Introduction to Winter Climbing

A 1-day introduction to winter climbing course in the Cairngorms, Scotland is a perfect taster for those new to the sport. The itinerary usually begins with a safety briefing and equipment check, followed by an introduction to essential climbing techniques such as using ice axes and crampons. Participants will then get to climb a gentle slope or easy grade climb, under the guidance of an experienced instructor.

Alongside climbing, the instructor will also teach basic navigation skills such as reading maps and using a compass. The day will be tailored to suit the group’s experience and skill level, with the aim of building confidence and competence in winter climbing. Participants will get a taste of the unique beauty and challenges of winter climbing in the Cairngorms.

We pride ourselves on providing as much kit as possible for you.  However, the list below is what we recommend you should bring to your guided Winter Climbing Course:

• Travel insurance. (We are insured for all our trips, but we recommend everyone has their own travel insurance as well.)
• Transportation to the venue. (We may be able to help with this though – if you need transportation please drop us an enquiry and we can see what we can do to help.)
• Lunch, water.
• Personal medication
• Sun cream, sunglasses
• Clear goggles – we may be able to provide if required please contact us.
• Waterproofs 
• Warm layers
• Thick gloves and a hat/buff
• B2 boots (we may be able to arrange hire of these if needed; please contact us if this is the case. But people normally prefer to use their own)
• Rucksack 30 litres or so will suffice
• Own personal kit IF YOU WISH TO Harness, helmet, Crampons, Axes etc (we do supply these but sometimes people prefer to use their own)

Here at Highland Outdoor Adventures, we pride ourselves on providing as much as we can but you are welcome to bring your own equipment if you do prefer. The list below is what we provide you with on the guided winter climbing course.

• All instruction.
• Crampons
• Ice Axes
• Leashes
• Ropes
• Helmets
• All Technical Climbing Gear
• All first aid and safety equipment.
• Photographs of the day provided for you at no extra cost! If the weather is good we will have a DSLR professional camera and maybe even a drone, so we can take photos and videos of your adventure and you can look back at the day for years to come. If the weather is less favourable we will bring a GoPro (as it is waterproof) so we will still be able to take photos for you.