This year’s Fort William Mountain Festival has a full programme of films, lectures, workshops and events. Highlights include evenings with adventurer Tim Emmett discussing his latest exploits, and Cameron McNeish and Richard Else talking about mountain film making, films from the Best of Banff World Tour, and an evening of paddling films. The Festival runs from Friday 11 February and ends with a party at Nevis Range on Tuesday 15 February. During the daytime there will be courses on avalanche awareness and winter walking and climbing skills. During the Festival the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture will be…

A Sheriff has determined that the avalanche which killed two climbers on Buachaille Etive Mor last year was a tragic accident that could not have been foreseen. The Fatal Accident Inquiry report by Sheriff Douglas Small into the deaths of Chris Walker, 29, from Cumbria, and Robert Pritchard, 37, of New Malden, last February, has been published and it states that the slab avalanche could not have been predicted. Sheriff Small reported: “I am satisfied that the avalanche was completely unpredictable and that the circumstances of this accident were highly unusual. I consider that this was a tragic accident which…

Coach firm Scottish Citylink has teamed up with three of Scotland’s ski resorts to offer a new timetable and a 20% discount on equipment hire for passengers when they produce their valid return ticket. The new timetable and offer covers Nevis Range, Cairngorm Mountain and Glencoe Mountain with regular departures from Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The timetable will run until 22 May 2011. The new deal has come at just the right time for boarders and skiers who want to take advantage of one of Scotland’s coldest ever winters and plenty of snow. Chris Sankey, for Scottish Citylink, said: “Winter…

Climber Mick Fowler had to postpone events from his Berghaus Adventure Tour on 1 and 2 December because of the heavy snow and bad weather before Christmas. The Edinburgh and Newcastle events have now been rescheduled for 12 and 11 February. Anyone with tickets to the postponed events should be contacted with the new details and tickets are still available (£10) as well as times and venue details from the tour website. Mick Fowler is one of Britain’s leading mountaineers, specialising in the exploration of remote, extremely challenging climbing locations which has led Mick to be labelled “the mountaineers’ mountaineer”…

The internationally renowned Centre for Mountain Studies at Perth College UHI is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To commemorate this notable milestone, Colin Prior, Scotland’s top landscape photographer, will give a special presentation, “Mountains of Inspiration” at Perth Concert Hall on Wednesday 19 January 2011. There is a reduced price of £5 for MCofS members. Colin Prior has established an international reputation in his career as a freelance professional photographer. He has received critical acclaim for his images, including many panoramic mountain scenes from ranges around the world. The audience can also enjoy hearing from Dr Thomas Moore, Perth College UHI…

The MCofS winter lecture series starts next wednesday (12 Jan) at the Mountain Cafe in Aviemore. The first speaker is Nick Carter who is guaranteed to provide an entertaining and thought provoking evening’s entertainment. The talk starts at 8pm, meals available at 7pm (£10) booking essential for the meals call the Mountain Cafe direct on 01479 812473. Alongside the usual popular venues of the Clachaig Inn, Glencoe and the Mountain Cafe, Aviemore, TISO will be hosting a series of 7 lectures across its stores. Buff are also supporting the 2011 series; all participants will be invited to enter their name…

A training park where skiers, climbers and walkers can practice with an avalanche transceiver is due to be opened in Glencoe on 8 January by Hamish Macinnes. The use of transceivers is a proven safety tool for those who go to the hills in winter. For the climber the hill walker and the off piste skier the training park, to be sited at Glencoe Mountain ski centre, will be a valuable training aid. Case studies confirm that practice search preparation time is significantly shortened with access to such dedicated training sites. Advanced skills such as deep and multiple burials can…