If you love pristine snow covered landscapes, you will know that the UK doesn’t always deliver: our winters are becoming milder and wetter, and deep frosts and snowfall that lasts beyond a day or two is increasingly rare. However, there is one place where winter snows are more or less guaranteed: the Scottish Highlands.
Walking in the snowy peaks is a magical experience, providing a combination of exhilaration, beauty, and a sense of being one step removed from the mundane realities of everyday life. However, navigating these landscapes safely requires preparation and an understanding of the environment you are walking in.
Here are some of the most important winter mountaineering skills to have under your belt, no matter if you are tackling the popular Ben Nevis mountain track, or the hair-raising Tower Ridge.
Using winter equipment
The right tools for the job makes all the difference, and this certainly applies to winter mountain walking. When hiking in snowy or icy conditions, it is important to be able to use winter gear such as crampons and ice axes. Crampons are devices with downward facing spikes that can be attached to the soles of your boots to provide extra traction underfoot.
Ice axes are tools that can serve a variety of purposes, from providing extra balance and support to cutting and digging. They are available in a range of sizes and shapes, depending on the specific activity and type of terrain you are tackling. Some are designed for more advanced technical challenges, and others are intended for more general walking purposes.
Using crampons and ice axes to best effect can take some practice, so if you are new to these tools it’s best to walk with a more experienced companion, or consider taking a winter skills course.
Navigation techniques
Winter conditions and reduced visibility and daylight hours calls for strong navigation skills. Even familiar routes can be hazardous and unpredictable when shrouded in fog and ice. GPS devices may not always be operational in adverse conditions, so it’s important to have some traditional navigation skills, such as map reading and using a compass.
Familiarise yourself with the features and symbols of OS maps, and always carry a paper copy to back up digital devices. Bear in mind that winter conditions can add extra time to routes that you are used to walking in summer, and plan accordingly to avoid getting caught out after sunset.
Interpreting weather forecasts and conditions
Respect for the weather conditions is a crucial element of safe winter mountain walking: never underestimate how rapidly conditions can change, and how much colder, windier, and icier higher altitudes are. Always pay careful attention to weather forecasts and do not venture out in extreme conditions.
Avalanche awareness is essential: check the forecasts daily, and learn about the conditions that can pose the greatest risks, such as high winds, temperature fluctuations that could destabilise snow packs, poor visibility and unstable or complex terrain.
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