Mountain Weather and Decision Making for Climbers and Mountaineers

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Pricing

Make Good Winter Mountaineering and Ice Climbing Decisions from £140

Join Garry from the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) and Ollie from Climb Torridon for an immersive, practical day dedicated to winter weather, condition analysis, and mountain decision-making.

By combining MWIS’s meteorological expertise with Climb Torridon’s local mountaineering knowledge, this course delivers in-depth insight into making the absolute most of your time in the mountains. Alongside core theoretical concepts, the day features a heavy practical focus and we’ll travel on grade 1 winter terrain, analyzing real-time conditions directly on the mountainside and seeing how climbs and routes become in condition.

Day & Time: Saturday 6th Feb, 08:30 – 17:30 (approx.)
Meeting Point: The Old Inn, Gairloch
Terrain: Grade 1 winter terrain

Find out more about the pricing of this course

At a Glance – Mountain Weather and Decision Making for Climbers and Mountaineers

Duration 1 day
When 6 Feb 2027
Location Torridon & North West Highlands
Max Ratio 2:4 With Ollie and Garry
Price from £140 pp (1-day course)
View dates & pricing …
Accommodation & Food
Accommodation with dinner, bed and breakfast (optional)
Perfect for:
Hillwalkers, mountaineers and climbers looking to learn about assessing route conditions.

Course Itinerary

Please find out the rough outline of the day below. Do note that timings are completely flexible and are just there to give you a an idea of what to expect. As with any of our courses we very much focus on teaching you as an individual not just the content – and have lots of fun along the way!

Approx. 08:30 — Arrival & Meet at The Old Inn
Approx. 08:30 – 09:30 — Interactive Weather Briefing: Live analysis of current conditions, expected trends, and what to look for on the hill with MWIS.
Approx. 09:30 – 10:30 — Transit to mountain venue, kit up and head in.
Approx. 10:30 – 16:00 — Practical Mountain Session (we’ll be out in grade 1 winter terrain): Hands-on instruction and condition analysis covering:
- Objective Selection: Strategic route choices across varied snowpacks, from lean conditions to deep snow.
- The Science of Frozen Turf: Turf freezing mechanics, moisture impacts, wind effects, and practical evaluation.
- Snowpack Structure & Avalanche Safety: Safe route choice, identifying weak layers, and evaluating ground conditions as a climber.
- Rime & Verglas: Forecasting icing conditions, spotting them from afar, and assessing quality for climbing.
- Atmospheric Physics in Practice: Humidity, the wet-bulb effect, cloud observations, and optimizing clothing systems.
- Tactical Technical Skills: Navigating complex avalanche terrain and applying emergency rope work when conditions deviate from expectations.
Approx. 17:00 – 17:30 — Round up & Q&A back at the venue

Please note: The precise breakdown of skills covered will be dynamically adapted to maximize learning based on the conditions found on the day.

Who’s this for?

To get the most from this course you should already have some experience of winter walking, mountaineering or climbing and be competent to move without a rope on grade 1 snow slopes. If you’re unsure about this then get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss.

Accommodation

This course offers the option to book with our special discounted accommodation package at The Old Inn in Gairloch. Read more about these details below:

The Old Inn, Gairloch – January to March 2027

We are working in partnership with The Old Inn in Gairloch for our winter courses. This well established, traditional inn provides a comfortable and convenient base for your Guided Winter Mountaineering course.

Pricing (which includes dinner, bed and breakfast):

£89 per person per night (twin or double room, shared occupancy)
£130 per night (single occupancy)

All prices include a full cooked breakfast and a three-course evening meal.

Booking is handled directly through us – please confirm availability when making your course enquiry.

Further details on our Winter at The Old Inn Package

Alternative accommodation

We recommend staying in or near Gairloch, which offers shops, a petrol station, electric vehicle charging, and some dining options. Villages such as Torridon, Kinlochewe, or Poolewe are quieter and have very limited facilities during winter.

Ratios and Pricing

in order to make sure you get the most out of this course and so we can get to the right locations to put the skills we discuss into context we have a maximum of four participants on this course.