A taster of winter skills, but the only way to really learn how to ice axe arrest is to do it yourself under the guidance of a winter mountain leader or other qualified instructor. Imagine taking a tablet or smartphone out in the snow to try and teach yourself … pretty much a lost cause at the end of the day and you’d be terrified of smashing your technology to pieces. Bit the bullet and book a course.
We found this video on YouTube, produced by the MCofS. Here Roger Wild introduces ice axe arrest and explains the basics which you’d learn on the hill with Andy (lead instructor with Scot Mountain Holidays). If you’re comtemplating a winter skills weekend, bear in mind that this is one of the core skills you’ll be learning, which many people have heard about before they book a skills weekend; however, as Roger Wild says: there’s a lot more to the full range of skills to keep you safe in winter and you should consider ice axe arrest to be the last in a series of skills aimed at preventing a sliding fall.
Check out our Top Ten Winter Skills tips: https://scotmountainholidays.com/blog/top-10-winter-skills-tips/
(A synopsis in pictures)
The snow’s back here in the Cairngorms and it’s only 4th November 2014 – plenty of time for the snow to build up for a fabulous Christmas and New Year in the Highlands. Take a look at our selection of winter images below – all taken in during winter seasons in the Cairngorms. Will it be an official white Christmas or just white on the high peaks of the Cairngorms
Photo caption: A day out in the snow – heading home in the sunset,
turning the snow pink and giving life to the Cairngorms –
also known as Mhonaidh Ruaidh (the red hills).
Photo caption: Sometimes a wee bit of cloud can play into your hands
and produce a much more stunning picture than a clear blue sky,
especially in the soft winter light we get here in the Cairngorms,
which is of course enhanced by reflection on the snow.
Photo caption: Unique to the Cairngorms National Park,
Britain’s only reindeer herd, which are free-roaming
across the hills in the winter. You could bump into them
on any of our courses or winter walking holidays.
Photo caption: White Christmas? Wouldn’t that be amazing?
This is the kind of snow laden scene
we’d all like to see, but how many of you would like to
experience it yourselves? When the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even …
Photo caption: It’s New Year and it’s Scotland – must mean it’s time for a party –
or as you’re in Scotland let’s give it the proper name and join the ceilidh!
Photo caption: Winter walking holiday across the Cairngorm plateau. Check out the blue skies!
Inspired? Check out some of our winter offerings in the Cairngorms and further afield across the Highlands of Scotland
Crampon compatibility is by no means the only criteria on which to determine whether a mountain boot is suitable for a Britain’s winter mountains. With 15 winter seasons of Winter Skills instruction and guiding under his belt, Andy Bateman of Scot Mountain Holidays takes us through various features of a good winter mountain boot.
The snow conditions on Scotland’s winter mountains are as varied as the weather that creates them. They are invariably more varied than any lying summer snow and combined with the variety of situations you might come across snow and ice, you don’t want to be limiting the techniques at your disposal before you’ve even set foot on the mountain. So it’s important to choose the correct winter boot.
1. Sole Rigidity:
Winter days can be short so it’s important you move efficiently. If there is the opportunity to save time safely it’s wise to do so. Adding crampons considerably increases the weight of the boot and it has been calculated that a kilogram on the foot is equivalent to five in the sac in terms of energy expended. You certainly don’t want to be without your crampons but just simply bunging a pair of crampons on isn’t necessarily a fix all.
Sole Rigidity is in fact provided by the mid-sole and not the sole. It’s important that it’s across it’s width as well as down its length. With most modern boots if they have it one way they will have it the other. The key aspect of a stiff winter boot is it allows you to concentrate your body weight where the sole makes contact meaning either it cuts into the snow ice surface effectively (i.e. when using the edges) or the rubber keys into the snow/ice surface properly.
B2/B3 boots have better grip on the snow and ice than do B1 boots meaning you can possibly reduce the time you wear your crampons. Walking on thinly snow covered rocks in crampons can be awkward so often it’s a stiff boot that’s the most effective way to deal with this situation.
Depending on the situation it may be far quicker to just to kick a few steps than stopping to put crampons on. In firm snow conditions B1 boots can often be too flexible to do this properly. For instance the when kicking pidgeon hole steps the toe will often bend up and “bounce off” without the sole cutting into the snow. The same can be the case when kicking other types of steps. It can also be rather uncomfortable for the feet.
B1 boots are usually too flexible resulting in the toe bending up and the heal dropping down. This leads to the front 2 points shearing out of the snow/ice surface and the possibility of you falling backwards out of the step.
Crampons are tough bits of equipment but they aren’t indestructible and they should be supported by a rigid sole. Fitting a crampon to a flexible boot can greatly increase the stress on the crampon which over time can lead to it breaking. Again it can be uncomfortable on the feet.
3. Robust upper
With more flexible boots, the upper can tend to be too soft. This can result in the feet feeling restricted when the crampons straps are pulled tight, the danger being restricted blood circulation and associated cold feet, or worse a cold injury like frost bite.
4. Better insulation
A good winter boot is also better insulated and hence reducing the chances of cold feet or worse. Often the additional insulation so provides added padding and hence comfort.
Conclusion
Your boot is as much a tool as your axe or your crampons and for a winter walking trip a B3 boot isn’t overkill. A B1 boot may be adequate for a challenging summer trek involving a glacier crossing in theAlpsorHimalayasbut isn’t really enough for theScottishMountainsin winter.
If you are about to head out to your local gear shop to try on some boots I would check first which of the staff have been properly trained in boot fitting and that they are going to be there when you turn up.
Most Scots don’t question the origins of Hogmanay, just as you wouldn’t question the traditions associated with any of your big national celebrations such as Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or Easter. I’m sure a lot of kids in the local schools would be hard pushed to tell you why Hogmanay is such a big deal; so much so that all Scots have an extra bank holiday at the beginning of the year that the English don’t get.
Hogmanay – as a word – is said to have either French or Norse roots. There is some confusion and argument as to which of these influences has the strongest claim to being the root of the word. The French word means the act of giving a gift to bring in the New Year or the children’s tradition of asking for sweets or small treats to bring in the New Year – a bit like trick or treating at Halloween.
Many of the traditions though are associated with ancient fesivals like the Gaelic “Samhain” (which also has close ties to Halloween as it marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter) and the winter solstice.
Of course any cause for celebration here in the Western Hemisphere and we break out the alcohol and dance!
When Protestantism under John Knox was gaining support in Scotland, it was turbulent times across the whole of Britain. Catholicism was under attack and the festivities of Christmas were seen by Knox as a very Catholic tradition and as such despised. He moved to abolish the celebration of Christmas in Scotland as being too Catholic by far.
Of course this did not mean that the celebration went away completely, it was just transferred somewhat over to New Year. After all, everyone needs a reason to celebrate something in the depths of winter.
There are many traditions related to Christmas in England and the rest of the continent that are only visited once a year at Christmas time. Many wonder why – for example, why are brussel sprouts so strongly associated with Christmas? Watch this hilarious video from Michael Mcintyre about his interpretation of Christmas traditions.
Nowadays we have reason to thank John Knox as his ban has meant that in Scotland we get an additional public holiday to bring in the New Year and the differing traditions associated with Hogmanay bring many a visitor to Scotland:
In Edinburgh they have one of the biggest street parties in the world with an amazing firework celebration which has been in the Guiness Book of Records.
In Stonehaven, there is a fireball parade.
Across the country people visit each other from midnight onwards to “first foot”. It brings good luck for the year for a visitor to be asked in on New Year’s Day. You should take a piece of coal, whisky and black bun i.e. food, drink and warmth/comfort.
Here at Fraoch Lodge we head out into the snow and bring the New Year in with a walk across the high peaks of the Cairngorms using all the cramponing and ice axe techniques learnt during our guests stay leading up to New Year’s Day.
Funny though – when you look through the other images on Flickr no one else seems to think about New Year celebrations in quite the same way!
Reference:
The Great British Bake Off explains Hogmanay food
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Boat of Garten,
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