Winter walking courses in Scotland
| country: | Scotland |
| location: | Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands |
| trip type: | Moderate walking holidays |
| departures: | These various trips run thrughout the winter. See below for departure dates. |
| price: | From £236 - £635 (3-7 days) excluding flights. Please state which trip you are interested in when submitting your enquiry |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 4 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
Knowing how to use your specialist equipment (e.g. ice axe & crampons) is an essential aspect of winter skills, however, the majority (up to 80%) of accidents in winter stem from navigational errors. It is of paramount importance that your navigation skills are good if you want to safely venture into the winter hills (i.e. you feel confident to navigate in "white out" conditions).
The course takes place in the Cairngorm Mountains - universally recognised as providing Britains most consistent winter conditions. Through our experience of instructing in this environment, we have developed a clear, concise and structured approach. Our courses are delivered in a fun and progressive manner providing you with a clear understanding of all the necessary skills.
Hogmanay Winter Skills Extravaganza
From £694 (6 days) ex flights, departing 28 Dec 2009.
Celebrate Hogmanay in Scotland and learn the skills for the winter hills. Combine your holiday with a rewarding learning experience. Learn essential skills for the winter mountains. Ascend the peaks of the Cairngorm National Park. There’ll also be a New Year Ceilidh and other events during Boat of Garten’s Winter Festival.
Winter Munros
From £505 (7 days) ex flights, departing 27 Feb 2010.
Provides you with some classic high level winter hill walking on distinctive mountains in the east and central Highlands.
Introduction to Winter Skills
From £539 (7 days) ex flights, departing: 17 Jan 2010, 14 Feb 2010, 14 Mar 2010.
A course for those wishing to learn how to use crampons, ice axe etc, who have little or no mountain navigation experience. To experience Scotland's high peaks in their full winter garb is to see them at their finest - the rewards are unrivalled and the challenges are unique.
New snow in Scotland quickly evolves into its many forms, this course will allow you to recognise its varying types and know how to cross snow slopes safely and efficiently. Mountain weather is as varied as the snow it creates: blizzards, whiteouts - you'll gain the vital skills to overcome these challenges. This 5 day comprehensive course is delivered in a fun and progressive manner and is designed to leave you fully proficient and confident both in the more technical winter skills and as a winter mountain navigator.
Being Britain's highest mountain range, far from the warmth of the Gulf Stream, the Cairngorm Mountains provide our most consistent snow and ice conditions. We have developed a clear and structured approach to provide you with full understanding of the necessary skills and techniques and their underlying principles. As you gain in proficiency and confidence you will be able to make sound judgement as to the appropriate choice of technique on the varying terrain. Winter navigation forms a vital element of any comprehensive winter skills course - no wonder when you consider up to 80% of winter mountain rescue call-outs stem from navigational errors. The skills and techniques of this essential discipline are thoroughly covered providing you with the ability and confidence to operate in the test-piece environment of the Cairngorm 'plateau'. The course begins with an introduction to suitable equipment and then takes the form of 5 practical days on the hill.
Winter Skills Weekend
From £236 (3 days) ex flights, departing 2010: 06 Feb, 20 Feb, 20 Mar 2010. A weekend course designed for people with plenty of mountain navigation experience but need to know/refresh the use of ice axe, crampons etc.
The unique challenges and unrivalled rewards of the winter mountains require you to know a whole host of skills including the correct use of crampons and ice axe, avalanche evaluation, etc.
If you:
* If you do feel you need to improve your navigation skills, we offer a weekend Advanced Winter Navigation course which concentrates on the necessary techniques so you can confidently navigate in white-out conditions*
Advanced winter mountain navigation weekend
From £236 (3 days) ex flights, 16 Jan 2009
Should the winter mountains dish-up their worst, you’ll have the skills and proficiency to deal them. This weekend is ideal for the experienced summer navigator wanting to make the transition to winter conditions as well as those needing a skills boost to deal with white-outs.
The course contains loads of winter navigating tips & concentrates on establishing the right tactical approach for ultimate navigational skill. We cover a varied set of tactical techniques plus there’s opportunity to improve your timing & pacing across snowy terrain - with Mountain Innovations acclaimed Distance Estimation Matrix, learn how to use slope aspect, recognise & make best use of subtle contour features, etc., You will need a good level of fitness, have acquired basic navigation skills and have a working knowledge of the use of Crampons and Ice Axe.
* Combining this course with our Introduction to Winter Skills gives you the full winter skills training.
The course takes place in the Cairngorm Mountains - universally recognised as providing Britains most consistent winter conditions. Through our experience of instructing in this environment, we have developed a clear, concise and structured approach. Our courses are delivered in a fun and progressive manner providing you with a clear understanding of all the necessary skills.
Hogmanay Winter Skills Extravaganza
From £694 (6 days) ex flights, departing 28 Dec 2009.
Celebrate Hogmanay in Scotland and learn the skills for the winter hills. Combine your holiday with a rewarding learning experience. Learn essential skills for the winter mountains. Ascend the peaks of the Cairngorm National Park. There’ll also be a New Year Ceilidh and other events during Boat of Garten’s Winter Festival.
Winter Munros
From £505 (7 days) ex flights, departing 27 Feb 2010.
Provides you with some classic high level winter hill walking on distinctive mountains in the east and central Highlands.
Introduction to Winter Skills
From £539 (7 days) ex flights, departing: 17 Jan 2010, 14 Feb 2010, 14 Mar 2010.
A course for those wishing to learn how to use crampons, ice axe etc, who have little or no mountain navigation experience. To experience Scotland's high peaks in their full winter garb is to see them at their finest - the rewards are unrivalled and the challenges are unique.
New snow in Scotland quickly evolves into its many forms, this course will allow you to recognise its varying types and know how to cross snow slopes safely and efficiently. Mountain weather is as varied as the snow it creates: blizzards, whiteouts - you'll gain the vital skills to overcome these challenges. This 5 day comprehensive course is delivered in a fun and progressive manner and is designed to leave you fully proficient and confident both in the more technical winter skills and as a winter mountain navigator.
Being Britain's highest mountain range, far from the warmth of the Gulf Stream, the Cairngorm Mountains provide our most consistent snow and ice conditions. We have developed a clear and structured approach to provide you with full understanding of the necessary skills and techniques and their underlying principles. As you gain in proficiency and confidence you will be able to make sound judgement as to the appropriate choice of technique on the varying terrain. Winter navigation forms a vital element of any comprehensive winter skills course - no wonder when you consider up to 80% of winter mountain rescue call-outs stem from navigational errors. The skills and techniques of this essential discipline are thoroughly covered providing you with the ability and confidence to operate in the test-piece environment of the Cairngorm 'plateau'. The course begins with an introduction to suitable equipment and then takes the form of 5 practical days on the hill.
Winter Skills Weekend
From £236 (3 days) ex flights, departing 2010: 06 Feb, 20 Feb, 20 Mar 2010. A weekend course designed for people with plenty of mountain navigation experience but need to know/refresh the use of ice axe, crampons etc.
The unique challenges and unrivalled rewards of the winter mountains require you to know a whole host of skills including the correct use of crampons and ice axe, avalanche evaluation, etc.If you:
- wish to extend your hillwalking into the winter season
- plan to make regularly weekend trips into the winter mountains this season
- have a good grasp of navigational skills already*
- & want to learn the correct techniques and skills for safe movement across snow & ice covered terrain
* If you do feel you need to improve your navigation skills, we offer a weekend Advanced Winter Navigation course which concentrates on the necessary techniques so you can confidently navigate in white-out conditions*
Advanced winter mountain navigation weekend
From £236 (3 days) ex flights, 16 Jan 2009
Should the winter mountains dish-up their worst, you’ll have the skills and proficiency to deal them. This weekend is ideal for the experienced summer navigator wanting to make the transition to winter conditions as well as those needing a skills boost to deal with white-outs.
The course contains loads of winter navigating tips & concentrates on establishing the right tactical approach for ultimate navigational skill. We cover a varied set of tactical techniques plus there’s opportunity to improve your timing & pacing across snowy terrain - with Mountain Innovations acclaimed Distance Estimation Matrix, learn how to use slope aspect, recognise & make best use of subtle contour features, etc., You will need a good level of fitness, have acquired basic navigation skills and have a working knowledge of the use of Crampons and Ice Axe.
* Combining this course with our Introduction to Winter Skills gives you the full winter skills training.
travellers' tales
Getting up some of the most beautiful mountains in the region, with a great bunch of people. Learning how to do an ice axe arrest whilst sliding down a slope was the best fun! (more)
green travel discount
In direct response to growing Climate Change concerns and reports of Methane (a severe greenhouse gas) being released from Siberia's melting permafrost during the summer, we are offering those who travel up to us by train or bus to Aviemore a £15 discount on the price of their holiday or course. Travel plans must be notified to us by the time balance of payment is due (min 28 days before departure).departure guarantee
We are proud to continue to offer our unique departure guarantee*. If your booking is confirmed by us you can be assured that your holiday will run. We can offer this guarantee as we are unique amongst walking holiday operators in Scotland by providing all the parts of your holiday (guiding, accommodation and catering) in-house. * We reserve the right to alter the venue and itinerary of holidays advertised as based away from our lodge.how this holiday makes a difference
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Although the Highland scenery is stunning, it's one of the less affluent areas of Britain. Our operation is entirely Highland based, both as a company and whilst delivering the holidays. With all our walking holidays & mountaineering courses we employ qualified local guides who live and operate in the Scottish Highlands. They're an integral part of the local community and they know the intricacies of the local mountains, about the wildlife, the local environmental issues, etc. Through employing local guides we maximise both your holiday experience and the benefit to the local economy at a time of the year when visitor numbers are low. We source as much produce as we can locally and we support a number of local business', both directly and indirectly. By taking a winter holiday you're very much helping the year round sustainability of the local economy.
During the winter months we maximise the use a wood Burning Stove to supplement the heating at our lodge - the overall efficiency of these stoves is superb, particularly when you consider the energy used in production of other fuels. Wood is a renewable fuel and doesn't introduce any further carbon into the carbon cycle as fossil fuels do. As part of our continuing commitment to environmentally responsible holidays we are currently in the process of installing a wood pellet boiler here at the lodge (our main base for our walking holidays) here in Scotland. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |