#Winterskills – 2 Day Course

Our courses are very practical with an emphasis on learning through doing, promoting increased self-awareness and self-reliance.

Initially, we focus on ensuring we still have well-honed and current core and intermediate winter skills, before tackling more complex techniques. As the course progresses we aim to increase the difficulty of the terrain encountered and involve you in the planning and decision-making processes integral to such environments.  We go beyond simply teaching you hard skills such as use of ice axe and crampons.  We aim to improve your awareness and understanding of the decision making process involved in the planning and execution of successful winter climbing days, in order to give you the skills and confidence to operate independently in the hills in winter.

As the course progresses, if weather conditions allow, we will plan longer days to include several classic Scottish winter climbs.  We pride ourselves on offering a professional yet social environment conducive to learning and fun! So if you are looking to scale up your winter techniques and tackle the most challenging terrain in safety and confidence, then this course is ideal for you.

Locations so fantastic: we moved here!

We are running our winter courses from our home village of Roybridge, Lochaber. Perfectly situated, this Central Highlands location sits smack bang amidst some of Scotland’s premier winter venues: the north face of Ben Nevis is only 15 minutes drive west, and the mighty Creag Meagaidh only 15 mins east. With suitable winter skills venues ALL around, and the popular areas of the Cairngorms and Glencoe each less than an hour away, this allows us the unique opportunity to operate in both the East and West Highlands on any day we choose!

Variety of venues gives you best chance of good conditions

– Too wet or warm in the west…? We’ll head east to the Cairngorms for reliable snow cover, deep corries and windswept arctic plateaus!
– Too snowy/windy in the Gorms…? We can head to the spikier mountains in the west. We can seek the comparative shelter of Glencoe or mix it up with the big boys on Ben Nevis!
– Gondola access on Aonach Mor enables us to reach higher snow-line efficiently if needed.

Ease of access

With excellent transport links, and a central location, Roybridge can easily be reached from anywhere in Scotland via road, rail or bus. (Where possible, participants may find having their own transport advantageous.)

Choice of accommodation to suit you

Roybridge has an excellent array of accommodation providers to suit all tastes and budgets. It is significantly quieter than the busy tourist hotspots of Fort William and Aviemore. There is also a pub for a civilised debrief.

We would recommend staying as close to the actual Roy Bridge as possible, enabling us to take advantage of communal meeting areas for evening lectures and theory sessions on subjects such as navigation, avalanche awareness and weather forecast interpretation. This will also allow easier issuing of Dubh Mor kit if you require. There is a fine selection of Bed and Breakfasts, Campsites, Cabins and even a couple of hotels in the village. For further information on local accommodation providers, please contact us.

Forgotten something?

Not a problem: the “outdoor capital of the UK”: Fort William, is less than 20 minutes to the southwest, and Aviemore is under an hour to the east. Both have a variety of outdoor shops that hire and sell kit. There are also small local convenience stores, cafes and restaurants in both Roybridge and the neighbouring Spean Bridge. Closest fuel is Dalwhinnie/Newtonmore in the east or Fort William/Invergarry to the west.