WINTER SKILLS: WHY IT’S CLEVER TO TAKE A COURSE

Having the right boots, crampons and ice axes will make your winter in the mountains much safer and fun, but only if you know how to use them. Taking a course not only gives you the expertly-taught skills on how to use these tools – it allows you to put them into practice for real in a safe and supervised environment, so that if you ever do need to use them in a more serious situation it’s simply a matter of reflex.

You’ll learn a lot more, too – from weather prediction to assessing avalanche danger, and learning to walk efficiently on different kinds of snow and ice, you’ll familiarise yourself with key skills that’ll pay off over a lifetime. There are a few ways to do this. Hiring an instructor for a day and splitting the cost between a few mates could skill you up in a way that’ll leave an almost unnoticeable dent in your wallet. Or you could go on a package course and benefit from being holed up in snowy hills for a few days with a bunch of like-minded folk; this usually works at least one ’proper’ hill day into the mix. Find a reputable instructor at www.mountain-training.org or check out courses available at Plas y Brenin in Snowdonia (www.pyb.co.uk) or Glenmore Lodge in the Cairngorms (www. glenmorelodge.org.uk).