Mountain & Sea Guides
Sea Kayaking and Mountaineering in NW Scotland
Tel: +44 7787 446 934
Start your winter on the right foot whether you've got a little experience or none at all. These weekends are informative, fun and will increase your confidence in the mountains allowing you to get more out of your future trips.
Trip Only Option
£140pp
Price Includes
- 2 days of mountain activity
- Qualified, local guiding and instruction
- All local transport throughout
- All specialist equipment: No hidden hire costs
On this price option you are free to decide whether to use local bunkhouses, SYHA hostel, B&B or local hotels. We'll pick up and drop off at locations each day free of charge in Aviemore.
- Note: Great option if you want to organise your own accommodation. We can make local recommendations for B&B, Hotel, campsite or bunkhouse/hostel options. Just drop us an email.
Testimonials
" joining this weekend was a no brainer. Amazing area, And I can not believe how much we packed in to 2 days of training and experiences. Hats of to instructor Mike for providing such a busy, fun, informative and ultimately safety enhancing weekend.Can't get enough of the Scottish mountains. Planning my next trip already. Hoping to do the Torridon mountaineering week with you guys.
Thanks again for a great welcome and surpassing all my expectations"
John Roberts
Dec 2013
Winter Skills Weekend
"Well, your website promises unique, crowd free, wilderness mountains and you delivered in spades. It's a long way to come and worth every minute for making the effort. This trip has set the standard for all my future mountain trips. Great confidence boosting training and instruction. You'll see me again next summer.
The Cuillin of Skye calls. Thanks."
Sue Williams
Jan 2012
Winter Skills Weekend
map skills training
cosy, despite the sub zero wind chill
approaching 4000 feet on Cairngorm summit
learning about quick shelters
great fun,like minded explorers!
Security skills on steep ground - snow anchors and rope work
A snow anchor used to safeguard a descent
Snow erosion - indicator of potential avalanche risk and direction
Wind eroded snow - would you know where the surrounding snow has gone and where the avalanche risk is?
Big mountain days need safe management and decision making every step of the way
Digging an Emergency shelter
Snow anchor rope protection
Trip Description
Safety on the winter mountains is all about the correct approach to training and identifying the skill areas required to negotiate your routes with confidence. Good winter skills training is essential. It's important to have all the right gear but do you have the safety standard to manage a winter day in the mountains? Alongside one of our guides you'll benefit from years of their hard won experience.
No classroom training here as we get you out on to the rough hillside from the outset experiencing real training scenarios and a variety of snowy terrain on the way. This two day course in the raw beauty of the Cairngrom plateau aims to cover the important skills and raise your awareness levels so as to enable good decision making during future outings.
Oh, and they're great fun too and a fantastic way to blow out the cobwebs over a weekend allowing an evening in Aviemore to relax and refresh for the 2nd mountain day.
If you are new to the winter mountains, or an infrequent visitor who has been dabbling in the mountains for years, taking part in these weekends is a great way to start each winter off on the right foot or top up on confidence.
The weekends continue right into the main part of the season from Jan - March and start in November.
Dates can also be allocated at any time or even weekdays, if requested by groups of three or more - please email and we'll discuss your requirements.
- Skill Areas Covered:
- Winter Micro Navigation: close contour work, pacing & compass use, night/white out navigation. GPS relevance and back up use.
- Equipment choice, route planning and day management, group management and incident scenarios.
Schedule
Meet Aviemore rail station Sat morning at 9am
Saturday and Sunday Mountain days
Sunday depart after hill day
The London to Aviemore sleeper train is perfect for this weekend.
Instructor Ratio
1:6
Suitable For
Anyone with good summer hillwalking experience wishing to learn skills for winter walking/mountaineering. Also good for those who've been in the hills infrequently for years needing to brush up on confidence and skill levels.
Dates DEC 2023 - MARCH 2024
2023
NOV 18-19 . 25-26
DEC 9-10 , 16-17 , 23-24
2024
JAN 6-7 , 13-14 , 20-21 , 27-28
FEB 10-11 , 17-18 , 24-25
MAR 2-3 , 9-10 , 16-17 , 23-24
Note: other dates may be available with demand. Email first, before booking, to check space as above dates may already be full.
Groups & Discounts
if you are in any of the following categories then you'll get a discount of 5% per person off this trip :
Fire , Police , Armed forces , nurses & paramedic workers or NHS staff , students , Parent & kids - just chat to us by email and we'll apply the discount.
Private Guiding
If you don't want to join an open trip with other people, or have a family/friends group of your own, then private instruction and guiding will meet your goals. Pricing is per person and will depend upon activity, distance travelled, peak or low season. We can email you a quote. Simply let us know where, when, what and for how many people.
Need a Transfer to get to us?
Fly to Inverness and stay in the city on the evening prior to the course - we can pick you up in the morning at your accommodation and take you to Aviemore and drop you off after the course prior to flying home - all free of charge.
- Please email to arrange transfers after booking and place a note in the booking form detailing your requirements.
Tel: +44 7787 446 934
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