A slippery slope to a lifetime of winter fun
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MOUNTAIN WALK
Winter skills course
Distance – 4km
Terrain – Icy slopes
Maps – OS Landrange 36, Grantown, Aviemore & Cairngorm area
Start/finish – Coire na Ciste car park, Cairn Gorm
A winter skills course run by Glenmore Lodge, learning the basics of competent movement on the mountains in winter
VENTURING into the mountains in winter is a very different proposition to summer walking. In winter the days are shorter and conditions under foot can vary greatly from soft snow to ice.
Add to that the potential for severe wind chill on top of low temperatures and you have a mix that can catch out the unwary with severe consequences.
The upside is that winter mountaineering provides unforgettable experiences that live in the mind for years.
Even when the weather’s not blue sky and white snow – which it rarely is in Scotland – the challenge of battling the elements and reaching an objective, knowing you have the skills to accomplish it, is satisfying in itself.
For anyone wanting to do more walking when snow and ice cloak the mountains, a winter skills course is the perfect starting point.
I tagged along for a day with one of the sessions run by Glenmore Lodge in the Cairngorms, joining learners aiming to increase their experience.
The day began with a meet-and-greet session and instructor Ian Stewart talking about what should be carried in a winter rucksack. The list includes spare gloves, hats and clothing as well as food and drink, a survival bag and basic first aid. Waterproof clothing to go over the base layer and mid layer forms the outer protection barrier, stopping wind and water penetrating.
Accessories such as a headlamp and snow goggles need to be carried too.
On the feet, a pair of sturdy boots with stiff soles are crucial to staying upright.
Then there are the tools of the winter trade – ice-axes and crampons – essential for moving around safely on icy slopes, as we were to discover.
Next, a visit to the Aladdin’s cave of the Glenmore Lodge stores was necessary to fill in any equipment gaps before we headed off in the minibus to the Coire na Ciste car park under Cairn Gorm to begin our day’s activities on the hill.
With high winds forecast, gusting up to 80mph on Cairn Gorm summit, Ian’s plan was to stay fairly low down but getting to a snow slope firm enough to practise.
The base of Coire Laogh Mor was just the place. On the way to it we discussed the texture of the snow, how it is moved around by the wind and how to be aware of avalanche conditions.
Once at the snow slope, Ian began with the basics of traversing it without using an ice-axe or crampons, getting everyone to use the edges of their boots. Descending the slope in snow soft enough to dig heels in was also practised.
With confidence built up we moved on to stopping a simple slip by digging the ice-axe vertically into the snow and using the axe as an additional support, zigzagging up the slope, switching the axe to the uphill hand with the pick pointing backwards and the adze forwards.
The reason for this became obvious moving to the next skill level – a vital one.
A sudden fall for whatever reason on a snow slope requires swift action before it gets totally out of control, and here’s where the ice-axe can act as a vital brake.
Ian used the analogy of air bags activating in the event of a car crash. It’s a skill that can literally mean the difference between life and death.
With both hands grasping it the axe is brought up quickly to a shallow diagonal across the chest, the adze in tight below the shoulder and the faller’s bodyweight over the pick to dig it into the snow and bring the fall to a halt.
It’s amazing how effective it is if executed properly so time was spent with everyone taking turns to slide and then apply the brake.
This wasn’t all deadly serious of course and we had lots of laughs with no real danger if things went completely wrong because the bottom of the slope had a gentle run-off.
Now it was time to get the crampons on and use them as further assistance for negotiating the snow slope.
Technique in walking with a John Wayne stance, legs slightly wider apart, to stop the spikes snagging clothing or the opposing crampon and causing a fall helped us climb further up Coire Laogh Mor.
Ian demonstrated various ways of placing the feet on ascent to minimise effort, conserve energy and prevent aching calf muscles.
Reaching the top of the slope at around 650 metres we hunkered in behind some boulders for a break before attempting some navigation in poor visibility.
Navigation is probably the most important skill anyone who climbs mountains, summer or winter, can learn. It is at the heart of many mountain accidents and taking time to be competent with map and compass is well worth it.
Having worked out where we were on the map, we took bearings on a spot height of 1028 metres on Cairn Gorm’s north-east ridge, timing how long it would take to get there to get an idea of when we should arrive.
I’m pleased to say my own navigational skill was good enough to get me to the pile of boulders that mark the spot height, with everyone else not too far off course.
A new bearing took us down to the ridge on the west side of Coire Laogh Mor which we descended back to the car park and the minibus, just as the light was fading. Tea and cake awaited back at the lodge.
The day had been a valuable, fun learning experience for us all.
