WINTER SKILLS COURSES
Winter
conditions; blizzards, crystal clear days & nights, freeze - thaws,
drifting, rime ice, neve, water ice. Snow & ice in Scotland is as
varied and as changeable as the weather. You need to recognize its varying
types, know how to evaluate avalanche hazard and cross snow and ice
covered slopes safely and efficiently. White-outs - be sure your navigation
skills can deal with the worst of winter conditions.
Introduction to Winter Skills
Winter Skills Weekend
Winter Mountaineering
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What type of Ice Axe do I need?
I'm thinking of flying up. Which Airport should I fly to?
Can I stay for longer than the course?
Are there any hidden expenses?
What is the Maximum number of people on our holidays?
What happens if not many people book?
When is the best time to come?
What sort of people come on our holidays? What is the typical age of guests?
Do we stay in a different place every night or do we operate from a base?
I have a food allergy. Will this be a problem?
What if there is no snow?
This is the most frequently asked. Firstly, in the 8 winter seasons
we have been running these courses we have never been unable to practise
the skills due to lack of snow. In the high snow accumulation areas where
we coach, snowfall is only 1 of 3 factors that accounts for the huge build-up.
The other two, and probably more importantly, are wind (for drifting)
and the huge Cairngorm plateau (for snow capture) on the windward side
of our chosen sites. It means that metres of snow can drift in hours.
Three metres depth, even at the beginning of the season, is common. If
you want an idea of just what the snow depth is like in these areas go
to http://www.scotmountain.co.uk/snowhole.htm
for shots of our Snowhole Expeditions. The snow only usually melts away
in these sites in July or early August - after all we do have Britain's
most permanent snow-bed here in the Cairngorms!
On our courses we teach a variety of skills to deal with a variety of snow conditions and the hard icy snow that develops after a thaw and subsequent refreeze is ideal for teaching the crampon skills. A uniform 2 foot blanket of new soft snow doesn't help us in this respect and unlike some snow-sports we don't need the whole mountain to be covered. If you want to be kept abreast of winter conditions Mountain Innovations issues regular reports through the winter. To register go to: http://www.scotmountain.co.uk/weather.htm.
Will my boots be OK?
It's vitally important that your boots are adequate for winter conditions
and are able to take crampons. Your boots should have at least a B1 crampon
compatibility rating. There is the opportunity to hire winter boots if
you don't want to go to the expense of buying a pair. For more information
on winter boots go to http://www.scotmountain.co.uk/gear.htm.
It's important to appreciate that, in many respects, the Scottish mountains
in winter are a more serious undertaking than the high Alps in summer.
What type of Ice Axe do I need?
Again there is the opportunity to hire an ice axe for the course but if
you plan to buy before you come please read our advice on the type of
axe best suited for general winter work. Go to http://www.scotmountain.co.uk/gear.htm.
I'm thinking of flying up. Which Airport should
I fly to?
Inverness is our closest. There is an increasing amount of flights coming
into Inverness from within the UK so go to http://www.hial.co.uk/inverness-airport.html
to see who flies from where. Once you've booked your flight let us know
the details and we will be there to meet you. Of course we'll happily
to drop you back at the airport for your return flight home.
Is accommodation included?
On all Mountain Innovations courses and holidays accommodation is included,
as is full board (fresh bread baked daily!) and transport to and from
the hill as well as transfers between Inverness Airport or Aviemore station.
Can I stay for longer than the course?
Whether you want to arrive early or stay a little longer we will happily
try to accommodate you - as long as we have the availability. Please phone
01479 831 331 to check. If we don't have space we can always arrange accommodation
nearby.
Are there any hidden expenses?
There are none. All you really need money for is if you've forgotten a
bit of kit or maybe to buy alcohol to go with your evening meal or for
the pub in the evening if we should decide to go.
What is the Maximum number of people on our holidays?
The maximum number will depend on the holiday or course but are highest
number is 8 to one guide/instructor. It is generally recognised by professional
operators that a higher ratio than this in the mountains is undesirable
from the perspective of safety, the environment and the overall quality
of the mountain and holiday experience. On our weekend courses the ratio
drops down to 1: 6
What happens if not many people book?
Mountain Innovations is in the enviable position that all elements of
our holidays and courses are provided 'in-house' and so if we only have
a few people we don't make a loss on the holiday. One of the many customer
benefits of our 'in-house' operation is that once we've confirmed your
booking and received full payment, we will honour our commitment to you.
We do not cancel.
When is the best time to come?
The weather is frequently asked about. Many of our holidays are based
in the Cairngorm area which is climatically quite different to the wetter
West Highlands. All of our West Highland trips are scheduled at the times
of year when you can expect some fantastic weather in the west. There
is a big misconception about the Scottish weather. Yes, Scotland does
have some of the wettest places but because of the mountains, we also
have some of the driest areas also. Historically, the best sunshine month
is May followed by September. We also frequently have excellent weather
in the latter half of April as well as through the months of July and
August. A big advantage of operating day walks from a base is that we're
not necessarily committed to walking in a particular area on a particular
day. With the excellent local knowledge of our guides (that comes from
living in the Highlands) and careful weather monitoring, one of the most
common comments from guests at the end of the holiday is "haven't we been
lucky with the weather"! In fact the huge variety of weather condition
adds enormously to the atmosphere and mystique to the Scottish Highlands.
What about the midges?
Midges hate even light breezes and they are about between mid June and
the 1st cool nights of early September so it's easy to see that for much
of the year they aren't a consideration. They also like boggy ground which
we don't have much of in the East Highlands either. In fact they really
aren't a problem in the Cairngorms generally and again, our west Highland
trips are run at times when they generally aren't a problem. In the unlikely
event we should have to deal with these little irritants you guide will
be armed with a bottle of Avon Skin-So-Soft moisturiser!! We kid you not.
This beauty product has the unintentional side effect of being the most
superbly effective repellent against the Scottish Midge. In fact, when
out on exercise in the Highlands, Scotland often has the sweetest smelling
army in the world!!
What sort of people come on our holidays? What is
the typical age of guests?
People of all walks of life come on our holidays and courses from postmen
to high level civil servants. Many have interesting stories to tell but
whoever you are, the mountains are the most fantastic 'leveller'. Is it
because they strips away the complexity and 'rubbish' of modern every
day living to leave you to deal with the elemental. Whatever it is there
is nothing so superb as sharing with like minded people there challenges
and delights over Cake O'clock (tea & home baked cake ) on our return
from the mountain. People of all ages come on our trips but typically
they are between the ages of 30 and 55.
Do we stay in a different place every night or
do we operate from a base?
All except our wilderness expeditions operate from a base whether that
is Fraoch Lodge (Cairngorms) or a holiday cottage (West Highland holidays).
It means that rather than being either in transit or at some stage of
packing/unpacking you can quickly settle into your holiday and relax.
Will I be fit enough Please refer to our grading page for this one but
if you do have any queries please don't hesitate to call on 01479 831
331 to speak direct to one of our experienced instructors or guides. This
is the best way to make sure you get the right holiday.
I have a food allergy. Will this be a problem?
Certainly not. Rebecca is fantastically accommodating with her dishes.
All we ask is you let us know what your likes and dislikes are on your
booking form and then you can leave the rest to us. Because everything
is home prepared Rebecca knows exactly what goes into her dishes. This
quote says it all: "Thank you to you again for cooking so well. It is
the first time I have eaten out since I was diagnosed celiac. And it was
so nice for me that you had taken so much trouble over it, and be able
to relax and feel safe. We loved Scotland and hope to be back sometime"
Birgitta and Chris Knowles
