With spring flowers showing through the ground and warmer temperatures becoming more common, hill walkers have been reminded that it’s still winter in the mountains.
“With the days getting longer and warmer, people start to get more enthusiastic about the idea of getting out there in the mountains,” said mountain safety expert Heather Morning.
“But they should remember that it’s just March – and conditions in the mountains can be as fierce as they are at any time in the winter.”
Beinn Eighe – in winter conditions at end of March 2014
Heather, who is Mountain Safety Adviser with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, reminded those intending heading for the hills that both the weather and the conditions underfoot are still wintry, and ice axe, crampons and other winter equipment – along with the knowledge and skills to use them – are still essential.
“There have been some big thaws recently, and people will have heard of huge quantities of snow being stripped from some of the ski areas. But at this time of year we can still expect heavy snow falls which can be of considerable depth and can impede progress, not to mention the problems of old, hard snow which can necessitate the wearing of crampons.
“It’s great to get out on the mountains, and those who restrict their hill walking to the summer months will be itching to get going, but you need to be patient and go with the weather and conditions in the mountains, and not how it feels in the lowlands.