Sign up here for winter skills training. We are offering two training courses, for beginners and intermediates alike:

1. Winter Skills (two days, £45)
   – Selection and familiarisation with equipment for winter hiking
   – Movement on snow (kicking steps, use of ice axe for walking, self-belay, cutting steps)
   – Ice axe arrest
   – Using crampons in ascent and descent
   – Emergency procedures
   – Avalanche awareness
   – Winter navigation
   – Reading weather reports and their relationships to the mountains
   – Snow shelters (if there is time/appropriate conditions)
2. Winter mountaineering (two days, £80)
   – Rope work
   – Belays
   – Moving safely on route
   – Leader placed protection
   – Retreats

With the help of the BMC we can offer this training at a ridiculously cheap £45 (winter skills) and £80 (mountaineering skills) for both days! You will not find a better price for professionally led winter skills and mountaineering courses and yet another reason why SCC is totally rad!

To sign up 

1 – Obvious really, you must either be booked on the winter meet or be able to get yourself to Newtonmore or the Cairngorms.

2 – Use the comments box in the sign up box to provide a short statement of your previous winter experience – this is particularly important for the winter mountaineering course. For the winter mountaineering course you must confirm the following:
– You are familiar with aspects covered in the basic winter skills course (snow holes not essential).
– Confirm you have Scottish winter hiking experience (days/weeks out in the hills)
– Provide further details of your experience e.g. any graded winter climbing routes (lead or second)
– Please detail summer climbing experience – can you lead trad routes, multipitch and at what grade.

– For the winter skills course you do not need to have any previous experience, however we still need to know what you have done in the past.

These details will help the instructor deliver a teaching programme best suited for the groups needs. Competence in basic winter skills is the minimum requirement participate in the mountaineering training course.

It is vitally important that the instructors know your experience level. This is not only for your teaching experience but also your safety. If you provide no statement your money will be refunded and you will loose your place.