The dates have been announced for next year's winter lectures at the Clachaig pub in Glencoe. The four lectures, held at 8pm every Tuesday in February, will kick off with Andy Nelson on 4 February.
Andy is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and Deputy Leader of Glencoe Mountain Rescue. He is active in the mountains every day; guiding privately, training military personnel and as part of the Glencoe MRT (usually at night!). He will talk about ways to prepare for a winter walk or climb and how to pre-empt or overcome some of the challenges you may face so you can have a safe, enjoyable and productive day.
Other lectures at the Clachaig will feature Mike Pescod, Richard Bentley and Davy Gunn. The lectures are free, but if you donate £1 you will be entered into a raffle. The events will be held in the Bidean Lounge.
These evenings are held in conjunction with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) and compliment a series of other mountain safety evenings being held around the country this winter.
4 December – Tiso, Longman Estate, Inverness
5 December – Cotswold, Guild Square, Aberdeen
10 December – Tiso, Highland Gateway, Perth
11 December – Tiso, Rose Street, Edinburgh
12 February – Mountain Cafe, Aviemore
19 February – Mountain Cafe, Aviemore
Talks at both Cotswold and Tiso will open at 7.30 p.m. The talks at Tiso stores will be free to attend, although a donation bucket will be passed around for the Mountain Safety Trust. At Cotswold there will be a nominal £2 charge for tickets, which will go to the Mountain Safety Trust. Places should be booked in advance for all the talks as demand is expected to be high, and those wishing attend should contact the relevant shops direct by email.
Heather Morning, MCofS Mountain Safety Adviser, will deliver the talks, which will provide advice for people taking to the Scottish mountains in winter conditions, and will look to improve people’s awareness and knowledge of topics such as navigation, equipment, route choice, avalanches and weather conditions.
With a lifetime’s experience in the mountains, Heather has been a professional mountaineer for 20 years and for the last 12 years has been an active member of the Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team.
The lectures will be illustrated by beautiful photography and full of anecdotes, with a focus on how to make the most of the mountains, offering practical advice on how best to prepare for a winter expedition and how to adapt skills and techniques.
The main series of lectures is being delivered in partnership with outdoor shops Tiso and Cotswold, who will be providing venues for the talks, and funds will be raised for the Mountain Safety Trust.
There will be a further two talks in February, both at the Mountain Café, Aviemore and sponsored by the Munro Society. Heather Morning will deliver the first lecture on 12 February, while the second, on 19 February, will be delivered by ‘Heavy’ Whalley, a mountain rescue legend, who put in 35 years with RAF Mountain Rescue and is still active in sharing his knowledge and expertise. These two talks are free but you can order a delicious meal for £10 and make a whole evening of it. Booking details can be found on the Mountain Cafe website.