On December 10, 2014
By Andy Bateman
Scot Mountain Holidays are pleased to announce a new partnership with leading website WalkHighlands. We have set aside 3 dates for all-inclusive Winter Skills weekends which are available exclusively to Walk Highlands newsletter membership.
The winter skills course
For many, winter sends a shiver down the spine but for a few of us it’s a tingle of excitement. It’s the privilege of experiencing a crystal clear horizon some 70 miles distant, seldom seen during the warmer months. The delicate pinks and oranges of a setting sun interacting with the creations of ice and frost make winter in the mountains a magical time. This weekend winter skills course gives you the confidence and satisfaction of knowing how to be safe and comfortable in this unique and beautiful but sometimes hostile environment.
For an ice axe arrest to be effective, it must be possible for some one to execute “in the blink of an eye”, and therefore needs to be practised repeatedly. We’ve planned the course with this in mind and have not therefore included any training in the complex skill of winter navigation. The course forms a solid foundation in personal winter safety skills; like the proper use of the boot, ice axe and crampons as well as looking at avoiding avalanches, emergency snow shelters, etc. If you feel your winter navigation skills need a boost we recommend you attend either our 5 Day Winter Skills Course or additionally our Winter Navigation Weekend?
The winter skills course also includes a winter ascent of the Munro summit of Cairngorm.
But we’re not offering only the skills – included in the price is accommodation at Fraoch Lodge and your meals from breakfast on the Saturday morning through to your packed lunch to take on the hill on Sunday.
Accommodation for your winter skills course
Fraoch Lodge is a comfortable, homely base for your weekend. Andy, Rebecca and Gregor (your hosts for the course) are also keen hill walkers and international travellers. You’ll probably find many of the same books as you have at home on the shelves and recognise many of the views in their photos.
They’ve also been keen to include work by many of the local craftspeople in enhancing the decor.
Nethybridge pottery have supplied many of our bedside lamps.
Unique Tables (Mark Samuels of Grantown on Spey) have supplied big foot tables to act as bedside tables in many of the rooms.
We’ve purchased a peg loom from Three Bags Wool craft shop in Aberlour and made luxuriously thick rugs and are in the process of adding hand made cushions.
The meals
Rebecca takes pride in providing tasty food with local ingredients, many of which are supplied by the garden which has been converted to a mostly edible garden, but is still a very attractive garden. There are fruit trees and bushes around the border and vegetable beds interspersed. Many guests like to tour round the garden and see what they can spot and identify. If you have the inclination you could well find yourself totting some herbs homeward.
Summary
Scot Mountain Holidays provides adventure tours centred in the Scottish Highlands. All tours include an element of physical activity and interaction with local people.
In winter, the calendar is filled not only with traditional winter skills courses, to encourage people to learn the skills to head out into the hills all year round, but more spice has been added with winter expeditions for a fun but safe way of taking a break from everyday life. For the less adventurous, but fit, there are also a range of winter walking holidays made up from a series of day walks, returning to a comfortable base at the end of each day.
USEFUL BLOGS
How to ice axe arrest: https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/skills-how-ice-axe-arrest/
Best practice: how to build a snow hole in Scotland: https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/best-practice-building-snow-hole-scotland/
How not to get lost – the art of navigation: https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/hiking-how-not-get-lost-art-navigation/
Top 10 winter skills tips (for Scotland): https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/top-10-winter-skills-tips/
How to prepare for a mountain challenge: https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/classic-ridges-and-horseshoes-hiking-tips/
Which boots to choose for winter: https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/which-boots-choose-winter-walking/
How to choose a walking ice axe: https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/how-choose-walking-ice-axe/
EXPEDITIONS FROM SCOT MOUNTAIN HOLIDAYS: https://scotmountainholidays.com/activities/mountain-challenges/
SKILLS COURSES FROM SCOT MOUNTAIN HOLIDAYS: https://scotmountainholidays.com/activities/mountain-skills-courses/
