MrMunro wrote:Hi! I’m new to this forum so I hope I am posting on the correct discussion page. I’m planning to go walking/wild camping in the Cairngorms next month to bag some more Munro’s, I have been to the Cairngorms a few month ago already and I have plenty of experience walking in the summer but I really want to try walking in the winter as I’m obsessed with the idea of becoming a mountaineer one day. However I understand that walking in Scotland in the winter can be dangerous especially if you go alone, which I will be and I am only 19 years old so naturally I don’t have much experience walking in the winter. I have all the correct winter gear, ice axe/crampons etc but I wanted to use this forum to ask if anyone with more experience had any good tips for a newbie like me! I have watched some videos on how to use crampons and kicking steps etc and I am very confident when it comes to navigation. If anyone has some advice it would be great to hear it, especially if anyone thinks my plan to go walking in the winter alone sounds too dangerous!
Good points made by others, especially about going on a course, and maybe joining a walking group too. As a basic, a winter skills course will teach you when and how to use crampons, on different sorts of slopes, and ice axe self arrest. Some courses also cover how to navigate in a white-out and how to assess avalanche risks.
And for day by day planning your routes to take account of weather and snow conditions, these websites are useful -
https://www.mwis.org.uk/ and
https://www.sais.gov.uk/.
The Cairngorms is a big and very varied area. Personally I would be wary about going to the higher and remoter parts in winter. However, there are also areas which are more accessible and potentially safer in bad weather, although everywhere has the potential for deep snow, blizzards and simply a slip on an icy path.
My own choices for these slightly easier areas would be the hills around Glen Clova / Glen Esk, the hills either side of the A93 ( but I wouldn't venture beyond Glas Maol onto the central Mounth plateau) and the hills immediately around the A9 at Drumochter. If you are staying in Aviemore, there are also the Monadh Liath, Bynack Mor and Meall a'Bhuachaille.
If your plans are not fixed yet, you could also consider the southern Highlands / Loch Lomond National Park where some of the hills are less remote. All paths can become invisible in deep snow, but the main paths on the more popular hills such as Ben Ledi, Ben Lomond, Ben Lawers and Schiehallion are those most likely to remain traceable. Even if you are a good navigator, it is always nice to have a clear path underfoot if the weather is bad.
One other principle which I tend to have in my mind in winter, is that an hour in the morning is worth two in the afternoon. I tend to start walking early and aim to be off the hill by mid-afternoon.
It is stressful to be looking at time and the remaining daylight. My personal impression is that a lot of accidents occur when descending, especially if descending in haste.
All that sounds quite foreboding, but I'm sure you will in fact have a great time. Here's what it can be like when the weather's good! -
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=60840 Tim