has a PhD in Geology and knows the Cairngorms like the back of her hand. She was a wonderful guide who made sure we all felt safe and comfortable with the challenges we faced during the course.
Over hot drinks at a cozy café in Braemar, our guide taught us how to interpret avalanche forecasts and plan a safe route avoiding dangers such as possible avalanches and cornices (hardened snow that accumulates on cliff edges and are very dangerous to step onto).
It had been a mild winter, so there wasn’t much snow in the mountains, but our guide was able to find a few patches of snow below the Glas Maol munro (1068 m.), above the Glenshee ski resort. It took a short, steep hike to reach. It snowed a little while we were up there, but it didn’t seem to want to stay.
While demonstrating in the snow and having us practice everything, our guide taught us how to properly use crampons, how to kick and cut steps in the ice, and the many different ways an ice axe can be useful and even save your life. All of this is crucial knowledge for anyone who wants to hike in mountain environments in winter conditions!
Keen to do a winter skills course in the Cairngorms?
I had a gorgeous and fun day out, and I learned a lot from our guide. The course made me feel much more prepared to go out hiking in the winter!
If you’re like me and love hiking but aren’t quite confident doing it in winter conditions, I can truly recommend taking a winter skills course with Hillgoers – you’ll surely have a great day and come home with lots of new knowledge on how to keep yourself safe in the mountains!
Click here to read more about Hillgoers, their courses and their team!
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