The final lectures in the Mountaineering Council of Scotland's Winter Lecture series will be delivered at The Mountain Cafe, Aviemore, by mountain safety experts Heather Morning and Dave ‘Heavy’ Whalley. Heather Morning is the MCofS Mountain Safety Adviser. With a lifetime’s experience in the mountains, she has been a professional mountaineer for 20 years and for the last 12 has been an active member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team. ‘Heavy’ Whalley was a member of the RAF Mountain Rescue for 36 years. He was the Team Leader of RAF Leuchars, RAF Kinloss and Deputy Team leader at RAF Valley…

Cotton can kill. That's the stark message going out to mountaineers as part of a bid to stop people freezing to death. Each winter people die of exposure and hypothermia in the Scottish mountains. Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Advisor with the MCofS, advised that wearing cotton clothing can significantly increase your risk of developing hypothermia in the Scottish winter mountains. When cotton clothing gets wet, whether through rain, snow-melt or perspiration, it provides no insulation and will quickly cool the skin. Outdoor clothing manufacturers produce their garments from either man-made synthetic fabrics or wool, which ‘wick’ moisture away from the…

Donald Tiso, son of the founders of the Tiso outdoor gear shops, has died in an accident on Ben Starav. The 50 year old fell on steep ground between Ben Starav and Beinn nan Aighenan, above Glen Kinglass on Friday 18 January. Mr Tiso’s walking companion raised the alarm and 
Oban Mountain Rescue Team and the Police were called out as well as a Royal Navy rescue helicopter from HMS Gannet. Mr Tiso was flown by helicopter to Belford Hospital in Fort William, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Donald Tiso, whose parent’s Graham and Maude founded the outdoor gear…

A walker survived an avalanche in the Cairngorms that mountain rescuers described as huge. The Cairngorm Ski Patrol, ranger service and avalanche dog responded to an incident at the head wall of Coire Cas. Initial reports were of someone that had gone through the cornice or had been avalanched. Rescuers were on scene within minutes and found large avalanche debris. After approximately 45 minutes of searching and probing the response was stood down as the missing person was reported safe and well. The 47 year-old walker went through a cornice triggering the avalanche. The man, whose two friends had in…

The full programme for the 2014 Fort William Mountain Festival has been announced. Some of the best inspirational speakers made up of top climbers, and mountaineers, together with adventure film screenings, mountain bike, ski mountaineering and hill running races and mountain skills workshops will make up the Festival which runs from Wednesday 19th to Sunday 23rd February 2014. Mike Pescod, Chairman of the Highland Mountain Culture Association, organisers of the Festival, said: “The Fort William Mountain Festival continues to get incredible support from local people, enthusiasts from across Scotland and the UK, and businesses from all sectors. It’s guaranteed to…

Fort William Mountain Festival has announced that the 7th Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture will go to Scottish climber, instructor and all-round mountain enthusiast, Andy Nisbet. The award will be formally presented at the festival on Saturday 22nd February. This prestigious annual award recognises and celebrates achievements and accomplishments of one inspiring individual and their outstanding contribution to Scotland&Apos;s mountains, in the fields of sport, theatre, art, photography, film and literature. Andy Nisbet was chosen as this year’s recipient because of his inspirational enthusiasm for the Scottish mountains and his invaluable contribution to climbing through his work in…