Down-scrambles

Q When down climbing a scramble, is it best to face in or out? Jon Unsworth, Tamworth

Rob says In the UK we often choose to head up a scrambling route on the mountain and then take an easier route back down. Our mountains provide us with the luxury of having this choice and sometimes a leisurely stroll down the other side is just what we need. But as we progress in our mountaineering, the skill of dealing with scrambling routes as confidently in descent as in the ascent becomes a must. A great example would be the Cuillin Ridge on Skye where we can do as much scrambling down as up.

I encourage people to generally face out in descent until the ground gets steep enough to feel the need to turn in sideways. As it gets steeper still, turn into the rock and scramble down facing in. Facing out has the advantage of being able to pick the line but the consequences of a loss of balance can be greater; falling forwards on steeper ground can lead to serious injury. We also run the risk of being pushed off balance by our rucksack catching the terrain behind us. When facing into the rock we can quickly lose a sense of scale and perception and so I encourage people to pick a point to descend to, scramble down to that point and then re-assess the situation. I remember taking my Mum along the Cuillin and us both laughing as she crawled onto flat ground, unaware that the angle had now changed significantly!

When to face out, in or side-on will be depend on how comfortable you are on the ground and how good your movement skills are. As with any skill, scrambling in descent requires practise and you will get more competent with experience.