Climb Torridon has a huge range of Winter Mountain Courses to suit everyone. Taking people from their very first experience of the mountains in winter through to guiding people up the most challenging ice climbs. Whether you are looking for an instructional course to improve your skills or a guided winter mountain adventure you will remember forever. We have courses and winter mountain holidays for everyone.
Our Winter Mountain Courses are listed below. If you need any help deciding the best course for you then please do get in contact.
WINTER MOUNTAIN SKILLS COURSES:
This 3 day instructional course is perfect for anyone with little or no experience of climbing mountains in winter. We will cover all the basic techniques and skills to give you the confidence to become independent in the mountains in winter.
- What’s Covered: Using Ice Axe and Crampons, Winter Navigation, Avalanche Awareness, Route Choice, Winter Kit, The Winter Environment.
- Who For: Anyone wishing to go walking up the mountains in winter! No experience is needed, for those with experience we can build on your current knowledge.
- Number of Days: 3 Day Courses
INTRO TO WINTER MOUNTAINEERING COURSES
This 2 or 5 day instructional course is an excellent choice for anyone with a good level of experience of summiting mountains in the winter and are now ready to try something even harder. We will refine your walking skills and develop your ropework so you can tackle more challenging routes in complex winter conditions.
- What’s Covered: Using Crampons and Ice Axes, Navigation, Avalanche Awareness, Movement on Steep Terrain, Using Harnesses, Tying Knots, Belaying, Placing Gear, Building Rock and Snow Anchors.
- Who For: People who are already confident walking in the mountains in winter and who are looking to begin progressing in to more challenging terrain. Those keen to learn ropework skills and techniques to keep themselves safe on steeper or more exposed mountainous areas.
- Number of Days: 2 and 5 Day Courses
INTRO TO WINTER CLIMBING COURSES
This is a 3 or 5 day winter climbing instructional course. It is designed for people who are already competent summer rock climbers or with a good level or experience of ropework within winter/summer mountaineering. Winter climbing involves using ropes to climb up sustained rock faces covered in snow and ice. We will cover the advanced skills and techniques needed to become a fully independent winter climber.
- What’s Covered: Belaying, Rock, Snow and Ice Anchors, Building Belays, Placing Gear, Choosing Routes, Advanced Crampon and Ice Axe Techniques, Abseiling and Backing off.
- Who For: Summer rock climbers or people with a good amount of winter mountaineering experience.
- Number of Days: 3 and 5 Day Courses
WINTER CLIMBING CLASSICS
This is a winter climbing adventure holiday! Perfect for people who are competent summer rock climbers who have some experience of the mountains in winter. This 5 day course is all about having a great time climbing some of the best winter climbing routes in the UK.
- What’s Covered: 5 days of guiding on some of the best winter climbing routes in Scotland.
- Who For: Competent summer rock climbers who have winter mountaineering experience. These courses are less focused on instruction/learning and more focused on simply getting out and enjoying some absolutely incredible routes.
- Number of Days: 5 Day Courses
BESPOKE WINTER MOUNTAINEERING
Bespoke winter mountaineering tailored to your needs. The focus can be on instruction, to learn techniques and skills to develop your own independence. Alternatively, we can concentrate on an individual goal or experience, perhaps to summit a particular mountain or route.
- What’s Covered: Anything winter mountain related that you wish to learn or experience.
- Who For: Everyone
- Number of Days: Up to you!
BESPOKE WINTER CLIMBING
Winter climbing is more technically advanced than winter mountaineering. It involves using ropes for large sections of snow and ice covered rock. Our bespoke winter climbing courses can cover instruction (to develop you into an independent winter climber) or guiding you up a specific route.
- What’s Covered: Anything related to pitched climbing in a winter mountain environment
- Who For: People who have ropework experience and experience of walking in mountains in winter conditions.
- Number of Days: Up to you!
Winter Mountain Skills, Winter Mountaineering, Winter Climbing – What’s the Difference?
Terminology in the mountains can be really confusing. Despite sounding almost exactly the same, “climbing up a mountain” and “walking up a mountain” are technically incredibly different. We know this can be very confusing and we want to help our customers to understand these differences so they can book the best possible experience with us.
What are Winter Mountain Skills (also known as winter skills and winter walking)?
Many mountain summits in Scotland and the rest of the UK can be reached by walking. Your ice axe and crampons are important tools needed to assist you and keep you safe. You need a good understanding of how to use these tools correctly and efficiently. You also need knowledge of the complexities of the harsh winter environment. Navigation, kit, equipment, avalanche awareness and efficiency are all important considerations. We collectively call this knowledge and these techniques, Winter Mountain Skills.
A Winter Mountain Skills Course is a great way to learn the foundations of staying safe whilst summiting a mountain. For most people, it is the very first course they will undertake and will spark their love of the mountains in winter. It is the course you need if you have never been up a mountain in winter before, or you have been out in the mountains in winter but need more experience, practice, skills or knowledge. Most people who attend a Winter Mountain Skills course are not new to mountains, in fact some are extremely experienced in the mountains in summer. However, they are often either new to the mountains in winter or are looking to become safer in the mountains in winter.
Winter Mountaineering
Winter mountaineering (and mountaineering as a term in general), often requires the use of a climbing rope, harness and other climbing equipment. It takes a huge amount of practice and experience to become a competent winter mountaineer.
When we talk about “winter walking” we mean within the context of a mountain. Therefore, winter walking requires technical equipment, including an ice axe and crampons and correct winter clothing and kit. Many mountain summits in the UK can be reached by walking. Winter mountaineering is more advanced than winter walking and perhaps the easiest distinction is when a rope is introduced.
For many people, an Introduction to Winter Mountaineering course is the very first step in this. Introduction to Winter Mountaineering courses firstly look at refining and perfecting your walking skills. Having these fundamental skills at an extremely high level is crucial before introducing a rope. Then basic ropework and equipment is introduced so that mountaineering skills can be learnt and practised in a safe and straightforward setting. With a sound understanding of winter mountaineering skills people are able to use climbing equipment to tackle more complex terrain.
Winter mountaineering terrain would be considered exposed, perhaps rocky, terrain that is covered in snow and ice. A slip or fall in the terrain would have potentially tragic consequences if climbing equipment (for example a rope, harness, climbing slings and gear) and skills were not used correctly, safely and effectively to mitigate the slip or fall.
What is Winter Climbing?
Winter climbing is a term that can be used generically for going up and down a mountain in winter, e.g. “climbing a mountain”. However, when most guiding and instruction companies refer to “Winter Climbing” they are not using the term generically. They are referring specifically to technical winter climbing. This is often climbing a rock face that is covered in snow or ice (or a combination of both), a frozen waterfall or a snow gully. The use of two ice axes, crampons, climbing harnesses, ropes, belay devices and a huge array of climbing gear is essential throughout. The climbing is also sustained for a full “pitch” and most often multiple pitches “multipitch”.
A Winter Climbing Course is an instructional course for people interested in learning to become independent winter climbers. Most often these courses appeal to people who are already competent summer rock climbers. Therefore, they already have a good understanding of ropework and climbing equipment, belaying and placing gear. They also, usually are winter walkers, and so are happy using ice axes and crampons. Winter Climbing Courses add to this experience level by teaching people how to be safe and effective winter climbers.
Winter Climbing Guiding (for example our Winter Climbing Classics) is also a popular and excellent choice. It is ideal for anyone wanting to come to Scotland to experience and enjoy world class winter climbing but are not specifically looking to learn anything new. This can appeal to people who are either already accomplished winter climbers but do not know the area and do not have a climbing partner. Alternatively, it can be for people who feel they would enjoy winter climbing but are currently happy being guiding as they do not have the time or motivation to become independent with their winter climbing.
What is Ice Climbing?
Within winter climbing there are three main types of climbing; ice, mixed and snow. Technically, ice climbing is using two ice axes, crampons, ropes, harnesses and other technical climbing equipment to climb frozen waterfalls. Snow climbing, which would commonly be referred to as snow gullies, is climbing gullies that have been filled up with firm or hard snow. Mixed climbing is a combination of climbing rock, ice and snow. All three types of climbing require harnesses, ropes, ice axes and an array of climbing equipment. Scotland has a great variety of all these different types of climbing. What we often find is that when customers ask us to teach or guide ice climbing they are using the term ice climbing but actually mean winter climbing. For the vast majority of customers winter climbing in all forms (ice, mixed or snow) is incredibly exciting and enjoyable.
So, what is the difference between “walking up a mountain” and “climbing up a mountain” in winter?
In generic, everyday speech, there is absolutely no difference at all! However, if we are wanting to consider the question from a technical viewpoint. Walking up a mountain does not involve climbing equipment but does often involve the use of an ice axe and crampons. Mountaineering involves climbing equipment, an ice axe and crampons. Climbing up a mountain in winter involves climbing equipment, two ice axes and crampons and a higher level of technical understanding. However you decide to enjoy the mountains, be it walking, mountaineering or climbing, The Torridon Mountains are a world class experience.
Winter in The Torridon Mountains
Experiencing the mountains of Torridon in winter is both unique and exquisite. It has a remarkable variety of winter walking, mountaineering and climbing. World class mountains within the region include Liathach, Beinn Eighe and An Teallach. There are fantastic adventures here for all abilities. Whether you are using your ice axe and crampons for the very first time or an experienced grade V winter climber.
Torridon is one of the best winter climbing venues in the UK. However, despite this, it remains blissfully peaceful and quiet. Other excellent winter locations in the UK; such as Glen Coe, Ben Nevis and the Cairngorms are becoming increasingly popular. In Torridon, we still often spend full days out in winter without seeing another climber. There is no queuing for routes or the additional hazards of other climbing teams dislodging rocks or ice. We will have no difficulties finding parking spaces, in fact we will likely be the only vehicles there.
The combination of wonderful winter climbing mixed with the remarkable peace and quiet makes Torridon a truly special place. The question of why is it so infrequently visited if it is so fantastic might come to mind. It is a question we have considered for a long time and we simply don’t know the answer. Perhaps it’s due to being one of the least populated areas of Europe. Perhaps it’s because we are the only winter guiding company in the region. Perhaps it just isn’t on people’s radar yet. Whatever the answer, we are just extremely grateful to operate in this winter paradise and hope you will share it with us.
We recommend that anyone joining our winter courses stays in the excellent accommodation within Gairloch. Gairloch is the largest village in the area and, while still very small, it has good core facilities. The village has shops, pubs, a range of accommodation, a bank, pharmacy, doctors and a leisure centre (including a small climbing wall). Basing yourself in Gairloch creates a great balance between access to the mountains and the provisions you may need in the evenings.
