HOW TO ENJOY & SURVIVE THE WINTER MOUNTAINS
1 Good planning and being prepared for snow/ice can make or break your day
Make sure you know what conditions are like before you commit to your walk. Conditions can change markedly as you gain height – from the snow being really hard and more like ice lower down to soft and deep, with a greater likelihood of drifts as you gain height. Each brings its own challenges, and with snow there is the potential for avalanche activity. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service’s Be Avalanche Aware (BAA) process can help guide you through this most crucial part of the whole day – the planning. The knowledge gained while planning your trip will help you choose a safe route that fits your experience and equipment. You can also make use of ground condition reports available for most parts of the upland areas of the UK at this stage.
2 The weather is generally more extreme the higher you go
On a clear winter’s day, being out in the hills is breathtakingly beautiful: the low sun and crisp air make for some impressive long-range views. Conversely, when the weather’s bad, being out and about can be pretty challenging. Winter weather is also more changeable, so check the weather forecast and pay particular attention to the temperature, wind direction and any rain/snow. You can then pack and dress appropriately. As a simple rule of thumb: as you gain height it becomes colder and windier.
3 The right kit could save your life (so don’t put it down)
An ice axe and crampons, and the ability to use them effectively, are vital in the winter mountains. They can be borrowed, hired or bought depending on your budget and previous experience. Other important bits of kit for the winter include gloves (you can never have too many pairs), goggles, a group shelter and a blizzard bag, as well as a spare map and compass in case yours get blown away. One thing you learn pretty quickly in the winter is that emptying your bag out onto the snow or ice is always a bad idea; gear will either get blown away by the wind or slide away of its own accord – so think twice before putting anything down.
4 Navigating in the winter mountains is all about the shape of the land
When the hills are covered in snow, features such as walls, fences and streams often disappear. This forces you to focus on the shape of the land and the contours on the map in order to navigate, which can be quite liberating! In good visibility this is relatively simple, but when visibility is poor it requires great care and attention. Winter walkers need to be prepared for the latter as winter storms are common, so practise following a bearing and developing your contour-only navigation at all times of the year.
Winter skills are 5 really fun to learn
Snow and ice create all sorts of hazards in the winter, and having the skills to manage them is really important. For example, learning to walk in crampons and how to ice axe arrest in the event of a slip can lead to some hilarious John Wayne impersonations and sliding around on snow. The crucial part of all this is that you do it safely – and that typically involves a qualified Mountaineering Instructor or Mountain Guide.
6 Food freezes in the winter
It’s amazing how many calories you can burn when you’re cold. Generally speaking, you need to eat more on a winter day in the mountains than you do in the height of summer. However, the type of food you eat in those two seasons can be quite different. Chocolate bars can be great hill food in the summer (assuming they don’t melt), but in the winter they can freeze and this makes biting into them nigh on impossible. So have a think about foods that better withstand cold temperatures such as jelly sweets, fruit cake (Christmas cake is ideal!), dried fruit and nuts, among many others.