HEATHER MORNING
Glenmore Lodge’s new Chief Instructor shares what she’s learned from a long and remarkable career in the mountains
She’s guided in Antarctica, volunteered for Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team and spent 13 years as Mountaineering Scotland’s Mountain Safety Officer.
Now Heather Morning has a new role as the Chief Instructor at Glenmore Lodge. She spoke to The Great Outdoors about winter safety and forging a successful career in the outdoors industry.
How did you get into hillwalking?
The mountain thing is very much in my DNA. I was brought up in a family that enjoyed the hills, and I went on a lot of adventures from an early age. My father was doing the Munros and I’d go along with him – I was halfway through them before I even really knew what a Munro was!
When did you set your ambitions on a career in the outdoors?
I was brought up in North Yorkshire in a very working-class family, and at school back in the Seventies girls were just taught to be typists. It was very much expected that you left school and went into some kind of administrative role, which is exactly what I did. In my first job, though, I started volunteering in a youth club and through that I became aware of the Mountain Leader scheme. I remember turning up to training in my red plastic wellies, which is what I wore on the North Yorkshire Moors at the time of year! That course was pivotal in where I ended up in my career. It made me realise that I needed to become better-qualified. In the end, I got a place at Plymouth to do a BA in Recreation and Leisure, which led on to a post-grad in Education.
Since then, your career has taken you all over the world….
Yes – after two years of working with kids I thought it was time to move on! I went travelling in Nepal and then got on an assistant instructor scheme at Plas y Brenin. That very much opened doors. I started freelancing and spent a few years doing seasons in Antarctica – six months down there, six months working up on
Cairngorm Mountain as a ranger. Then I landed the role of Mountain Safety Officer at Mountaineering Scotland and ended up doing that for 13 years.
Do you think that things have changed for women in the outdoors industry since the beginning of your career?
There were very few women on the early courses that I did. The stats are subtly increasing, but not as much as you’d imagine. In my new role as Chief Instructor at Glenmore Lodge, finding women holding the highest qualification – Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor – is really hard. To me, though, being a woman has never felt like a barrier in the outdoor industry.
What might a normal day look like in your new role as Glenmore Lodge’s
Chief Instructor?
It's important to have a healthy respect for the environment you’re heading into
Busy! It’s very office-based, but I do still get to go out and deliver a few courses. Mainly I’m managing the operational side of things and making some of the higher management decisions.
You used to be the Mountain Safety Advisor for Mountaineering Scotland. Have you ever been close to an accident? Yes, I fell while climbing in Kentucky’s
Red River gorge back in the Eighties and broke my back. I’ve also torn a muscle in my calf during a Winter Mountain Leader Assessment and had to hobble down off Ben Alder where I got picked up by a passing car.
Has your attitude to risk changed?
Yes, absolutely. I’m 58 now and I’m way more cautious than I used to be. That’s partly down to what I’ve seen with Mountain Rescue. But you do also tend to get less confident as you get older. Physically, your body changes: your knees get more decrepit, and your balance isn’t as good!
What one piece of advice would you give to somebody new to winter in the hills?
Have respect for the mountains. I know nothing about scuba diving, and I wouldn’t dream about getting a bit of kit, jumping into the sea and going down deep without equipping myself with skills and experience as well. Because we all walk around in our daily lives, some assume they can extend that to the mountains. But it’s important to have a healthy respect for the environment you’re heading into, and to know the dangers and how to behave in that environment.
Any top winter tips?
Glenmore Lodge’s YouTube channel has some great skills videos, but there’s nothing better than signing up for a training course.
What are the harshest winter conditions you’ve ever walked in?
It’s got to be in the Cairngorms. Even though it’s much colder in Antarctica, it’s a much drier climate. But here, the wind chill, the wetness and the cold, combined with poor visibility at night, is really challenging.
Finally, any advice for people who might be considering a career change to the outdoors industry?
Don’t do it for the money! It’s definitely a lifestyle choice. Bear in mind that a lot of people have got Mountain Leader, and it’s not until you get further up the qualifications ladder that there’s more work available. From a personal perspective I feel like I’ve had an amazing life and incredible opportunities. What better way to earn a living than by sharing the magic of the mountains?