Cairngorm Winter Mountaineering Course
Northern Cairngorms
3 out of 5: Moderate
2 Days
1:2 (Needs 2 to Run)
From £310
Course Overview
Ready to take your winter skills up a notch? Our Cairngorm Winter Mountaineering Course is perfect for experienced winter walkers who want to explore more technical terrain. Over two days in the beautiful and accessible Northern Cairngorms, we’ll cover essential mountaineering skills such as rope work, building winter belays, taking coils, and navigating in winter conditions. You’ll also learn how to assess avalanche risks and move safely through challenging snow-covered ridges and gullies.
We’ll put these skills into practice on classic routes like Fiacaill Ridge or Aladdin's Couloir in the Northern Corries. This course is all about giving you the confidence and know-how to explore Scotland’s winter mountains safely, while making the most of this incredible technical playground.
Course Length
Our Cairngorm Winter Mountaineering course is 2 days. We offer bespoke courses and run these in the Northern Cairngorms from December until April.
Cost
The course cost is £310 per person, with a minimum and maximum of two people required. Northwest Mountaineering also offers a private 1:1 Course at £580.
Experience Needed
This course is ideal for those with a good level of fitness and previous scrambling experience along with ideally having knowledge and experience of essential winter skills such as wearing crampons and using an ice axe.
When
Whenever suits you. We also schedule dates for our Cairngorm Winter Mountaineering Course
Our Northern Cairngorms Winter Mountaineering Course takes a conditions-based approach to ensure you get the most out of your time in Scotland’s unpredictable winter weather.
Led by an expert instructor, the course focuses on developing your confidence with essential winter equipment while introducing basic ropework skills to enhance safety on more technical terrain. You’ll also learn how to stay safe and make good decisions in the challenging environment of the Northern Cairngorms, home to some of Scotland’s most reliable and iconic winter mountaineering routes.
Outline of Areas Covered in the Two Days
-
Learn to use crampons and ice axes effectively for winter mountaineering in the Cairngorms and the Scottish Highlands.
-
Master ice axe arrest techniques to stop a fall on steep winter mountaineering terrain.
-
Develop avalanche awareness, hazard assessment, and an understanding of winter weather patterns in the Cairngorms.
-
Build confidence with basic rope work, belaying, and creating winter belays for Cairngorm winter mountaineering routes.
-
Improve your winter navigation skills, including route planning.
-
Discover the best clothing choices for winter in the Scottish highlands and how to stay comfortable in harsh conditions.
-
Understand the limitations of winter equipment and ensure your kit is suited for the Scottish winter mountaineering environment.
Munros, Summits and Winter Mountaineering routes on our Cairngorm Winter Mountaineering Course may include some of the following;
-
Cairngorm
-
Stob Coire an t-Sneachda
-
Cairn Lochan
-
Fiacaill Ridge
-
Aladdin's Couloir
-
Fiacaill Couloir
-
Our Cairngorm Winter Mountaineering Courses maintain a maximum ratio of 1:2. This approach prioritises safety while allowing for personalised instruction on the essential skills needed to stay safe and enjoy the unique challenges of the Scottish winter mountaineering environment.
The Scottish winter can be demanding, particularly when combined with the effort of a strenuous hike to reach higher summits, often carrying a heavy pack from sea level. Therefore, we recommend participants have prior experience with winter mountain walking and be at least 18 years old.
Winter 2024/ 2025
Below is a list of dates for our Winter Mountaineering Course in the winter of 2024 - 2025. We also run bespoke dates (including midweek) if none of these work, so feel free to get in touch.
2025 Open Course Dates
