Summitto thinkabout

With the clocks going back last weekend and darkness now falling earlier, Tayside Mountain Rescue Team has issued an important warning as the cold weather bites Perthshire.

Having an Arctic experience on Scotland’s mountains this time of the year is common and the cold weather looks set to stay for the next few weeks.

Temperatures are expected to drop below -5 on the summits with poor visibility in snow showers.

Stuart Johnston, team leader for Tayside MRT, said:“From our last 28 search based rescues in Tayside, 21 of those rescues are attributed to poor navigation skills and an over reliance on mobile phone navigation app technology.

“Mobile phone navigation apps require a lot of battery power and will drain your battery reserves very quickly, a conventional map and compass don’t require batteries.

“Walkers and climbers should plan their journeys within their capabilities and think more about how the predicted weather conditions will match their skills, knowledge and route. ”

Heather Morning, mountain safety adviser for Mountaineering Scotland, said:“Conditions can be very treacherous at this time of year and just having the right equipment isn’t enough: you have to be able to call on experience to know how to deal with a whole range of conditions.

“And that equipment and experience must also include a map and compass and a high standard of navigational ability, because you’re not going to have the luxury of time and comfort that you do in summer.

“Extra layers are essential, such as a synthetic duvet jacket, and an emergency bivi bag is highly recommended.”

Before setting off check the mountain weather forecast at www. mwis.org.uk