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Winter Climbing Course

Glencoe/ Fort William

4 out of 5: Difficult

3 Days

1:2 (Needs 2 to Run)

From £465

Course Overview

Build your skills and confidence with our Scotland Winter Climbing Course in the breathtaking Scottish Highlands. Over three engaging days, you’ll learn to navigate steeper snow, ice, and mixed routes while adapting your summer climbing and mountaineering skills for winter conditions. Perfect for anyone with experience in winter mountaineering, walking, or rock climbing, this course helps you take the first steps toward becoming a confident lead climber on graded Scottish winter climbs. Based in iconic locations like Ben Nevis and Glencoe, you’ll get hands-on experience climbing routes graded III to IV, all with the support of our experienced Northwest Mountaineering instructors. It’s the ideal way to build your skills, boost your confidence, and experience the excitement of Scottish winter climbing.

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Course Length

Our Winter Climbing course is 3 days. We offer bespoke courses and run these in the West Highlands from December until April. 

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Cost

The course cost is £465 per person, with a minimum and maximum of 2 people required.​ Northwest Mountaineering also offers a private 1:1 Course at £870.

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Experience Needed

This course is perfect for those with good fitness and experience in winter mountaineering, winter climbing, or rock climbing who are looking to advance to Scottish winter climbing with a focus on developing lead climbing skills.

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When

Whenever suits you. We also schedule dates for our Winter Climbing Course

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  • Our Scotland Winter Climbing Course is designed to offer an exceptional climbing experience in the challenging and ever-changing conditions of the Scottish Highlands. Led by experienced and qualified instructors, this course takes a conditions-based approach to ensure you learn essential skills for climbing snow, ice, and mixed routes on Scotland’s iconic winter mountains. With carefully selected venues, including areas around Ben Nevis and Glencoe, chosen to match the weather and conditions, you’ll build the knowledge, technical skills, and confidence needed for safe and rewarding winter climbing adventures, including leading graded a Scottish Winter Climb.

  • Outline of Areas Covered in the Three Days

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    • Understand how to read weather forecasts and the impacts certain weather has with winter climbing

    • Recap core skills, including approaching climbs safely, focussing on movement with an ice axe and crampons

    • Avalanche awareness/avoidance including safe route choice

    • Learning snow & ice climbing techniques including swinging axes, torquing on mixed terrain and how to efficiently climb ice

    • Learning how to winterise summer rock climbing skills

    • How to retreat from a winter climb safely and efficiently

    • Experience a variety of winter snow, ice and mixed climbs ranging from grades III to V

    • Under expert guidance, experience leading graded Scottish winter climbs

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    Examples of possible winter climbing routes that we may climb on our Scotland Winter Climbing Course;

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    Ben Nevis

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    • Tower Ridge (Grade IV)

    • Number 2 Gully Buttress (Grade III 4)

    • Number 3 Gully Buttress (Grade III 4)

    • Green Gully (Grade IV)

    • Castle Ridge (Grade II/ III)

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    Glencoe

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    • North Buttress (Grade IV)

    • Curved Ridge (Grade II 3)

    • Crowberry Gully (III 4)

    • Twisting Gully (III 4)

    • SC Gully (III)

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    The routes for the winter climbing course will be carefully chosen based on weather conditions, participant experience, and the instructor’s expertise. This course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to winter climbing, helping participants develop essential skills and build confidence in a supportive environment. Perfect for anyone looking to embark on their winter climbing journey, this course offers a balance of practical training and adventure.

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  • Our Scotland Winter Climbing 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.

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    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

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    Below is a list of dates for our Winter Climbing 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. 

     

    Prices are £465 per person for an open course with a maximum and minimum of 2 people required.​​

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    A private course with a date to suit you is £870 for the 3 days

2025 Open Course Dates

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