The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has drafted a new code of responsbility for climbers and is asking for comments. The document has been drafted in response to growing concerns over liability for accidents, particularly from land owners, including many local authorities and other public bodies. The MCofS has always taken the view that climbers and walkers should understand that these activities can pose dangers which go hand in hand with personal responsibility. The general participation statement says, ““The MCofS recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should…

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has teamed up with mountain guiding company Chicks Unleashed to provide a series of women-only GPS training courses. The day-long courses will be held at Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore on 15 and 16 May 2010 and cost £25. The course will begin with a short (approx 1 hour) introduction session indoors for participants to familiarise themselves with the GPS units. This will be followed by practical sessions in the woods around Glenmore and later out on the hill. The courses will be tutored by Heather Morning, MCofS Safety Officer, and Rosie Goolden from Chicks…

The programme has now been released for this year’s Dundee Mountain Film Festival. The event, to be held on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November, showcases an international programme of speakers and award winning films and exhibitions. The Festival, in its 27th year, will welcome Catherine Destivelle, the French climbing legend, on her third appearance at the Festival, with her new presentation ‘From Bouldering to Mountain Climbing’, on Friday evening at the University of Dundee‘s Bonar Hall. Scotland’s own Polar Explorer, Craig Mathieson, will presents his lecture entitled ‘Some like it Cold’ on Saturday evening, when there will also be…

Following consultations with mountaineering organisations, The Nevis Partnership has completed work on the relocation of the line of stone cairns that traditionally marked the path over the summit plateau of the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. The relocated cairns now mark the recognised compass bearings that are used by walkers and climbers to navigate off the summit, avoiding the snow cornices that fringe the edge of the mountain’s north-east facing corries. The cairns are 1.8 metres in height and are spaced at 50 metre intervals. Previously a line of poles placed by Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team marked this route. These…

Mark Diggins, an instructor at Glenmore Lodge, has been appointed as the new coordinator for the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS). This vital service provides information on snow conditions in the main high-level climbing and walking areas of Scotland throughout the winter months. The post has been vacant since the sad death of Blyth Wright in May earlier this year. Mark Diggins has over 25 years experience as an international mountain guide and will continue to work from Glenmore Lodge, near Aviemore where the service is based. The SAIS provides daily forecasts for the following five areas: northern and southern…

Next January, the MCofS will be running a series of one-day “Avalanche Awareness” courses. Aimed at the general winter hill-walker, the courses are non-certificated and will be suitable for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge of snow and avalanches, learn which areas to avoid and improve their understanding of reports and forecasts. Each course will consist of an indoor introduction to avalanche theory followed by a practical session on the hill. The courses will be delivered by qualified and experienced instructors at a ratio of 1 tutor to 4 participants. Basic winter skills will NOT be covered. It is essential…

The search for a hill walker reported missing after a day walk in the Monadhliath range, near Newtonmore, has successfully found the missing woman.  The alarm was raised shortly after 10pm on Saturday night and the Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team, search and rescue dog handlers and an RAF helicopter had been searching the area until the walker was found shortly after midday on Sunday. The woman in her 30’s had been forced to camp out having got lost in poor weather conditions. The search team said that she was well-equipped and it is understood that she was well and did not require…

Winter 2010 sees the introduction of a new expanded MCofS Winter Lecture Series. Following on from the success at the Clachaig Inn each winter, the free lectures will now run from three different locations. The Clachaig Inn, Glencoe (Tuesday evenings) The Mountain Cafe, Aviemore (Wednesday evenings) The Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team Base (Thursday evenings) The focus of the lectures is to entertain and educate on winter mountain safety. The MCofS has chosen an inspiring array of who are guaranteed to provide an entertaining night out. All the speakers have spent many years in the mountains and will draw upon their…