Last week brought the first sustained cold snap in the Highlands, bringing snow to most mountain summits and icy conditions in many places. For skilled mountaineers this is the season when the Scottish Hills can bring their greatest rewards, but it is also a time when the hills are full of danger for the unsuspecting. Every year there are many accidents which could have been avoided to hillwalkers who couldn’t cope with the conditions. Remember – there is no such thing as winter hillwalking – it’s mountaineering.
In winter every hillwalker heading for summits above the snow line needs to carry an ice-axe, crampons and knowledge of how to use each. You must also be able to assess the danger from avalanches, which can be considerable. Exact navigation becomes vitally important in order to work out the safest route in the conditions (guidebook routes and Walkhighlands descriptions may not be safe routes in winter) and to avoid walking over a cornice in bad visibility. Remember also that days are very short – as little as six hours in the far north in December – and adjust plans accordingly, as well as carrying a torch.
For those new to winter conditions it is an excellent idea to take a winter-skills course to give you the ability to assess risk and keep yourself safe. One key skill is the ability to stop yourself using your axe should you slip and begin sliding down a snow slope. The video below from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland demonstrates how this can be done.