Pacing out winter walks

QI’ve got my timing and pacing sorted for general hillwalking, but this will be the first winter I’ve walked in the snow. How will it affect my journey times? Tony Humphreys, via email

Paul says: Many of us look forward to getting out on the white stuff, but you are right – we need to factor it into our winter route planning, timings and the extra kit we’ll need to take. Trudging through snow, slipping on ice, carrying extra layers, ice axes, phone-charging packs, extra food and other winter essentials all slow us down. Navigating can take longer, too, not only because winter tends to bring adverse weather, such as driving sleet and headwinds, but also because snow fills in features, meaning it takes more time to identify contour features. If you don’t adjust your timings for winter you’ll find you are probably not as far on along your route as you are in summer, and your estimated position will be off on each leg.

At the Ultimate Navigation School we use the Shaven Raspberry timing card, which shows 3kph for walking on snow, and 2kph for deep (past ankle) snow. To account for gradient, add one minute for every 10m contour line climbed (up to three contour lines in 100m), and subtract 20 seconds for every 10m contour descended (up to three contour lines in 100m). This is only a guide, though, since you could be down to 500m per hour if trudging uphill with a heavy pack, waist-deep in soft, wet snow!

Consider other factors, too, such as ice and how familiar you and your group are to moving with ice axes and crampons. Assess the conditions, the route and your group’s abilities and adjust your leg timings accordingly. It’s also worth noting that slower speeds combined with shortened daylight hours often result in more people coming off the hill in the dark. Packing a headtorch and spare is vital!

To summarise: in winter it’s best to give yourself an additional margin of time and plan to be slower than normal. Still, a moonlight descent on a clear night, with the snow casting ‘daylight’ over your favourite hill will be a memory that will stay with you for a long time – enjoy the winter!

Visit www.ultimatenavigationschool.co.uk for navigation courses to suit all abilities, including night navigation.