Climbing high up on Ling, Lawson, Glovers route on Beinn Eighe
Steeper ice pitches requiring lots of ice screws
Twisting Gully Liathach
Our Introduction to Winter and Ice Climbing course is designed for anyone wishing to develop from a winter walker/mountaineer into a winter climber. The aim for this course is to teach you to be safe, efficient and independent climbing on snow, ice and rock during the colder months and in colder places.
Throughout the course we will climb a variety of Scottish Winter Grade 1 – 4 routes, using two technical ice axes. This will allow you to learn in a realistic and practical environment and to develop both your skills and your confidence.
Our winter and ice climbing course is for those who are already competent walking on snow. Ideally who also have some summer rock climbing and some winter mountaineering experience though if you’re an indoor leader, winter walker and fast learner this course would be great for you. Throughout the week we will be developing and refining skills in belaying, choosing rock, snow and ice anchors, building belays and placing gear. We will also discuss good management of the rope, people and kit on a belay ledge (referred to as stance management) so you learn to be efficient and not get too cold. Progression through these skills will allow you to become an independent winter climber and enjoy the mountains year round.
We offer both Three Day Winter Climbing Courses and Five Day Winter Climbing Courses.
Our five day courses can be considered the complete package. We will begin by refreshing winter mountaineering skills and quickly progressing on to rope work in gullies. We will look at refining more advanced ropework and climbing techniques on progressively harder grades. Allowing plenty of opportunity to build confidence on efficiency on lower graded routes first.
Our three day courses are perfect for those with time constraints, or those less confident in going straight into a 5 day course. We will cover everything within the 5 day itinerary but we will have less time to refine those skills properly. It will give you the knowledge needed to develop further and practice in your own time, or to come back to us again in the future for more instruction.
Our Introduction to Winter and Ice Climbing Courses are held in the Torridon Mountains and surrounding Northwest Highlands, arguably the best place in Scotland to learn.
The region is renowned for its world-class winter climbing, but critically, it offers this quality in a spectacular, undeveloped setting. The geography here provides a huge advantage: an unrivalled variety of superb routes at every grade. Whether you’re learning to build an anchor on a moderate snow-ice climb or tackling a steeper mixed route, there’s the perfect objective to progressively build your skills. This isn’t just a location to learn skills; every day is a true mountain adventure where you refine your techniques in a realistic, remote, and profoundly inspirational setting that demands true self-reliance—the essence of winter climbing.
Despite the wildness of the terrain the nearby villages, such as Gairloch, offer excellent logistical support. You get the best of both worlds: a challenging wilderness experience backed by the comfort of local highland facilities, including a full range of accommodation (B&Bs, self-catering, hotels), shops, pubs, and takeaways.
We offer both open courses and private courses. On an open course you sign up to a date we’re offering and will meet with other people who book that same course. For private courses you will book a course specifically for you and can choose a date that suits.
See our dates and pricing for more information
We offer both three and five day courses. Below is an example itinerary for a five day course. This is not fixed though, we can tailor this around your needs and goals. In a three day course we will cover all the basics you need so that you can go and refine those skills on your own. The five day gives us more time to really get to grip with the techniques needed.
We will begin with a refresher on your current winter mountain skills. It is very important that your basic movement, crampon technique and understanding of snow pack is all sound before moving on to steeper terrain. Once confident, we will head on to a grade 1 to look at tying in, ropework, anchors and belays.
Today we will move on to a Grade 2 mixed route (rock, snow and ice). We will continue to develop and refine skills in ropework and building anchors and belays. Also, considering more carefully our decision making processes and also stance management (managing the rope to avoid tangles, where to position people at belays for efficiency and handing over kit).
Today we may well try a harder route than you would usually, perhaps extending into Grade 3 or 4 terrain. We will focus on climbing technique and protecting lead climbing, while continuing to practice and refine the skills we have looked at over the past two days.
We will head back into Grade 1 – 2 terrain today and consolidate everything we have learnt so far. Today is much more about building your own confidence and independence. Therefore, much of the decision making, choosing anchors and building belays will be down to you. Your guide will of course be climbing alongside you and on hand for any additional advice and guidance you may need.
This is the final day of the course and what we do may vary depending on how you have progressed so far. Our main aim is to give you the skills and knowledge to be a safe and independent climber. Therefore, we will give extra attention to any areas that you wish to practice and further refine. We may do this on a grade 1 – 2 route to give you the opportunity to fully focus on a particular skill set or get additional practice at leading. Alternatively, we may guide you up a challenging route if your personal climbing is something you wish to work on.
In order to provide the highest level of learning and safety we maintain low ratios for our courses. For our Winter Climbing courses we never go beyond a ratio of 1 guide to 2 clients. These small numbers allow us to make sure you get the tuition you need and the course is tailored around your aspirations whether you’re booked onto an open or private course.
Open course are where you can book onto a date and join other like minded people. These are great for individuals looking to share an experience with others and make new friends and climbing partners. Our open courses are run to a maximum of four individual spaces (with two instructors) on each open course to give the perfect balance between a social experience and effective learning in the mountains.
Our three day open courses are perfect for those looking to refresh their skills or time strapped individuals who would like to go and climb themselves after the course.
| Dates | Price |
|---|---|
| 5 Jan 2026 to 7 Jan 2026 | £540 (1 Space) |
| 2 Feb 2026 to 4 Feb 2026 | £540 |
| 23 Feb 2026 to 25 Feb 2026 | £540 |
| 2 Mar 2026 to 4 Mar 2026 | £540 |
| 16 Mar 2026 to 18 Mar 2026 | £540 |
Prices shown are all per person.
Our five day open course are the complete package, covering all the skills needed to start out winter climbing.
| Dates | Price |
|---|---|
| 5 Jan 2026 to 9 Jan 2026 | £900 (1 Space) |
| 2 Feb 2026 to 6 Feb 2026 | £900 |
| 2 Mar 2026 to 6 Mar 2026 | £900 |
Prices shown are all per person.
Private courses are totally flexible and tailored directly to your needs. These can be run on any dates during the season and will only have yourself or those you have booked with on the course. This works well for those where they need specific dates or where they would rather not climb with someone they don’t know. We have a maximum ratio of 1 guide to 2 clients for winter climbing courses to ensure your safety.
| Ratio | Price |
|---|---|
| 1:1 | £960 |
| 1:2 | £540 per person |
| Ratio | Price |
|---|---|
| 1:1 | £1600 |
| 1:2 | £900 per person |
| Dates | Price |
|---|---|
| 5 Jan 2026 to 9 Jan 2026 | £900 (1 Space) |
| 5 Jan 2026 to 7 Jan 2026 | £540 (1 Space) |
| 2 Feb 2026 to 6 Feb 2026 | £900 |
| 2 Feb 2026 to 4 Feb 2026 | £540 |
| 23 Feb 2026 to 25 Feb 2026 | £540 |
| 2 Mar 2026 to 6 Mar 2026 | £900 |
| 2 Mar 2026 to 4 Mar 2026 | £540 |
| 16 Mar 2026 to 18 Mar 2026 | £540 |
Prices shown are all per person.
Ice axes, crampon, harness and helmet hire are all included in the course fee as well as use off a full winter climbing rack and ropes.