Last year my son, Alfie, decided that he'd like to go on a snowhole expedition for his birthday. We spent a three days and two nights out in the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. We had a great time, but I figured that the reality of being in sub zero temperatures the whole time would take the shine off things. So I was delighted, although … Read More »
Category Archives: Winter Walking
Winter Returns For A Day In The Fannichs
Although I've been hoping for the snow to return to Scotland, I couldn't quite believe it this morning when we woke to see a white scene at all levels. Almost in celebration, we planned a Munro 'bagging' day in the Fannichs. With the group still untrained in the use of ice axes and crampons, they seemed a little nervous as we got off the minibus … Read More »
A Birthday Snow Hole Expedition
Alfie, my eldest son, often wants to experience some of the things I get up to but commitments like school keep getting in the way. However, each year for his birthday, I try to give him the chance to experience something that he really wants to do. This year his imagination was captured by the idea of snow holing. This was always going to be … Read More »
A Wintery Day on Moel Siabod
Knowing that today would need to be a shorter day on the hill, in order to allow time for traveling back to Oswestry, we decided to make Moel Siabod our target for the day. I've taken groups from the school up this particular mountain before, but never in winter conditions and not by this route. We took farm tracks to the old mine workings to the … Read More »
Return to the Snow
This weekend has been advertised to the Oswestry School cadets as a 'Winter Skills' weekend since September. The reality is that we never know what the conditions are likely to be in Snowdonia from one week to the next, never mind four or five months in advance. By Wednesday of this week, I was consigned to the fact all hope of any significant volumes of … Read More »
Winter ML Assessment Success
The last 5 days have been spent on my Winter Mountain Leader assessment. These five days have been to focus of all the hill walking I have done over the last few months. Looking back, I see that I started my build up back in October with Summer mountain days before the snow arrived. Since New Year, I've been yo-yoing up and down to Scotland … Read More »
Gullies in Coire an t-Sneachda
After his rest day yesterday, Ally was up for 'something exciting'. With the weather looking decidedly better over in the east, we opted for the drive cross country to the Cairngorms again in search of a couple of grade I gullies in Coire an t-Sneachda. This coire is like a honey pot for winter climbers due to the variety and number of routes on offer, … Read More »
Mock Assessment in Drumochter
After 2 days out in the mountains, Ally decided to take a day off today - preparing himself for 'something exciting on Friday'. I'm intrigued to see what he has in mind! However, after bumping into Ali Othen in the Cairngorms yesterday, we planned to hook up for a 'mock assessment'. Ali has already got his Winter ML, and has a vested interest in me … Read More »
Rope Work in Coire na Ciste
Ally had to pick some kit up from another Abernethy Trust centre at Nethybridge today, so we decided to combine it with a day in the Cairngorms. We had planned on heading into Coire an t-Sneachda but, when the top car park was full, we noticed that Coire na Ciste was holding a fair amount of snow so opted for the even shorter walk in. While … Read More »
White Out and a Fall on Aonach Mor
For the last few years, I've headed up to Scotland to enjoy a week's winter walking with Ally - an instructor at the Abernethy Trust centre in Ardgour on the West Coast. Although he has spent a lot of time in the snow recently, it's been on skis in Switzerland, and I think the thought of a week of chasing me around the mountains for … Read More »